I'm looking to get a used pair of Coronation Ace blades from ebay as an upgrade from my Mirage blades but I'm wondering which size would be appropriate for my boots. The blades I have now are 9", does that mean I can only buy and mount blades that are 9"? Or can they be a little larger or smaller? My boots are a size 4.5.
What size blades should I buy for my boots?
- Thread starter ruki06
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2009
I'm not the greatest equipment expert ever, so take everything I say with a grain of salt 
:
9" sounds good for a 4.5. It depends on the sole length though. That differs between brands and models. Rule of thumb is mostly that blades should be a 1/4" smaller than the sole. However, you have some leeway (models can be between two blade sizes for example) and it may also be a matter of personal preference. If you are satiesfied with 9" I would stay with 9". If you can get a great deal on blades a 1/4" larger or smaller you might want to go for it. (I usually have 10 3/4 but couldn't pass on a superb deal on some Pattern 99 10 1/2) Be sure to know you sole length though, and be aware you may have to adjust to it on the ice.
:9" sounds good for a 4.5. It depends on the sole length though. That differs between brands and models. Rule of thumb is mostly that blades should be a 1/4" smaller than the sole. However, you have some leeway (models can be between two blade sizes for example) and it may also be a matter of personal preference. If you are satiesfied with 9" I would stay with 9". If you can get a great deal on blades a 1/4" larger or smaller you might want to go for it. (I usually have 10 3/4 but couldn't pass on a superb deal on some Pattern 99 10 1/2) Be sure to know you sole length though, and be aware you may have to adjust to it on the ice.
- Joined
- Apr 12, 2014
Measure the sole of your boot from toe to heel ends. This will tell you the maximum length blade you can put on your boots. You may use a blade 1/4" shorter than the maximum length to fit the soles. Anything larger will extend beyond the boot. Good luck!
I personally don't think the length of the boot should mean anything, nor would I always want to mount the front of the blade to be flush with the front of the outsole. Especially if it isn't a full custom boot, so the length of your foot might be far less than the length of your boot. It should depend more on your personal anatomy.
In terms of forwards/back location, and length you need to trade off whether your current tail seems long enough behind you to stabilize you, and not scratch, against being so long that you trip over yourself. Then you try to make the "sweet spot" - the point at which the blade curvature changes up front - be just a little in front of the ball of your foot, so you can control turns and spins best. A really good skate technician can change the sweet spot, but most skate technicians can barely be trusted, if at all, to make a blade sharp and level. Then you want the toe pick position to be easy enough to reach when you need it, but not to be reached when you don't want it.
So you start by analyzing how well your current blade fits your current anatomy this way. If the tail needs to move, move it on your current boot, and see how the rest works out. Then you can figure out whether you want a shorter or longer blade.
Wouldn't it be cool if we could cheaply rent blades to try out alternatives? I don't know any shop that does that.
