Recommendations for skates for beginning adult?

[Letoneskoro]

Hello. I need some recommendations regarding ice skates, I'm a complete newbie with minimal skills: forward/backward crossovers, balancing etc. I've been skating fir two months. Right now I'm learning by myself but I'm considering taking classes. I skate 4-5 times a week, 1,5-2 hours per visit. I'm 31 years old, height around 160cm, 45kg. I'm considering the price around 150$ Which skates will be the most optimal choise for this description? Thinking about jackson 200 or 500. What will be your recommendations? At least recommend the stiffness.
Thanks in advance!

If it's relevant, I'm a trail runner.

 

[outside edge enjoyer]

Hi and welcome! First of all, instead of choosing skates online, it's really important that you get a professional fitting--your feet might not be right for Jackson. Even if they are, I'm not that knowledgeable about stiffness ratings so I hesitate to name a specific model, but I do know the 200 and 500 are much too soft for any adult, and sadly you will definitely be looking at spending a good bit over $150. Also, the sooner you start taking classes the better, since it's possible to pick up bad habits when self-teaching. Good luck with your skating!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Hello. I need some recommendations regarding ice skates, I'm a complete newbie with minimal skills: forward/backward crossovers, balancing etc. I've been skating fir two months. Right now I'm learning by myself but I'm considering taking classes. I skate 4-5 times a week, 1,5-2 hours per visit. I'm 31 years old, height around 160cm, 45kg. I'm considering the price around 150$ Which skates will be the most optimal choise for this description? Thinking about jackson 200 or 500. What will be your recommendations? At least recommend the stiffness.
Thanks in advance!

If it's relevant, I'm a trail runner.

What skates are you wearing so far? Are you renting them at the rink, or do you have your own? Is it possible to talk to whoever teaches the classes and say you're hoping to take lessons and would the coach have any recommendations for boots and blades, and hopefully point you to a skate fitter in your area? Your enthusiasm is commendable, and you'll probably make even faster progress if you have the right skates around the time you start lessons. But yes, this is an expensive sport and the right equipment even for a beginner is going to cost you more than you've been considering. Look on it as an investment in future years of pleasure!

 

[Letoneskoro]

Hi and welcome! First of all, instead of choosing skates online, it's really important that you get a professional fitting--your feet might not be right for Jackson. Even if they are, I'm not that knowledgeable about stiffness ratings so I hesitate to name a specific model, but I do know the 200 and 500 are much too soft for any adult, and sadly you will definitely be looking at spending a good bit over $150. Also, the sooner you start taking classes the better, since it's possible to pick up bad habits when self-teaching. Good luck with your skating!

Thanks for replying! I started considering that model after reading some articles. What other models do you recommend?

 

[Letoneskoro]

What skates are you wearing so far? Are you renting them at the rink, or do you have your own? Is it possible to talk to whoever teaches the classes and say you're hoping to take lessons and would the coach have any recommendations for boots and blades, and hopefully point you to a skate fitter in your area? Your enthusiasm is commendable, and you'll probably make even faster progress if you have the right skates around the time you start lessons. But yes, this is an expensive sport and the right equipment even for a beginner is going to cost you more than you've been considering. Look on it as an investment in future years of pleasure!

Thanks for your reply! I use rentals and it's plastic. Unfortunately there are few options in my country, so trying skates on less if a option Unless it's someone elsewhere skates. That's the reason i have to get them online. Can you give some tips on what to look for as an adult skater, like what kind if skates not to buy. There's too much info online. I rather take advices from other skaters with experience than from some articles.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Thanks for your reply! I use rentals and it's plastic. Unfortunately there are few options in my country, so trying skates on less if a option Unless it's someone elsewhere skates. That's the reason i have to get them online. Can you give some tips on what to look for as an adult skater, like what kind if skates not to buy. There's too much info online. I rather take advices from other skaters with experience than from some articles.

When you say "it's plastic", are you referring to your skate boots (synthetic, not leather) or to your rink's skating surface, synthetic material rather than ice? For boots, many makers now use non-leather materials that were unheard-of in the years I was learning to skate but which are now, I'm told, quite high quality. I haven't tried them myself, so I can't advise you there. For the rink's surface, I used "plastic ice" a few times when it was something new and it took the edge right off the blades with the first scratch spin , but I'm told the material is much improved now. I'm sure others on this forum have better knowledge than I and are better able to advise regarding boot stiffness needed, or blade brands, for that surface.

However, to get back to the stiffness, you should advance gradually from your current level, not make a huge jump from very soft rental boots to very hard ones. Just taking a quick look online, I notice Riedell has a model, the Riedell Topaz with a stiffness rating somewhere in the 35-60 range (I couldn't find the specific number for the adult Topaz), for under $200USD, not much over the price range in US dollars you were looking at. I've never tried Riedells so I don't know what foot shape it suits -- I'm just mentioning it to show you that other possibilities exist than Jacksons. I noticed that you're pretty much my height and weight. If you also have narrow feet like I do, I wouldn't recommend Jacksons. I wore their boots for decades and their old style fit perfectly, but others on Golden Skate told me the design had changed and when I tried a pair on this year while looking for new boots, I found Jackson's new design no longer fit my narrow, high-arched feet. (I switched to Risport, but those may not be suited to your needs as a beginner.)

If you must order online because of having no skate shops in your country, try selecting a couple of skates intended for your "advanced beginner just starting lessons" level, similar to the Riedell Topaz I mentioned, and find a shop that sells online worldwide. All the shop websites I've seen have charts where you submit your foot measurements and they recommend two or three brands from your descriptions of your feet and your skating level before you commit yourself to buying. You'll also have to factor in the shipping costs between the skate shop and wherever (on which continent) you live, of course, and whatever import and sales taxes your country imposes.

That said, I'd still recommend you talk to whoever teaches the group lessons at your rink, at least to ask perhaps: "I'd like to buy my own skates instead of renting. May I ask what brand of skates you wear yourself?" Then see where the conversation goes from there.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hello. I need some recommendations regarding ice skates, I'm a complete newbie with minimal skills: forward/backward crossovers, balancing etc. I've been skating fir two months. Right now I'm learning by myself but I'm considering taking classes. I skate 4-5 times a week, 1,5-2 hours per visit. I'm 31 years old, height around 160cm, 45kg. I'm considering the price around 150$ Which skates will be the most optimal choise for this description? Thinking about jackson 200 or 500. What will be your recommendations? At least recommend the stiffness.
Thanks in advance!

If it's relevant, I'm a trail runner.

Hi! Can you give us an idea where you are in the world, and I (or someone else here that has an idea) could suggest a great figure skating fitter for you. I hate to have to break the bad news, but the boots you asked about are a no for an adult of your height/weight. They're for children/rec skates. Also, $150 isn't going to get you much of what you would require as far as boots/blades even as a beginner.

 

[Letoneskoro]

When you say "it's plastic", are you referring to your skate boots (synthetic, not leather) or to your rink's skating surface, synthetic material rather than ice? For boots, many makers now use non-leather materials that were unheard-of in the years I was learning to skate but which are now, I'm told, quite high quality. I haven't tried them myself, so I can't advise you there. For the rink's surface, I used "plastic ice" a few times when it was something new and it took the edge right off the blades with the first scratch spin , but I'm told the material is much improved now. I'm sure others on this forum have better knowledge than I and are better able to advise regarding boot stiffness needed, or blade brands, for that surface.

However, to get back to the stiffness, you should advance gradually from your current level, not make a huge jump from very soft rental boots to very hard ones. Just taking a quick look online, I notice Riedell has a model, the Riedell Topaz with a stiffness rating somewhere in the 35-60 range (I couldn't find the specific number for the adult Topaz), for under $200USD, not much over the price range in US dollars you were looking at. I've never tried Riedells so I don't know what foot shape it suits -- I'm just mentioning it to show you that other possibilities exist than Jacksons. I noticed that you're pretty much my height and weight. If you also have narrow feet like I do, I wouldn't recommend Jacksons. I wore their boots for decades and their old style fit perfectly, but others on Golden Skate told me the design had changed and when I tried a pair on this year while looking for new boots, I found Jackson's new design no longer fit my narrow, high-arched feet. (I switched to Risport, but those may not be suited to your needs as a beginner.)

If you must order online because of having no skate shops in your country, try selecting a couple of skates intended for your "advanced beginner just starting lessons" level, similar to the Riedell Topaz I mentioned, and find a shop that sells online worldwide. All the shop websites I've seen have charts where you submit your foot measurements and they recommend two or three brands from your descriptions of your feet and your skating level before you commit yourself to buying. You'll also have to factor in the shipping costs between the skate shop and wherever (on which continent) you live, of course, and whatever import and sales taxes your country imposes.

That said, I'd still recommend you talk to whoever teaches the group lessons at your rink, at least to ask perhaps: "I'd like to buy my own skates instead of renting. May I ask what brand of skates you wear yourself?" Then see where the conversation goes from there.

No i mean real plastic like hockey skates but with different blade. I also have narrow feet, i will check out the models that you mentioned.

 

[Letoneskoro]

Hi! Can you give us an idea where you are in the world, and I (or someone else here that has an idea) could suggest a great figure skating fitter for you. I hate to have to break the bad news, but the boots you asked about are a no for an adult of your height/weight. They're for children/rec skates. Also, $150 isn't going to get you much of what you would require as far as boots/blades even as a beginner.

Considering that i have no options for measuring, and it's my first boots i really have no idea what do i need. I'm from Georgia (country)

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

You should be okay in something like this from Riedell and can order them online. They are $225USD. I wouldn't look at anything lower rated than that being an adult with your measurements given. And here is the fitting guide because the closest real figure skating shops in your part of the world are in Russia and Ukraine and I definitely do not suggest travelling there right now to get fit. You should fit Riedell if you have a mid width to narrower foot. Also, I highly suggest taking learn to skate lessons as soon as possible. Learning yourself is not ideal.

Good luck!

 

[Letoneskoro]

You should be okay in something like this from Riedell and can order them online. They are $225USD. I wouldn't look at anything lower rated than that being an adult with your measurements given. And here is the fitting guide because the closest real figure skating shops in your part of the world are in Russia and Ukraine and I definitely do not suggest travelling there right now to get fit. You should fit Riedell if you have a mid width to narrower foot. Also, I highly suggest taking learn to skate lessons as soon as possible. Learning yourself is not ideal.

Good luck!

Thank you very much