After doing some reading of various threads on here, I don't think I am alone in this issue. How are you making confident skate purchases during COVID? How are you navigating the sizing for boots when all the skate shops are closed to the public? I skate both ice and roller but primarily roller (outdoor) right now as my ice rink is closed indefinitely. Unfortunately during this time I have basically killed my skate set up and pretty badly need to replace my boot...
Context: My current recreational set up is the Moxi Lolly and my ankles kill me after an hour of skating. I do extremely basic figure skating moves (spiral, half-waltz, half-loop) but like to hop and jump around and skate fast and ideally I do want the option to advance in my jumps. I got the Moxi Lolly as a recreational skate when I was considering dropping roller derby a few years ago and since I did end up dropping derby I switched to using my Lollys pretty much full time. When I was doing figure skating on ice, I liked the Moxi style so I got their ice boot (don't make fun of me lol I am a newbie so it works ok for me) - it is all Riedell product ultimately so sizing and quality was reliable and consistent. (My derby skates are Riedell 495s) I purchased the moxi ice boot knowing I would upgrade eventually but since the rinks have been closed fully for almost a year now it's looking like I probably won't even need to for a while. So that's an up-side I guess.
I found this forum in my search on sizing for Edea boots because I am looking for options that won't break the bank... if that's possible. And the Edea Suono boot is price at a very reasonable $319 (+ $149 for new plates +$30 for mounting = around 500 incl taxes which is extremely reasonable for a new set up!!) but gosh I am nervous about placing an Edea order after the very confusing sizing info I got from their site and the various threads on here. As a custom order they are non-refundable.
The other option I have been considering is the Riedell 336 + CustomColorLab (black and white is out of stock anyway) but pricing on that is a little higher since it's an extra $100 for CustomColorLab (but worth it because, cute).. Unfortunately, cost-wise, the Edea would be the more financially responsible choice (unless of course they don't fit). The Riedell would probably be the safest choice since I already have Riedell everything else and could size myself based around previous purchases. But since the difference is about ~$300 I wanted to see if there was any way I could safely and confidently order the Edea boot instead just to save cost.
I would be placing the order online from the Bruised Boutique skate shop in New Hampshire since they have access to a lot of different vendors and excellent customer service as well as the best custom options (they mount everything in-store and have a wide variety of plates options). They used to be my hometown skate shop when I lived in Massachusetts so I am very familiar with them and they are extremely good at what they do. However, they are closed to the public at the moment and I also live in San Francisco so I wouldn't be able to get fitted there. The only skate shop that would potentially do fittings is the "pro shop" at Yerba Buena Skatebowl and they have been closed completely for months - I think they moved to San Mateo at some point but that doesn't help me either since I don't have a car.
About me: I am 5'4" and like 135-140lb and looking to advance to single jumps but I can't even try in my current set up because I just don't have the support. And there's a lot of "me" to be supported. My arches are average-high and I have seen people say that Edea might not be good for those with high-ish arches but my skate shop of choice does not have access to the Risport brand so I have to stick with either Edea or Riedell. I know Harlick is a good brand but I took them out of the running a long time ago because their pricing seems way out of my range. I think I tried on Jackson boots once at the Yerba Buena skate shop and didn't like the look or feel so I took them out of my choices as well.
TL;DR: Is there any special secrets to Edea boots? What are your tips and tricks for sizing during this time? Should I just cough up the extra $300 and get the Riedell since it's a brand I know and trust and will likely have an easier time sizing? In general, I am curious about people's opinions of Edea boots as well - do you have Edea boots and what are your thoughts? I have a very average foot all around - US Women's size 8, average width, average instep/arch (perhaps a little bit high but not super high - I use superfeet in all my other skates and run in Hoka One One shoes).
Any advice? BIG thank you in advance for anything you are able to offer.
Context: My current recreational set up is the Moxi Lolly and my ankles kill me after an hour of skating. I do extremely basic figure skating moves (spiral, half-waltz, half-loop) but like to hop and jump around and skate fast and ideally I do want the option to advance in my jumps. I got the Moxi Lolly as a recreational skate when I was considering dropping roller derby a few years ago and since I did end up dropping derby I switched to using my Lollys pretty much full time. When I was doing figure skating on ice, I liked the Moxi style so I got their ice boot (don't make fun of me lol I am a newbie so it works ok for me) - it is all Riedell product ultimately so sizing and quality was reliable and consistent. (My derby skates are Riedell 495s) I purchased the moxi ice boot knowing I would upgrade eventually but since the rinks have been closed fully for almost a year now it's looking like I probably won't even need to for a while. So that's an up-side I guess.
I found this forum in my search on sizing for Edea boots because I am looking for options that won't break the bank... if that's possible. And the Edea Suono boot is price at a very reasonable $319 (+ $149 for new plates +$30 for mounting = around 500 incl taxes which is extremely reasonable for a new set up!!) but gosh I am nervous about placing an Edea order after the very confusing sizing info I got from their site and the various threads on here. As a custom order they are non-refundable.
The other option I have been considering is the Riedell 336 + CustomColorLab (black and white is out of stock anyway) but pricing on that is a little higher since it's an extra $100 for CustomColorLab (but worth it because, cute).. Unfortunately, cost-wise, the Edea would be the more financially responsible choice (unless of course they don't fit). The Riedell would probably be the safest choice since I already have Riedell everything else and could size myself based around previous purchases. But since the difference is about ~$300 I wanted to see if there was any way I could safely and confidently order the Edea boot instead just to save cost.
I would be placing the order online from the Bruised Boutique skate shop in New Hampshire since they have access to a lot of different vendors and excellent customer service as well as the best custom options (they mount everything in-store and have a wide variety of plates options). They used to be my hometown skate shop when I lived in Massachusetts so I am very familiar with them and they are extremely good at what they do. However, they are closed to the public at the moment and I also live in San Francisco so I wouldn't be able to get fitted there. The only skate shop that would potentially do fittings is the "pro shop" at Yerba Buena Skatebowl and they have been closed completely for months - I think they moved to San Mateo at some point but that doesn't help me either since I don't have a car.
About me: I am 5'4" and like 135-140lb and looking to advance to single jumps but I can't even try in my current set up because I just don't have the support. And there's a lot of "me" to be supported. My arches are average-high and I have seen people say that Edea might not be good for those with high-ish arches but my skate shop of choice does not have access to the Risport brand so I have to stick with either Edea or Riedell. I know Harlick is a good brand but I took them out of the running a long time ago because their pricing seems way out of my range. I think I tried on Jackson boots once at the Yerba Buena skate shop and didn't like the look or feel so I took them out of my choices as well.
TL;DR: Is there any special secrets to Edea boots? What are your tips and tricks for sizing during this time? Should I just cough up the extra $300 and get the Riedell since it's a brand I know and trust and will likely have an easier time sizing? In general, I am curious about people's opinions of Edea boots as well - do you have Edea boots and what are your thoughts? I have a very average foot all around - US Women's size 8, average width, average instep/arch (perhaps a little bit high but not super high - I use superfeet in all my other skates and run in Hoka One One shoes).
Any advice? BIG thank you in advance for anything you are able to offer.