Skates: new or used?

Annick · Apr 4, 2017

Hey there! My daughter started skating 3 years ago. She is now almost 9 years old and she will be starting the STARSkate program (I think the US equivalent must be Free Skate). She is working on single jumps, Last year, she needed new skates. Another skater had used Freestyles for sale for a ridiculous price, so I bought them. Then, I bought used (read worn out) GAM Podiums (0057) for peanuts. Of course, those boots were way too advanced for her but she has really big feet so those were really my only options for good quality skates without breaking the bank. She's almost grown out of her GAMs and I can't seem to find decent used skates for the level she's at. I know it's not a good idea to downgrade when it comes to boots and stiffness but the skates she's worn for the last two years were really too advanced for her. We live in a remote area so if I can't buy used skates, I need to order new ones from the internet. Here are my two options:

1-Gently used Edea Chorus - still way too advanced for her but very good quality and cheap ($200)
2-Brand new Jackson Classiques - this would be downgrading but as her previous skates were thoroughly used, I am hoping the stiffness of the brand new skates would do the trick

She is still a young, beginner skater. My guess is that now is the ideal time to downgrade to skates that would be more adapted to her level. My fear is that if I do buy the used Edea, I will have to get her similar skates for the next few years, and I don't want to have to spend thousands of dollars for new skates (she goes through two pairs per season). However, I also know that ideally, I should not get her anything less stiff than what she has right now.

What to do?

loopy · Apr 4, 2017

I would go with Jackson, but make sure she gets fitted. Chorus has to be molded and not every skate tech can do it. Regular skates can be stretched when they get tight.

By the way - did you see GAM's pricing on Kinzie's closet? They have a lot of markdowns and Podium is 250USD. If they really work for her foot, you might consider it. I have a skater who fits her skates well. I don't buy different brands or styles because they do work so well.

concorde · Apr 4, 2017

What does her coach say?

My guess is the Classiques are a bad choice since they probably will not be stiff enough. With single jumps and her age, my guess is Freestyles would be a much better choice. But those are my guesses as the mom of a skater.

Annick · Apr 4, 2017

Her coach says that she does not need anything stiffer/higher-end than Classiques. I'm also afraid that Classiques would not be enough and/or comfortable since she's used to stiffer skates. She really likes her GAMs and she likes Jacksons as well. She tried on the Edeas and liked them but did not like Risports that she tried on, so I'm guessing she is starting to have personal preferences. I would really like to be able to have her try them all on but it's a 3-hour drive to the closest decent skating store so getting her new skates is always a gamble.

NanaPat · Apr 4, 2017

Annick said:
I would really like to be able to have her try them all on but it's a 3-hour drive to the closest decent skating store so getting her new skates is always a gamble.

Three hours doesn't seem all that far to me. Says someone who spent a long weekend (6-hour drive each way) "helping" my husband buy ski boot liners. And my daughter has driven farther than that to go to Ikea (well, she did go skiing while she was there, but she drove alone in a separate car so she could fill it with furniture on the return trip. ).

Annick · Apr 4, 2017

Trust me, we are really used to looooooooooong drives, we are truly far from anything... but with a daughter who has anxiety issues and pukes in the car (she gets panic attack because afraid to puke in the car... *sigh*), I'll avoid it if I can.

Ic3Rabbit · Apr 4, 2017

OP this is complicated for many reasons.
First of all, you don't truly know how quickly your daughter goes through boots because you've gotten them used and they break down way faster than they should be for someone of her skill level. That also poses an issue because the skater who originally had the boots fit them differently than your daughter, so you don't truly know what she's comfortable with.

Secondly, I don't think Classiques are going to be stiff enough for her with her skill level. You need to get her out of rec skates/boots, because they aren't doing her any favors now or in the future.

The other problem comes because you have already overbooted her from the beginning which adds it's own complications which are becoming apparent now and will possibly in the future. (Overbooting causes injuries and more).

If you have to travel to put her in the correct boots/blades for HER (not used), then do it. If you aren't willing to travel for skating equipment or spend on it (skating is a very expensive sport especially if your daughter plans on advancing further and further) then it's not worth it overall. Sorry that I have to say this, not being rude, just being realistic. (example: At my level my boot/blade combo ends up costing around $1,400.00USD for one pair, not to mention I need 2 pair a year).

Go to a certified skate fitter/tech and do this the right way starting now.

I just wanted to add that your daughters foot is still growing and you might need to get a fitting for this reason alone, especially if you said her foot is on the larger side.

Annick · Apr 4, 2017

I am absolutely willing to travel and invest on skates, don't get me wrong! We drive 3-4 hours each way so that she can be on the ice for a minute and a half during competitions. However, if I can find realistic, working alternatives, I will take them. When I said she goes through boots, I meant that she grows out of them, she doesn't even have time to think about wearing them out, which is why I am reluctant to spend several hundred dollars.

Hopefully I can make it to a specialized shop before she grows out of her current GAMs... :eek:

hwell:

NanaPat · Apr 5, 2017

Annick said:
Trust me, we are really used to looooooooooong drives, we are truly far from anything... but with a daughter who has anxiety issues and pukes in the car (she gets panic attack because afraid to puke in the car... *sigh*), I'll avoid it if I can.

Carsickness changes everything. It's too bad kids can't sit in the front seat any more, because of airbags. Sitting in the front seat is the second-best prevention for car sickness (driving is the best prevention, but that won't be a consideration for you for many years). My adult daughter gets to sit in the front seat on group trips by announcing that she is perfectly willing to sit in the back seat, but does suffer from motion sickness, and it is much worse in the back.... Passengers quickly rearrange themselves. It would be a good ploy, but unfortunately it's perfectly true.

treesprite · Apr 5, 2017

Is your daughter a child? There have been numerous pairs of children's sizes new old-model higher level Jacksons boots for dirt cheap on Ebay lately, some are like $60 (sixty) dollars! Some online retailers also have sharply discounted older model Jacksons , but also in very few sizes. You would have to have your daughter measured though, to make sure of the size, because those clearance boots are probably not returnable.

RoaringMice · Apr 5, 2017

Jackson makes a good, relatively inexpensive skate for skaters at your daughter's level. The Classique may be fine, if your daughter is light. If she's not light, she may need the Freestyles or higher.

concorde · Apr 5, 2017

When is her next competition? Maybe you can get her fitted for new boots at it.

I get your concern about feet growing but that really is penny wise, pound foolish with ice skating since this is really her only equipment. The wrong equipment will actually limit how quickly she develops as a skater.

I would be worried about Classiques since they have a plastic sole that comes with a factor mounted blade that cannot be adjusted - at least that is what people at 2 different pro shops told me years ago. I learned that the hard way after I purchased them for me and I needed the blades adjusted.

With my daughter, we only had to purchase 1 pair of skates a year for her since she was 5. The first "real" pair we got for her were Jackson Freestyles and she always liked them. I know we went through multiple pairs of them over the years.

Annick · Apr 5, 2017

That PVC sole is also bugging me. The more I think about it (and the more replies I read), the more I think Freestyles would be the best for her, and a happy medium between the Classiques and the Chorus. I'll try to lure her into driving to Toronto to see Stars on ice and get her fitted at the same time.

Ic3Rabbit · Apr 5, 2017

Annick said:
That PVC sole is also bugging me. The more I think about it (and the more replies I read), the more I think Freestyles would be the best for her, and a happy medium between the Classiques and the Chorus. I'll try to lure her into driving to Toronto to see Stars on ice and get her fitted at the same time.

I think this is a good idea. Thank you for taking all of our feedback to heart and steering away from the Classiques, best wishes to your daughter, I hope her new skates work great for her!

SmallAminal · Apr 5, 2017

Annick said:
That PVC sole is also bugging me. The more I think about it (and the more replies I read), the more I think Freestyles would be the best for her, and a happy medium between the Classiques and the Chorus. I'll try to lure her into driving to Toronto to see Stars on ice and get her fitted at the same time.

My son is a few years younger but at a similar level. Once he got properly in figure skating (i.e. passed CanSkate) his coach recommended that he get rid of the plastic bottom skates and so we got him into the lowest level Riedells that were leather soled (the Stride). He is light, so he'll probably be in those for a few years (possibly until he's doing double jumps), but it is SUCH a difference over the plastic ones.

I don't know what direction you are coming from if you go to SOI, but I'll PM you with a recommendation that is actually 1.5 hours from TO (depending on the direction, might be closer for you).

We also have a long drive to get skates from our preferred fitter, but I found that when I got good advice and went through the process properly, I actually spent overall less time than wasting it on a bunch of skates (4 pairs in a row) that just weren't working for him. I will also caution that Edeas have a higher heel pitch and my son could literally not skate AT ALL in them after being in Riedells (I even posted about it...LOL), so if you end up seriously considering them, see if she can do a test run in them first.

Also, keep in mind that you may be able to recover some of your investment by reselling them when you are done, assuming they aren't broken down.

Annick · Apr 6, 2017

SmallAminal said:
I don't know what direction you are coming from if you go to SOI, but I'll PM you with a recommendation that is actually 1.5 hours from TO (depending on the direction, might be closer for you).

We will be coming from the north.

Annick · Apr 11, 2017

So I spoke with my daughter's skills coach yesterday and she told me that the way my daughter has worked and progressed in the last couple of weeks since she started taking private lessons in the Star program, she's expecting her to be able to start working on her axels by Christmas. :shocked: I was not expecting that at all! I guess I'm even more of a newbie than I thought I was! So used skates and Classiques are most definitely out of the question now. I will definitely get her fitted properly and get her skates that are adapted to her level. So anyway, thanks for the feedback!

concorde · Apr 12, 2017

Depends on her wieght but the Jackson Freestyle should taker her throigh learning the axel and then some.

Skates: new or used?

Annick

loopy

concorde

Annick

NanaPat

Annick

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️

Annick

NanaPat

treesprite

RoaringMice

concorde

Annick

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️

SmallAminal

Annick

Annick

concorde

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