What kind/brand of skates should I be looking at?

Good Evening/Morning/Night folks,

I'm a 23 year old male figure skater, I started skating a little under a year ago.

About 3-4 months in, I decided it was time to slip the bonds of the ratty old rental skates I was using from the rink I work at. Not knowing what to go with as a starter boot and blade, I was told to purchase some Jackson Freestyle skates and the Ultima blades that came with them. Upon being sized, I was alerted to the fact that I was men's size 9 and a half and had a narrow foot. Unwilling to sink the $200 extra it would cost to get a narrow boot alone, I simply got the regular size 9 and a half.

They have served me... Okay... up til now. At the time, in comparison to the battered Riedell rental skates, they felt godsend. However, as I began to learn and master a simple waltz jump and pick up speed, I realized just how heavy and bulky they felt. On the inside and outside, they feel as if I'm wearing deep sea diving boots and certainly look the part.

At ~150 lbs, I'm fairly light for my age so the additional weight feels unnatural and unnerving. While I understand skates are heavier than street shoes, I feel these skates were designed for someone with at least another 25 lbs of muscle on them. Similarly the sheer amount of padding on the inside I would imagine is a contributing factor. Comfort isn't a big necessity for me whereas utility very much is.

I'm currently at a choke point right now where I feel my ability to skate, and by extension jump (my favorite thing about the sport), is being severely limited by the sheer size, padding and weight of my current boot and blade.

So, I'm looking for some input as to what I should be looking for in terms of skates for my next purchase. I need something light. What brands/models should I be looking at?

Edea skates are known to be lightweight and there are various lightweight blades on the market, such as Paramount. Only you and your fitter can determine if these are the right choices for you as Edea skates in particular don't work for every foot. Also, they are expensive, as are the lighter blades, I believe. FYI I don't think the skates and blades you are in are particularly heavy, and many elite skaters do triple jumps in the more advanced Jackson models. You mentioned that you chose not to buy the right width because of the expense. It is possible that the reason your current skates don't work for you because they are too wide. Did you try on Riedell boots, which are generally said to work better for narrow feet?

Mods - should this thread be moved to the Lutz Corner forum?

Reidells are the preferred boot for people with narrow feet; Jacksons are the preferred boot for people with wide feet.

I am curious why they would charge you $200 extra for narrow boots. Where we go, all boots of the same style/model are the same price. If they don't have your size, then they special-order them for you. How long it takes to get them depends on the availability - if they are in stock at the distributor, then you will have them in days. If they are not in stock, well ...

i also find the extra charge for regular narrow boots odd- they should all be around the same price range. only custom cuts/ builds usually require extra charges. and riedells are much better for people with narrow feet, although i know people who have gone from riedells to harlicks, though i'm not sure if that was because of feet growth or from something else. i would not recommend jacksons to anyone who has a narrow foot. ever. if you think your boots are too heavy, i suggest putting ankle weights on when you skate and jump- when you take them off, you'll feel a huge difference.
there are lower level edea boots that might serve you better though, if you feel the padding/ stiffness of the boots is hindering you.

We had a $50 charge on reidells when the skates were more than 2 widths difference - she was AAA in the heel and B in the ball. The new pair was AA/B and there was no surcharge.

The OP did not say he or she had a split width - only that it would have cost $200 more for narrower boots. If the OP wears a AA width, that could mean the cost for a custom order or a more expensive skate (Elites come in AA).