Advice on first skates

[AmandaL]

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday.

I am new here in the forum

I am starting proper classes in January and need to buy my first pair of real skates. There doesn't seem to be any fitters near me, so I need some advice.

I've seen a few posts like this, so I will put in some information below:
I'm 28 years old, have been skating (recreationally) since I was little, but never figure skated. I can skate forward, backwards, do 2 foot spins and twizzles forwards and backwards.

I'm about a shoe size 38-39 (UK 5.5/6), 5'3 and plus size (about 100kg). I live in the UK in the Cotswolds and the nearest fitter I can find is about 2.5-3h away, which is a bit too far for me to drive.

I have been looking at the edea overture or maybe chorus? I would prefer to invest in a pair that can last me a while, rather than getting the most beginner-y beginner skates. However I am wondering what kind of.. happens(?) If I get skates that are too high for my level? Will they be too hard for me to learn in?

I believe I have normal arches, normal width and my toes are "egyptian" (straight diagonal line).

I might try to find some second hand on fb marketplace or just bite the bullet and order some new, even if I know it's better to be fitted by a professional, I don't know if that is a viable option in my area.

Any and all advice is welcome and I am grateful to anyone that made it through this post

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I'm another UK skater in the west of the country and feel your pain with the distance from a fitter, as I'm in Cornwall and it's a 3.5 hour journey to the rink and 5 to the fitter...

I know you say that 2.5/3 hours is too far for you to drive, but if it's a journey to Al's Skate Shop or Everglides, then I really would advise that you make that journey, using the train and bus if necessary. Buying online with the help of internet experts really is no substitute and although we can help steer you in the right direction, actually seeing a fitter will save you time, pain, frustration and money in the long run. I'm a very experienced and high level skater (40+ years and used to teach) but I found out the hard way when I tried buying online that I still benefit from being fitted every single time I need new boots. (Feet and equipment change more often than you would think!) Plus buying from a proper fitter means that you can go back and have the boots tweaked (heat moulding, punching out, etc) and blades moved if necessary, and both of those things happen a lot. A proper fitter will look at the way you stand, walk and the wear and tear on your shoes to see if you need inserts (standard or custom) in your boots and where your blades should be fitted to help you with things like pronation or supination. Buying online doesn't give you this.

Where do you skate? I might be able to suggest someone who can help who isn't as far away.

 

[AmandaL]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I'm another UK skater in the west of the country and feel your pain with the distance from a fitter, as I'm in Cornwall and it's a 3.5 hour journey to the rink and 5 to the fitter...

I know you say that 2.5/3 hours is too far for you to drive, but if it's a journey to Al's Skate Shop or Everglides, then I really would advise that you make that journey, using the train and bus if necessary. Buying online with the help of internet experts really is no substitute and although we can help steer you in the right direction, actually seeing a fitter will save you time, pain, frustration and money in the long run. I'm a very experienced and high level skater (40+ years and used to teach) but I found out the hard way when I tried buying online that I still benefit from being fitted every single time I need new boots. (Feet and equipment change more often than you would think!) Plus buying from a proper fitter means that you can go back and have the boots tweaked (heat moulding, punching out, etc) and blades moved if necessary, and both of those things happen a lot. A proper fitter will look at the way you stand, walk and the wear and tear on your shoes to see if you need inserts (standard or custom) in your boots and where your blades should be fitted to help you with things like pronation or supination. Buying online doesn't give you this.

Where do you skate? I might be able to suggest someone who can help who isn't as far away.

Thank you so much for the advice! It sounds like a trip to a fitter will be needed I am starting at planet ice in Bristol. If there is any closer fitter that you recommend? I think the one I saw was down on the south coast somewhere.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Thank you so much for the advice! It sounds like a trip to a fitter will be needed I am starting at planet ice in Bristol. If there is any closer fitter that you recommend? I think the one I saw was down on the south coast somewhere.

Yes! Everglides in Gosport happen to be my fitter of choice and I've taken some other skaters there, too.

I skate at Bristol on Friday mornings (patch and the ice dance class). There's a Dance Excellence ice dance course on Friday evenings now, with Hugh Sackwild, the ice dance coach. I'm long gone by then, but it's a good one to do once you've got the basics and feel like trying some dance. It seems to be a friendly rink, so I'm sure you'll make some lovely skating friends.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hi Everyone!

I hope you all had a fantastic holiday.

I am new here in the forum

I am starting proper classes in January and need to buy my first pair of real skates. There doesn't seem to be any fitters near me, so I need some advice.

I've seen a few posts like this, so I will put in some information below:
I'm 28 years old, have been skating (recreationally) since I was little, but never figure skated. I can skate forward, backwards, do 2 foot spins and twizzles forwards and backwards.

I'm about a shoe size 38-39 (UK 5.5/6), 5'3 and plus size (about 100kg). I live in the UK in the Cotswolds and the nearest fitter I can find is about 2.5-3h away, which is a bit too far for me to drive.

I have been looking at the edea overture or maybe chorus? I would prefer to invest in a pair that can last me a while, rather than getting the most beginner-y beginner skates. However I am wondering what kind of.. happens(?) If I get skates that are too high for my level? Will they be too hard for me to learn in?

I believe I have normal arches, normal width and my toes are "egyptian" (straight diagonal line).

I might try to find some second hand on fb marketplace or just bite the bullet and order some new, even if I know it's better to be fitted by a professional, I don't know if that is a viable option in my area.

Any and all advice is welcome and I am grateful to anyone that made it through this post

Hello and welcome to the forum!

I'm another UK skater in the west of the country and feel your pain with the distance from a fitter, as I'm in Cornwall and it's a 3.5 hour journey to the rink and 5 to the fitter...

I know you say that 2.5/3 hours is too far for you to drive, but if it's a journey to Al's Skate Shop or Everglides, then I really would advise that you make that journey, using the train and bus if necessary. Buying online with the help of internet experts really is no substitute and although we can help steer you in the right direction, actually seeing a fitter will save you time, pain, frustration and money in the long run. I'm a very experienced and high level skater (40+ years and used to teach) but I found out the hard way when I tried buying online that I still benefit from being fitted every single time I need new boots. (Feet and equipment change more often than you would think!) Plus buying from a proper fitter means that you can go back and have the boots tweaked (heat moulding, punching out, etc) and blades moved if necessary, and both of those things happen a lot. A proper fitter will look at the way you stand, walk and the wear and tear on your shoes to see if you need inserts (standard or custom) in your boots and where your blades should be fitted to help you with things like pronation or supination. Buying online doesn't give you this.

Where do you skate? I might be able to suggest someone who can help who isn't as far away.

Hi and welcome OP! You definitely need to invest in getting a proper fitting, even with having to travel. Don't buy second hand skates.
A fitter can for sure tell you what brand is going to be best for you, you need a pro figure skate fitter, not a hockey person at a pro shop at the rink.
With the description you gave of your feet I'd say you could do Risport, Graf, maybe Jackson. Edea is probably going to be a no along with Riedell.
Because you are plus size, you are going to need a stronger/stiffer boot.
Risport RF3/Royal Pro
Jackson Synergy Elite
Graf F4000

Pair any of those with an intermediate standard blade: MK Pro or John Wilson Coronation Ace.

Also, I presume above you meant you can do forward and backward swizzles. Not twizzles: That's ice dance.

I'm a former elite competitor turned pro, I've skated or tested each brand and blade there is at some point.



Good luck!

 

[Mathematician]

twizzles: That's ice dance.

Not sure what you're implying... twizzles are done plenty outside of ice dance.

But indeed Amanda is performing swizzles.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Not sure what you're implying... twizzles are done plenty outside of ice dance.

But indeed Amanda is performing swizzles.

Nowadays they are, but twizzles were originally just a step done in one or two of the set-pattern dances. Done only, singly, by the lady, while the man held her hand above her head. Then they started to be added to the men's steps (I knew one or two men older than I who said they quit dance at that point because they found twizzles too difficult). Then other skaters started adding them to step sequences while dancers started doing whole series of them. And so on. What I read @Ic3Rabbit as saying was that a twizzle is the name of a dance step, not something done by beginner skaters slaloming around on the ice on two feet.

 

[Mathematician]

Nowadays they are, but twizzles were originally just a step done in one or two of the set-pattern dances. Done only, singly, by the lady, while the man held her hand above her head. Then they started to be added to the men's steps (I knew one or two men older than I who said they quit dance at that point because they found twizzles too difficult). Then other skaters started adding them to step sequences while dancers started doing whole series of them. And so on. What I read @Ic3Rabbit as saying was that a twizzle is the name of a dance step, not something done by beginner skaters slaloming around on the ice on two feet.

Thanks for the detailed history on the twizzle. Quite interesting.

I understand the idea but the original comment could be misleading because the twizzle has been ubiquitous across skating for a while. It would likely have been more explanatory to simply state the twizzle as a one-footed variation on the swizzle, rather than implying it is an ice dance specific element.

Not a big deal or anything, I was just adding clarification because Amanda seems new and it could be helpful to her.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

The winky face was there for fun btw. Usually a beginner is not doing twizzles in any form and they are reserved for later lessons or when you do ice dance. I've skated elite ice dance so I darn well know the history of the twizzle and that it's NOT JUST ice dance. Most people that learn or watch skating on a casual basis though will say "oh--twizzles! ice dance!" So I was kind of being tongue in cheek there while also informing the OP that she was learning SWIZZLES not twizzles.

So enough of technicalities and help the skater with what they came for, which is what I was doing initially.

Not sure what you're implying... twizzles are done plenty outside of ice dance.

But indeed Amanda is performing swizzles.

Nowadays they are, but twizzles were originally just a step done in one or two of the set-pattern dances. Done only, singly, by the lady, while the man held her hand above her head. Then they started to be added to the men's steps (I knew one or two men older than I who said they quit dance at that point because they found twizzles too difficult). Then other skaters started adding them to step sequences while dancers started doing whole series of them. And so on. What I read @Ic3Rabbit as saying was that a twizzle is the name of a dance step, not something done by beginner skaters slaloming around on the ice on two feet.

 

[AmandaL]

Haha swizzles is what I meant They sound too similar, but I am still learning what things are  actually called

I can confirm you were all right, I thought that maybe the shop at planet ice in Bristol would be able to get me fitted but it was as you said more of a hockey person who didn't seem too confident.

He recommend Jackson Elle or Jackson Freestyle.

I might just have to make the trip down to Everglides instead to do a proper fitting.

The imposter syndrome was strong trying to stand my ground when the shop assistant first suggested mystiques, which I believe won't be stiff enough after reading your advice here

 

[leia1979]

He recommend Jackson Elle or Jackson Freestyle.

I might just have to make the trip down to Everglides instead to do a proper fitting.

The imposter syndrome was strong trying to stand my ground when the shop assistant first suggested mystiques, which I believe won't be stiff enough after reading your advice here

I've had the same problem--fitters wanting to put me in the Freestyle (because they had it in stock) when it's too wimpy. Definitely try Risport, as well. Ic3rabbit gave you a great list of potential options.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Haha swizzles is what I meant They sound too similar, but I am still learning what things are  actually called

I can confirm you were all right, I thought that maybe the shop at planet ice in Bristol would be able to get me fitted but it was as you said more of a hockey person who didn't seem too confident.

He recommend Jackson Elle or Jackson Freestyle.

I might just have to make the trip down to Everglides instead to do a proper fitting.

The imposter syndrome was strong trying to stand my ground when the shop assistant first suggested mystiques, which I believe won't be stiff enough after reading your advice here

Oh, well done for standing your ground! Did the chap in the shop mention tracing your feet at all? Or bring out a measuring gauge? I stuck my head in to ask about boot fitting when I started going to Bristol last January and noted that they had only entry level/recreational boots, and they said then that they did take tracings and fit for higher level boots, etc but I've never actually seen any evidence of it. Most people seem to make the trip to Everglides. I've seen a suspicious number of adults who are learning in recreational boots, too, but I suspect that happens at most rinks where there is no professional fitter on site.

Make that appointment with Everglides. And feel free to DM me if you want more advice.

 

[AmandaL]

Oh, well done for standing your ground! Did the chap in the shop mention tracing your feet at all? Or bring out a measuring gauge? I stuck my head in to ask about boot fitting when I started going to Bristol last January and noted that they had only entry level/recreational boots, and they said then that they did take tracings and fit for higher level boots, etc but I've never actually seen any evidence of it. Most people seem to make the trip to Everglides. I've seen a suspicious number of adults who are learning in recreational boots, too, but I suspect that happens at most rinks where there is no professional fitter on site.

Make that appointment with Everglides. And feel free to DM me if you want more advice.

He didn't do any tracing or measuring at all, he only really asked me for my shoe size, had me put on a pair of mystiques to check the sizing and was going to order in the Elles and Freestyles for me to try on. But he kept saying anything more than mystiques would probabaly be waaaay too stiff for me

I've got my appointment for Everglides on Wednesday and I am excited for a proper fitting!

Thanks everyone for welcoming me here and giving me great advice. I will come back here and update what boots I end up getting from Everglides for anyone reading this back who is curious (because I know I would be! )

 

[AmandaL]

Hi everyone!

As promised, an update:

So I went to Everglides yesterday for my fitting and you were all right (I know you knew that ) and it was a great experience. I tried on Risport Rf3 & Electra (didn't have the royal pro in my size), Jackson Debut and Premiere and Edea Overture and Chorus. Risport was really uncomfortable by the ball of my big toe and my heel would slide up in them. Jacksons were too wide on me and although comfy, felt like I was sliding from side to side. I tried on the Edeas to get it over with and exclude them from the list but surprisingly they fit like a glove.

So after a lot of deliberation and recommendations from the tech, I ended up with the Edea Chorus and the Legacy 7 blade. I'll have my first skate on them tomorrow and fingers crossed I don't trip on the toe pick too many times

Thanks again for the help everyone!