New Skates - Royal Pro or Prime for Adult?

[asavvy]

Hi everyone!

I’m an adult skater (20, F, 5’2”/157cm, 125lbs/56.8kg) currently in Jackson Freestyles (5.5, C width, rated through the axel) with the Aspire XP blades. I started skating Feb 2022 from learning crossovers, and have skated in them for about 85 hours. The ankle area and top of the tongue have developed some creases, and while they still seem to have quite a bit of life in them, I think I wasn’t fitted the best when I bought them and that’s impacting my skating negatively and am considering getting new boots.

I have the waltz and toe loops down, and have been working on salchows and half flips. One reason I feel like my boots don’t fit properly is that when I try to rise up on my left foot for the salchow, my foot feels like it’s moving independently from the boot, and this feels even more apparent when I try the half flip and have to bring my legs together after I pick with my right leg (I think this happens with the waltz and toe loops too but I’ve sorta just powered through it). For my landing position, it also feels like the extra room in the boot makes it harder for me to control my foot and keep it parallel to the ice (and I don’t think it’s a me issue bc I can hold the position really well off-ice).

Also, when I went to the skate shop to get fitted, I was measured to be a size 5, but had to go with the 5.5 because my foot wouldn’t go in the 5. The ball of my foot is very wide, but I have very narrow heels as well, and in hindsight, split widths might have been the best choice, but since they were my first skates and also because of time constraints (heading back to college out of state), I think my skate tech didn’t recommend that. My feet also pronate quite a bit and I have medium to high arches.

I’ve been doing A LOT of reading on here and reddit, as well as pages such as kinzie’s closet and skaters landing, and I feel like Risports might fit my feet better than Jacksons (or at least better than stock ones). However, one thing I’m not sure about is if I should go with Royal Pros or Royal Primes (and I want the royal line over the rfs because I’ve heard they allow more movement and mobility for better skating skills). I know that the Primes are rated for triples and quads, but I’ve read a few posts saying that the Pros are much softer than they used to be and adult skaters have been breaking them down very fast (and I’m concerned about this because a) I’m not the lightest adult, and b) I also skate very fast so my jumps experience more force on the landings).

I’m a bit hesitant to go to my skate shop because even though they’re reputed as a rly good shop (I’m from Houston), I feel like I didn’t have the best experience with them (or at least from the “better” fitter, who put me in size 6 Jackson Mystiques where the outside of the boot was a quarter inch smaller than the ball of my foot. I had also said that I would be learning jumps, but the Mystiques have a PVC sole, which the other fitter had avoided and told me that the Evos [what he tried the first day - which yeah, I had to go three times to finally get the Freestyles] had the fusion sole which would support jumps). Also, they only carry up to the RF3 Pros so I wouldn’t be able to tell from trying the skates on either.

For a new blade, I’m thinking of getting the regular Coronation Ace (and I think this is another reason I want to get new boots, because I am not a fan of the Aspire XPs and feel like I should get new blades with new boots if I’m going to switch boot brands after the Freestyles).


Thank you!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hi everyone!

I’m an adult skater (20, F, 5’2”/157cm, 125lbs/56.8kg) currently in Jackson Freestyles (5.5, C width, rated through the axel) with the Aspire XP blades. I started skating Feb 2022 from learning crossovers, and have skated in them for about 85 hours. The ankle area and top of the tongue have developed some creases, and while they still seem to have quite a bit of life in them, I think I wasn’t fitted the best when I bought them and that’s impacting my skating negatively and am considering getting new boots.

I have the waltz and toe loops down, and have been working on salchows and half flips. One reason I feel like my boots don’t fit properly is that when I try to rise up on my left foot for the salchow, my foot feels like it’s moving independently from the boot, and this feels even more apparent when I try the half flip and have to bring my legs together after I pick with my right leg (I think this happens with the waltz and toe loops too but I’ve sorta just powered through it). For my landing position, it also feels like the extra room in the boot makes it harder for me to control my foot and keep it parallel to the ice (and I don’t think it’s a me issue bc I can hold the position really well off-ice).

Also, when I went to the skate shop to get fitted, I was measured to be a size 5, but had to go with the 5.5 because my foot wouldn’t go in the 5. The ball of my foot is very wide, but I have very narrow heels as well, and in hindsight, split widths might have been the best choice, but since they were my first skates and also because of time constraints (heading back to college out of state), I think my skate tech didn’t recommend that. My feet also pronate quite a bit and I have medium to high arches.

I’ve been doing A LOT of reading on here and reddit, as well as pages such as kinzie’s closet and skaters landing, and I feel like Risports might fit my feet better than Jacksons (or at least better than stock ones). However, one thing I’m not sure about is if I should go with Royal Pros or Royal Primes (and I want the royal line over the rfs because I’ve heard they allow more movement and mobility for better skating skills). I know that the Primes are rated for triples and quads, but I’ve read a few posts saying that the Pros are much softer than they used to be and adult skaters have been breaking them down very fast (and I’m concerned about this because a) I’m not the lightest adult, and b) I also skate very fast so my jumps experience more force on the landings).

I’m a bit hesitant to go to my skate shop because even though they’re reputed as a rly good shop (I’m from Houston), I feel like I didn’t have the best experience with them (or at least from the “better” fitter, who put me in size 6 Jackson Mystiques where the outside of the boot was a quarter inch smaller than the ball of my foot. I had also said that I would be learning jumps, but the mystiques have a PVC sole, which the other fitter had avoided and told me that the Evos [what he tried the first day - which yeah, I had to go three times to finally get the Freestyles] had the fusion sole which would support jumps). Also, they only carry up to the RF3 Pros so I wouldn’t be able to tell from trying the skates on either.

For a new blade, I’m thinking of getting the regular Coronation Ace (and I think this is another reason I want to get new boots, because I am not a fan of the Aspire XPs and feel like I should get new blades with new boots if I’m going to switch boot brands after the Freestyles).


Thank you!

Hi and welcome. Right off the bat. Royal Pro. You do not need Royal Prime---I'm a pro and former elite competitor doing triple triples, and believe me when I say you don't need anything that stiff.

Everyone is different with what you have been hearing regarding adults breaking down royal pro's quickly and those that are probably shouldn't have been in them in the first place. You are of average to lighter side weight for adult, and Royal Pro should work just fine for you if you should even be in a Risport in the first place. Just make sure you get split width, b/c some Risport stock are not very wide in the toebox like Jackson is. And I will admit in reading this my brain said you need to stay with Jackson unless there is too much room for you height wise in the toebox. Coronation Ace is a fine blade for you.

Good luck!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'll echo what Ic3Rabbit says about the Primes - just don't unless you want to really adversely impact your skating and feel like giving up! Royal Pro would be more suitable but be aware that they are also very tough boots. Don't be too quick to dismiss the RF3 Pros. They are a very good boot.

My head is also saying that you would probably be better off in a split width Jackson, which is likely to be more readily available than a split width Risport (which I've never actually seen).

Coronation Ace are absolutely the right choice in blade.

 

[tinna]

Adding this, in case it is relevant to you: maybe some of the adults who broke down Royal Pros very quickly were fitted skates that are too big? Apparently that makes Risport skates brake down faster than they should.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Adding this, in case it is relevant to you: maybe some of the adults who broke down Royal Pros very quickly were fitted skates that are too big? Apparently that makes Risport skates brake down faster than they should.

That makes all boots break down faster than they should.

 

[asavvy]

Hi and welcome. Right off the bat. Royal Pro. You do not need Royal Prime---I'm a pro and former elite competitor doing triple triples, and believe me when I say you don't need anything that stiff.

Everyone is different with what you have been hearing regarding adults breaking down royal pro's quickly and those that are probably shouldn't have been in them in the first place. You are of average to lighter side weight for adult, and Royal Pro should work just fine for you if you should even be in a Risport in the first place. Just make sure you get split width, b/c some Risport stock are not very wide in the toebox like Jackson is. And I will admit in reading this my brain said you need to stay with Jackson unless there is too much room for you height wise in the toebox. Coronation Ace is a fine blade for you.

Good luck!

Thank you! I’ll definitely go with the Pros then (tbh even Shoma is still in the Pros I believe so I don’t know why I was even thinking of the Primes lol).

The toebox in the Freestyles feels pretty good in terms of height (although I don’t think it would be an issue if it were smaller, I have pretty flat toes), but my biggest issue is that my heel lifts a lot in addition to rocking side to side. I’ve tried tying the skates tighter in different areas, but I either end up with a lot of pain in my arches or lose the ability to bend my knees (or both).

I don’t know if I could get Risport split width (didn’t know that the option even existed) but I measured my foot according to their catalog and a C 235 should accommodate my ball width. Plus they’re heat moldeable so I figured that could help and with a punch or two if needed.

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

Thank you! I’ll definitely go with the Pros then (tbh even Shoma is still in the Pros I believe so I don’t know why I was even thinking of the Primes lol).

The toebox in the Freestyles feels pretty good in terms of height (although I don’t think it would be an issue if it were smaller, I have pretty flat toes), but my biggest issue is that my heel lifts a lot in addition to rocking side to side. I’ve tried tying the skates tighter in different areas, but I either end up with a lot of pain in my arches or lose the ability to bend my knees (or both).

I don’t know if I could get Risport split width (didn’t know that the option even existed) but I measured my foot according to their catalog and a C 235 should accommodate my ball width. Plus they’re heat moldeable so I figured that could help and with a punch or two if needed.

I skate in Jackson Debuts and I have had somewhat similar issues - my forefoot is pretty wide, but my heels are narrow, so there’s some lift, especially when I jump. My fitter was able to pinch in the heels a little bit to tighten them up, but she warned me that even with heat molding, the heels of boots have more of a tendency to go back to their original shape over time than other parts of the boot - especially in stiffer boots like the Debut.

So at her recommendation, I got some bumper pads to take up a little more space in the heel, and that’s been a pretty decent solution for me! If you aren’t familiar - it’s a tight elastic “sock” that goes over your ankle, with gel pads that cover your Achilles tendon and the top of your foot. It might help you with the issues you’re having with your current boots while you wait for an upgrade, and they can make the break-in period for new boots less painful. Best of all, they’re pretty affordable!

Bunga is the most popular brand. The ones I have are from CRS Cross and were $20 on Amazon. They’ve mostly held up pretty well - I wore a hole in the heel of one of them after a while, but it doesn’t really affect how well they work.

Let us know how you make out! I’m especially curious to hear how the Royal Pro fits if you end up trying it on - I’ve been interested in it myself, but as IceRabbit and Wednesday noted, I’ve also thought that with the shape of my foot, a split-width Jackson might make more sense.

Good luck!

 

[loveohio]

I agree that you should also consider the RF3s. My 12 year old has had a pair of size 235Cs for a year and a half, and they are still very supportive for her, and she's jumping 2lutz and starting to work on 2axels. She's also 5'2", and weighs less than you 'cause she's a kid, but that is a bit offset by the jump level. The fit is a bit different, so give both a try.

 

[asavvy]

I skate in Jackson Debuts and I have had somewhat similar issues - my forefoot is pretty wide, but my heels are narrow, so there’s some lift, especially when I jump. My fitter was able to pinch in the heels a little bit to tighten them up, but she warned me that even with heat molding, the heels of boots have more of a tendency to go back to their original shape over time than other parts of the boot - especially in stiffer boots like the Debut.

So at her recommendation, I got some bumper pads to take up a little more space in the heel, and that’s been a pretty decent solution for me! If you aren’t familiar - it’s a tight elastic “sock” that goes over your ankle, with gel pads that cover your Achilles tendon and the top of your foot. It might help you with the issues you’re having with your current boots while you wait for an upgrade, and they can make the break-in period for new boots less painful. Best of all, they’re pretty affordable!

Bunga is the most popular brand. The ones I have are from CRS Cross and were $20 on Amazon. They’ve mostly held up pretty well - I wore a hole in the heel of one of them after a while, but it doesn’t really affect how well they work.

Let us know how you make out! I’m especially curious to hear how the Royal Pro fits if you end up trying it on - I’ve been interested in it myself, but as IceRabbit and Wednesday noted, I’ve also thought that with the shape of my foot, a split-width Jackson might make more sense.

Good luck!

Ooh yeah I’ve seen people wearing those and have thought about using self-adhesive bandages too and might give that out a try next time! I think I’ll hold off on buying the bumper pads since my college’s rink will be closing soon and I won’t be skating much (if at all) after that, but I’ll keep them in mind if I have the same issue in my new boots (whichever they may be and whenever I get them).

Also I saw your username and was wondering if your fitter happened to be from Home Ice, and if so, what your experience has been like with them because I go to college in Boston and have been curious about getting fitted there, but it’s definitely a bit of a trek to get out there.

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

Ooh yeah I’ve seen people wearing those and have thought about using self-adhesive bandages too and might give that out a try next time! I think I’ll hold off on buying the bumper pads since my college’s rink will be closing soon and I won’t be skating much (if at all) after that, but I’ll keep them in mind if I have the same issue in my new boots (whichever they may be and whenever I get them).

Also I saw your username and was wondering if your fitter happened to be from Home Ice, and if so, what your experience has been like with them because I go to college in Boston and have been curious about getting fitted there, but it’s definitely a bit of a trek to get out there.

Yes, that’s where I go! It’s a great shop, and Aislinn is fantastic. Definitely a bit of a trek from the city, especially if you don’t have a car, unfortunately. It’s about two miles from a Commuter Rail stop, and a mile and a half from a stop on the 34E bus - doable-ish, but not convenient by any means!

 

[asavvy]

Updates time!

I ended up getting the royal pros and I absolutely loveee them. (@bostonskaterguy86)

I only got to skate in them for 1.5 hours, but they were so comfortable that I actually skated without socks. They were a little tight on my bunions, but I’m gonna try to give it a little bit of time and if it’s still bad, heat mold or punch them out, but it definitely wasn’t anywhere near as painful as rentals or the mystiques. My ankles/heel also felt secure all around, and although the tongue design does feel a bit weird initially, I didn’t notice it as much after a while. I also didn’t realize this until my last skate in the Freestyles, but the toebox was definitely too tall for me and I could curl my foot significantly, but the toebox on the RPs is nice and snug. I also think I’m pronating less, but I’ll definitely still have to move the blades a little.

Speaking of the blades… they’re definitely going to take some time to get used to lol. I like that I’m not constantly on my toepicks anymore, but I do miss the back of my blade (in addition to having a different rocker profile, the new blades are half an inch shorter than my old ones)

Also, an interesting thing about this combo is the weight perception. When I held my Freestyles in one hand and the RPs+CAs in the other, they felt like they were the same weight, but on my feet the new skates felt like nothing.

Overall tho I’m really glad I got Royal Pros and am excited to see where they take me. Thank you to everyone who helped me out and I hope this also helps anyone else that might be considering the RPs!

 

[bostonskaterguy86]

Updates time!

I ended up getting the royal pros and I absolutely loveee them. (@bostonskaterguy86)

I only got to skate in them for 1.5 hours, but they were so comfortable that I actually skated without socks. They were a little tight on my bunions, but I’m gonna try to give it a little bit of time and if it’s still bad, heat mold or punch them out, but it definitely wasn’t anywhere near as painful as rentals or the mystiques. My ankles/heel also felt secure all around, and although the tongue design does feel a bit weird initially, I didn’t notice it as much after a while. I also didn’t realize this until my last skate in the Freestyles, but the toebox was definitely too tall for me and I could curl my foot significantly, but the toebox on the RPs is nice and snug. I also think I’m pronating less, but I’ll definitely still have to move the blades a little.

Speaking of the blades… they’re definitely going to take some time to get used to lol. I like that I’m not constantly on my toepicks anymore, but I do miss the back of my blade (in addition to having a different rocker profile, the new blades are half an inch shorter than my old ones)

Also, an interesting thing about this combo is the weight perception. When I held my Freestyles in one hand and the RPs+CAs in the other, they felt like they were the same weight, but on my feet the new skates felt like nothing.

Overall tho I’m really glad I got Royal Pros and am excited to see where they take me. Thank you to everyone who helped me out and I hope this also helps anyone else that might be considering the RPs!

Thanks so much for the update!! Really glad to hear you like them so far!