Jackson Elle Pain 😭

[daisycharl]

Hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help!

I’m an adult beginner (started skating in November 2022) and am not jumping yet. I’ve been working lately on three turns, cross rolls and backwards crossovers amongst consolidating other skills and some deeper edge work.

I am a healthy weight and 5ft 7, and have heat moulded Jackson Elles with the Mirage blade they come with, however lately they have been causing the bottom of my feet a lot of pain, similar to when I was breaking them in. This seems to have come out of nowhere, I haven’t changed lacing or anything, and as far as I can tell they don’t seem obviously broken down, but my feet are getting sore, toes numb and painful after seven pain free comfortable months wearing them. I’m not sure what to do! It seems so odd for them to suddenly start hurting now.

Any advice appreciated, please be kind as I don’t know much about figure skating but love it dearly.

Thank you so much!

 

[Weathergal]

Hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help!

I’m an adult beginner (started skating in November 2022) and am not jumping yet. I’ve been working lately on three turns, cross rolls and backwards crossovers amongst consolidating other skills and some deeper edge work.

I am a healthy weight and 5ft 7, and have heat moulded Jackson Elles with the Mirage blade they come with, however lately they have been causing the bottom of my feet a lot of pain, similar to when I was breaking them in. This seems to have come out of nowhere, I haven’t changed lacing or anything, and as far as I can tell they don’t seem obviously broken down, but my feet are getting sore, toes numb and painful after seven pain free comfortable months wearing them. I’m not sure what to do! It seems so odd for them to suddenly start hurting now.

Any advice appreciated, please be kind as I don’t know much about figure skating but love it dearly.

Thank you so much!

Welcome to GoldenSkate daisycharl! Post long and post often!

 

[christy]

Are you using the insoles that came with the boots, or ones that work for your feet? As you are progressing you're working your feet harder and therefore need to ensure they have the correct support. The type of insole you need will depend on your arches. Some people find they need custom insoles whilst others use either Superfeet, Reidell R-fit or the Jackson Supreme insoles. I'd suggest asking your local skate fitter for advice.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help!

I’m an adult beginner (started skating in November 2022) and am not jumping yet. I’ve been working lately on three turns, cross rolls and backwards crossovers amongst consolidating other skills and some deeper edge work.

I am a healthy weight and 5ft 7, and have heat moulded Jackson Elles with the Mirage blade they come with, however lately they have been causing the bottom of my feet a lot of pain, similar to when I was breaking them in. This seems to have come out of nowhere, I haven’t changed lacing or anything, and as far as I can tell they don’t seem obviously broken down, but my feet are getting sore, toes numb and painful after seven pain free comfortable months wearing them. I’m not sure what to do! It seems so odd for them to suddenly start hurting now.

Any advice appreciated, please be kind as I don’t know much about figure skating but love it dearly.

Thank you so much!

Hi and welcome. My first question is why as an adult you are wearing Jackson Elle's in the first place. They aren't stiff enough at 30 for an adult and are usually for children beginning to skate. If your feet are even meant for Jackson boots/skates, you shouldn't be in anything rated lower than the Debut. You risk injury otherwise.

Have you seen a professional fitter? Who chose these boots for you? Curious as I'd love to help you.

 

[tstop4me]

Hello everyone, I’m hoping you can help!

I’m an adult beginner (started skating in November 2022) and am not jumping yet. I’ve been working lately on three turns, cross rolls and backwards crossovers amongst consolidating other skills and some deeper edge work.

I am a healthy weight and 5ft 7, and have heat moulded Jackson Elles with the Mirage blade they come with, however lately they have been causing the bottom of my feet a lot of pain, similar to when I was breaking them in. This seems to have come out of nowhere, I haven’t changed lacing or anything, and as far as I can tell they don’t seem obviously broken down, but my feet are getting sore, toes numb and painful after seven pain free comfortable months wearing them. I’m not sure what to do! It seems so odd for them to suddenly start hurting now.

Any advice appreciated, please be kind as I don’t know much about figure skating but love it dearly.

Thank you so much!

There are way too many factors to pin down online. Some considerations:

* Have the duration and frequency of your sessions changed? When you started, how long were your sessions, and how many sessions a week did you skate? How long are your sessions now, and how many sessions a week do you now skate? E.g., if you skate 4 hrs/wk, it makes a difference whether it's 4 X 1 hr or 2 X 2 hr or 1 X 4 hr sessions.

* Skating can change your feet, even if you have the proper boots, but more so if you have improper boots. Inspect your feet carefully. Any changes to note?

* You mentioned that your boots were heat molded. Was that done by a local tech that you can return to readily? If so, you should go back to them (assuming they are competent). As christy mentioned, you might need different insoles. Or it could be as trivial as needing new laces. Or the boots didn't break in quite right, and you need another round of heat molding. Or your heel is now slipping after the lining has compressed. Or as Ic3Rabbit suspects, the boots were too soft to begin with, and they really have broken down. All this will need personal inspection of your boots and feet to sort out. From the severity of the symptoms you describe, you should pause skating until you get this resolved.

 

[daisycharl]

Are you using the insoles that came with the boots, or ones that work for your feet? As you are progressing you're working your feet harder and therefore need to ensure they have the correct support. The type of insole you need will depend on your arches. Some people find they need custom insoles whilst others use either Superfeet, Reidell R-fit or the Jackson Supreme insoles. I'd suggest asking your local skate fitter for advice.

Hey, so sorry for the delay in responding, I’ve had to go away for work and the signal is awful here.

I’m just using the insoles that came with the boots - Jackson Aspire footbed system. Thank you, I will look into this!

 

[daisycharl]

Hi and welcome. My first question is why as an adult you are wearing Jackson Elle's in the first place. They aren't stiff enough at 30 for an adult and are usually for children beginning to skate. If your feet are even meant for Jackson boots/skates, you shouldn't be in anything rated lower than the Debut. You risk injury otherwise.

Have you seen a professional fitter? Who chose these boots for you? Curious as I'd love to help you.

Hey, so sorry for the delay in responding, I’ve had to go away for work and the signal is awful here.

I went to my local shop which is the only pro fitter in our town. They are okay but perhaps don’t seem to know as much as I thought!

When I bought the boots they basically said that most beginners around here use Jackson’s and that it what they stock most of (alternative would have been Edea but they were special order and they were reluctant to order them for some reason).

They basically ignored some of the lower priced ones and said that Elle’s would be best for me and also allowed me to pick based on how much I liked the look of the boot.

I know now after having been skating a bit, a little about stiffness and different levels of boots, but when I bought these I had absolutely no idea about skating and thought they were literally just more expensive based on aesthetic look. I’m wondering if the shop just wanted me to spend more?

Thanks again for your reply

 

[daisycharl]

There are way too many factors to pin down online. Some considerations:

* Have the duration and frequency of your sessions changed? When you started, how long were your sessions, and how many sessions a week did you skate? How long are your sessions now, and how many sessions a week do you now skate? E.g., if you skate 4 hrs/wk, it makes a difference whether it's 4 X 1 hr or 2 X 2 hr or 1 X 4 hr sessions.

* Skating can change your feet, even if you have the proper boots, but more so if you have improper boots. Inspect your feet carefully. Any changes to note?

* You mentioned that your boots were heat molded. Was that done by a local tech that you can return to readily? If so, you should go back to them (assuming they are competent). As christy mentioned, you might need different insoles. Or it could be as trivial as needing new laces. Or the boots didn't break in quite right, and you need another round of heat molding. Or your heel is now slipping after the lining has compressed. Or as Ic3Rabbit suspects, the boots were too soft to begin with, and they really have broken down. All this will need personal inspection of your boots and feet to sort out. From the severity of the symptoms you describe, you should pause skating until you get this resolved.

Apologies for my delay in getting back to you, I’ve gone away for work with awful signal. Thanks for your reply.

My local rink has shut for three months so now it is a case of driving somewhere for over an hour, then skating for around 3 hours a week, twice a week. Normally I would have been driving 10 minutes and probably skating up to eight hours a week, in two hour sessions across four days.

I don’t see or feel any changes in my feet, but will keep an eye on this.

Yes, my boots were heat moulded by a local tech, I will definitely be going back in there with everyone’s input from here to discuss this with them. If they’re not readily helpful I may look for the best other skate shop that I could drive to to help I think.

Thanks again!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

My guess is that you're a Swindon skater and are now travelling to Bristol? (You think you have a long journey; I have to get up at 0340 to get there for 0845 patch!)

If I'm right, you need to give your local "pro fitter" a wide berth. I'm guessing the reason they didn't put you in anything "cheaper" is because everything they have below the Jackson Elle is literally a recreational set and they'd have lasted you a week at best. Even so, a Jackson Elle isn't ideal for an adult, especially one of 5'7".

My advice to you is to make an appointment with Everglides at Gosport. That's where I go. They know their stuff and I send many skaters there. Your feet will be properly measured, you'll stand on a lightbox with a mirror underneath that will show up the pressure points on your feet, they will watch you and note if and how you pronate or supinate, ask about your skating level, style and goals and how your current boots (which you should take with you) feel/hurt. Appointments are for two hours but often run over as they like to get it right and you won't feel rushed.

If your current boots are just in need of heat moulding/punching out or it's insoles/orthotics that you need, then that's what you'll get. They won't try to sell you things you don't need.

If, however, you do need different boots, then you'll usually be given a choice of several boots to try in sizes/widths/brands/models that are most likely to suit you. Orthotic insoles will be provided if you need them. They also make completely custom insoles there and then, which is fascinating to watch.

It is absolutely vital that you give honest and complete feedback to the fitter, as they can't tell how your feet feel without you telling them. And "okay" covers a multitude of sins, some of which are really not okay.

Of course, if I'm way off your location, then you need to find a proper fitter near you (which can still be a fair journey) and @Ic3Rabbit will be able to help you with that as I swear she knows them all, wherever you are in the world, or will know somebody who does!

 

[daisycharl]

My guess is that you're a Swindon skater and are now travelling to Bristol? (You think you have a long journey; I have to get up at 0340 to get there for 0845 patch!)

If I'm right, you need to give your local "pro fitter" a wide berth. I'm guessing the reason they didn't put you in anything "cheaper" is because everything they have below the Jackson Elle is literally a recreational set and they'd have lasted you a week at best. Even so, a Jackson Elle isn't ideal for an adult, especially one of 5'7".

My advice to you is to make an appointment with Everglides at Gosport. That's where I go. They know their stuff and I send many skaters there. Your feet will be properly measured, you'll stand on a lightbox with a mirror underneath that will show up the pressure points on your feet, they will watch you and note if and how you pronate or supinate, ask about your skating level, style and goals and how your current boots (which you should take with you) feel/hurt. Appointments are for two hours but often run over as they like to get it right and you won't feel rushed.

If your current boots are just in need of heat moulding/punching out or it's insoles/orthotics that you need, then that's what you'll get. They won't try to sell you things you don't need.

If, however, you do need different boots, then you'll usually be given a choice of several boots to try in sizes/widths/brands/models that are most likely to suit you. Orthotic insoles will be provided if you need them. They also make completely custom insoles there and then, which is fascinating to watch.

It is absolutely vital that you give honest and complete feedback to the fitter, as they can't tell how your feet feel without you telling them. And "okay" covers a multitude of sins, some of which are really not okay.

Of course, if I'm way off your location, then you need to find a proper fitter near you (which can still be a fair journey) and @Ic3Rabbit will be able to help you with that as I swear she knows them all, wherever you are in the world, or will know somebody who does!

Hey, thank you so much for your in depth reply! You’re spot on, I’m from Swindon travelling to Bristol for the moment! Sorry to hear you’ve got such a long journey now.

Thank you, I will definitely make an appointment at Everglides in Gosport, they sound really knowledgeable.

Thanks so much again!

 

[emilinkaa]

My guess is that you're a Swindon skater and are now travelling to Bristol? (You think you have a long journey; I have to get up at 0340 to get there for 0845 patch!)

0530 wake up, 0630 departure, for 1030 ice time here right now. It’s brutal. I double up, 2x ice time, 3 and a half hours total, once a week. It’s gross, but hopefully next year one of my local rinks will be open all year.

 

[daisycharl]

0530 wake up, 0630 departure, for 1030 ice time here right now. It’s brutal. I double up, 2x ice time, 3 and a half hours total, once a week. It’s gross, but hopefully next year one of my local rinks will be open all year.

Oh my gosh, so sorry to hear how difficult it is for you! I hope next year is better for you!

 

[emilinkaa]

Oh my gosh, so sorry to hear how difficult it is for you! I hope next year is better for you!

Thanks! I go by train, so it’s not too bad. I usually grab a nap on the way there in the morning.