Jackson Debut Low-Cut Dance Boots: heel height in inches?

[Diana Delafield]

I think I've been getting too immersed in GS since joining late last year -- I used to be content with having retired from skating ten years ago, but now I'm getting the itch to get back on the ice. I've got an old (in both age and friendship years) friend from the pairs world who contacted me because he wants to get into ice dance in a decorous elderly sort of way. He cast the lure of private ice and a willing coach at his expense, and I'm tempted. I still have my last pair of Jacksons, my boot of choice for 20? 30? years, still in good shape apart from flaking foam inside the tongue. But I've been looking at all the new boots, synthetics having not been invented when I bought my last boots, and am intrigued by the Jackson Debut Low-Cut Dance boots. They say "lower heel height", which appeals to me, having gotten away from wearing high heels for street shoes since I retired. My old boots (can't remember the model name now) have 2" heels. What is the height of the dance boots? I can't find any specific measurement anywhere online, and the pro shop I used to use is closed for the weekend. If it makes any difference to the boots' suitability, I'm 5'3", 110 lbs, former senior pairs competitor doing, in my day, double jumps and triple throws, but not planning on jumping now. I have narrow feet with a very high arch and instep. My old Jacksons are size 5AA. Any additional advice re today's boots welcome. I did once have Riedells in the past and they were OK, but went back to Jacksons because their stock last fitted my arch perfectly. With heat-molding, they were always completely comfortable from the first wearing. No breaking in needed at all. Thanks for any opinion (as long as it's not my kids: "Mum, are you crazy?!" and is more like my grandkids: "Go for it, Gran!").

 

[Flying Feijoa]

There are experts here who will answer your questions better than me, but I just want to say I firmly agree with your grandkids. Private ice and a partner to dance with sounds like a dream come true

FYI I've worn the Debut Low Cuts before and the heel seems to be identical to other Jacksons in the same series (Fusion/2000). I think this would be a bit higher than your older pair of Jacksons. The lowest heeled skates I've seen around the rink nowadays are Reidells.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I think I've been getting too immersed in GS since joining late last year -- I used to be content with having retired from skating ten years ago, but now I'm getting the itch to get back on the ice. I've got an old (in both age and friendship years) friend from the pairs world who contacted me because he wants to get into ice dance in a decorous elderly sort of way. He cast the lure of private ice and a willing coach at his expense, and I'm tempted. I still have my last pair of Jacksons, my boot of choice for 20? 30? years, still in good shape apart from flaking foam inside the tongue. But I've been looking at all the new boots, synthetics having not been invented when I bought my last boots, and am intrigued by the Jackson Debut Low-Cut Dance boots. They say "lower heel height", which appeals to me, having gotten away from wearing high heels for street shoes since I retired. My old boots (can't remember the model name now) have 2" heels. What is the height of the dance boots? I can't find any specific measurement anywhere online, and the pro shop I used to use is closed for the weekend. If it makes any difference to the boots' suitability, I'm 5'3", 110 lbs, former senior pairs competitor doing, in my day, double jumps and triple throws, but not planning on jumping now. I have narrow feet with a very high arch and instep. My old Jacksons are size 5AA. Any additional advice re today's boots welcome. I did once have Riedells in the past and they were OK, but went back to Jacksons because their stock last fitted my arch perfectly. With heat-molding, they were always completely comfortable from the first wearing. No breaking in needed at all. Thanks for any opinion (as long as it's not my kids: "Mum, are you crazy?!" and is more like my grandkids: "Go for it, Gran!").

Go for it! I will tell you as a former competitive ice dancer it's very different from pairs lol!

I'd suggest Risport Dance boots to you as well. If you fit Jackson you should be good with Risport. As far as low cut Jackson: I'd suggest the Supreme Pro Low cut (5320) for you with ice dance. I would suggest contacting Jackson regarding the heel height on the debut and the Supreme Pro Low Cut but from experience Jackson heels are some of the highest, including their dance boots.

 

[Diana Delafield]

There are experts here who will answer your questions better than me, but I just want to say I firmly agree with your grandkids. Private ice and a partner to dance with sounds like a dream come true

FYI I've worn the Debut Low Cuts before and the heel seems to be identical to other Jacksons in the same series (Fusion/2000). I think this would be a bit higher than your older pair of Jacksons. The lowest heeled skates I've seen around the rink nowadays are Reidells.

So maybe I can get away with putting dance blades on my beloved old Jacksons (which are probably in better shape for their age than I am ), while I take the time to look around at new dance boots. I just like the idea of having new boots to make a fresh start, sort of like I used to get several new pairs of shoes at the beginning of each school year.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Go for it! I will tell you as a former competitive ice dancer it's very different from pairs lol!

I'd suggest Risport Dance boots to you as well. If you fit Jackson you should be good with Risport. As far as low cut Jackson: I'd suggest the Supreme Pro Low cut (5320) for you with ice dance. I would suggest contacting Jackson regarding the heel height on the debut and the Supreme Pro Low Cut but from experience Jackson heels are some of the highest, including their dance boots.

I think my friend has merely what we used to call the compulsory or set-pattern dances (whatever they're called now) in mind for us and not free dance -- or at least he said his wife told him she hoped he wasn't planning on spinning me around in dance lifts like he was a baton twirler, as she'd seen on TV . Those I'm used to, although I stopped taking the dance tests at what was then about Senior Silver level when I got seriously into pairs.

I'd heard that about the Jacksons having higher heels. I wore them from the start of my pairs career in my mid-teens and I guess I was used to the height. I once loaned my skates to a competitor who took the same size, when her own went missing in lost luggage She gave them back after a trial run, saying she felt as if she was going to pitch forward onto her picks or her face, whichever came first. I'll contact the company next week and ask, and may be able to get into the city to my former pro shop and try Risport and Riedell, both of which they stock.

 

[tstop4me]

But I've been looking at all the new boots, synthetics having not been invented when I bought my last boots, and am intrigued by the Jackson Debut Low-Cut Dance boots. They say "lower heel height", which appeals to me, having gotten away from wearing high heels for street shoes since I retired.

<<Emphasis added.>> Hi, just checking where you found the reference to "lower heel height". Here is the Jackson website: https://jacksonultima.com/products/debut-fusion-low-cut-2430. I read through it all, and also watched the accompanying video. I couldn't find that reference; only this: "Designed based on our Debut pattern with a lower boot height". But the boot height refers to how high the uppers extend above the ankles, not the heel height. You should certainly confirm directly with Jackson, though. And welcome back to the wonderful world of figure skating.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

When I first tried Jacksons with the - then new - Fusion sole and heel, I hated them. Arthritic feet eventually required a move into Jackson 5320 wide fitting from Risport Royal Pro C fitting and I found the transition to the "hated" higher heel much, much easier than feared. And now I love them. Tempted to go with the Supreme Low Cut when I next need new boots as I am an ice dancer but actually love my current ones so much that I might just stay with them forever. I have time to decide, though, as I'm only getting to skate once a week and nowhere near my old level, so it looks like I'll be making boots last for longer than a year - a major financial bonus!

 

[tstop4me]

I still have my last pair of Jacksons, my boot of choice for 20? 30? years, still in good shape apart from flaking foam inside the tongue.

I have narrow feet with a very high arch and instep. My old Jacksons are size 5AA. Any additional advice re today's boots welcome. I did once have Riedells in the past and they were OK, but went back to Jacksons because their stock last fitted my arch perfectly. With heat-molding, they were always completely comfortable from the first wearing. No breaking in needed at all.

So maybe I can get away with putting dance blades on my beloved old Jacksons (which are probably in better shape for their age than I am ), while I take the time to look around at new dance boots.

* If you have an old pair of leather Jacksons from before they introduced synthetic boots (I believe ~mid 2016 or so), you may, depending on the model you have, find the fit to be significantly different from current generation Jacksons. This happened to a friend of mine, who's a solo ice dancer (except for occasional partnering with her coach). She had an old pair of leather Jacksons (stock) that just fit her perfectly. When they were starting to wear out, she ended up on an expensive journey to find a suitable replacement: one newer model of Jackson (nope); a second newer model of Jackson (nope); a model of Risport (nope); until finally, at a competition with all the major manufacturers' reps present, a model of Graf (hooray).

* Fortunately for her, though, her old leather Jacksons had a robust build. So, as she was on her quest for replacements, she kept patching up her old boots, and upgraded blades. Inspect your old boots carefully. If the uppers are well broken in but not broken down, if there are no holes in the linings (especially around the heel pocket), and if there is no significant rot in the soles, it could be worthwhile to mount new blades on them. The foam sponge tongue linings can be replaced by a competent tech at a local pro shop (but confirm that they are using a suitable grade of foam sponge). Just be aware though, that when you do buy new boots, the blades that fit on your old Jacksons may or may not fit on your new boots: if they don't, you'll incur the added expense of buying a second new pair of blades.

 

[emilinkaa]

I can’t comment on ice dance boots, but I recently switched from an 18ish year old pair of Jacksons to Risport after coming back to the sport, and they’re similar in fit. The new Jacksons didn’t fit anything like my old ones. I do, however, have C width feet.

Also, do it! I skate with a handful of 60+ year old ice dancers (i don’t know all their ages, just that the oldest is 83) and they are my inspiration. They do mostly set patterns, and have been so great to skate with, because it reminds me that I want to still be skating in 30+ years!

 

[Diana Delafield]

I can’t comment on ice dance boots, but I recently switched from an 18ish year old pair of Jacksons to Risport after coming back to the sport, and they’re similar in fit. The new Jacksons didn’t fit anything like my old ones. I do, however, have C width feet.

Also, do it! I skate with a handful of 60+ year old ice dancers (i don’t know all their ages, just that the oldest is 83) and they are my inspiration. They do mostly set patterns, and have been so great to skate with, because it reminds me that I want to still be skating in 30+ years!

Just got back from an all-day family party, and find several answers to my question. My youngest granddaughter inherited my foot size, and she recently got back into skating after several years off the ice while in university. I'd talked to her on the phone and she brought her new Risports for me to try on. As you said, she was used to Jacksons but found they no longer fit her high arch and narrow heels and said Risports "felt like Jacksons used to". Hers certainly felt comfortable when I tried them on this afternoon. My usual pro shop is on summer schedule now and is closed on weekends, but I'll phone tomorrow and make an appointment for later in the week to browse and buy.

My grandmother's cousin, who was my first coach in singles, was still skating in her 90s, held firmly by a careful young coach but still doing the basic set dances with him. She lived to be 103 and would probably have kept skating till then if her family hadn't confiscated her skates. My ambition was always to equal her record and it was devastating when injuries from a non-skating accident seemed to have knocked me off the ice, coupled with my long-time pairs partner retiring from the fire department and he and his wife moving to be nearer their grandkids. However, the injuries have long healed and I'm looking forward to a change in career to ice dance! Your group sounds inspiring, even if I'm closer in age to the 83-year-old than I am to the youngsters in their 60s. I'll make her my new heroine to emulate!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Just got back from an all-day family party, and find several answers to my question. My youngest granddaughter inherited my foot size, and she recently got back into skating after several years off the ice while in university. I'd talked to her on the phone and she brought her new Risports for me to try on. As you said, she was used to Jacksons but found they no longer fit her high arch and narrow heels and said Risports "felt like Jacksons used to". Hers certainly felt comfortable when I tried them on this afternoon. My usual pro shop is on summer schedule now and is closed on weekends, but I'll phone tomorrow and make an appointment for later in the week to browse and buy.

My grandmother's cousin, who was my first coach in singles, was still skating in her 90s, held firmly by a careful young coach but still doing the basic set dances with him. She lived to be 103 and would probably have kept skating till then if her family hadn't confiscated her skates. My ambition was always to equal her record and it was devastating when injuries from a non-skating accident seemed to have knocked me off the ice, coupled with my long-time pairs partner retiring from the fire department and he and his wife moving to be nearer their grandkids. However, the injuries have long healed and I'm looking forward to a change in career to ice dance! Your group sounds inspiring, even if I'm closer in age to the 83-year-old than I am to the youngsters in their 60s. I'll make her my new heroine to emulate!

As I inititally suggested upthread: Definitely look into Risports if you used to fit Jackson. I switched back when I competed from Jackson to Risport dance boots and freestyle boots (did both), b/c I have crazy high arches and narrow heels. Good luck!

 

[Diana Delafield]

I'd heard that about the Jacksons having higher heels. I wore them from the start of my pairs career in my mid-teens and I guess I was used to the height.

Editing myself a bit. At the family party that occupied my day today, the conversation turned to my potential return to the ice. I said I'd always skated in Jackson boots but was hearing advice that they'd changed. My older (non-skating) brother interrupted and said when I was in competition in my high school and university years, I'd worn Harlicks. He remembered clearly because his work as an art appraiser took him frequently down the coast from BC to California and a couple of times he was asked to stop in at the Harlicks factory and pick up my new custom boots during the years I was still growing. He was always embarrassed because the people there were so keen, and he didn't speak the jargon and had no idea what they were pointing out to him about my newest boots. He'd always ask them to write down what they were saying, and plead "I'm just the messenger. All I'm supposed to do is pick up a box and get it safely back to Canada." Once he'd said that, I remembered I did indeed wear custom Harlicks and only got into Jacksons once I was married, had moved across the country, and was now paying for my own skates. It was either Osborne Colson or Ray Lockwood, my coaches in Toronto until I found a new pairs partner there, who put me onto Jacksons. I don't think I want to go to the expense of custom Harlicks again (or custom SP Teris, which I always rather liked) until I see how long my rekindled enthusiasm lasts.

 

[Diana Delafield]

As I inititally suggested upthread: Definitely look into Risports if you used to fit Jackson. I switched back when I competed from Jackson to Risport dance boots and freestyle boots (did both), b/c I have crazy high arches and narrow heels. Good luck!

Sounds like my feet. Are you sure we're not related? When you walk on a clear floor in wet bare feet the only marks left are the ball of the foot and the tip of the heel, right ? Maybe with a thin line down the side that is the outer edge of your foot?

 

[Diana Delafield]

There are experts here who will answer your questions better than me, but I just want to say I firmly agree with your grandkids. Private ice and a partner to dance with sounds like a dream come true

FYI I've worn the Debut Low Cuts before and the heel seems to be identical to other Jacksons in the same series (Fusion/2000). I think this would be a bit higher than your older pair of Jacksons. The lowest heeled skates I've seen around the rink nowadays are Reidells.

The granddaughter who inherited my feet and whose new Risports I tried on today said she'd tried Riedells and their heels were indeed a lot lower than she was used to. She also found the low cut (she'd never worn dance boots before) left her feeling there was a lack of support when she was skating back edges, although back crosscuts were all right. She advised me not to try them if I was so accustomed to Jacksons. She said several times when she did an inside 3 turn in the Riedells she borrowed, the low heel pitched her backwards and she ended up sitting on the ice. She was concerned I could land on my head, so I told her I'd keep that in mind and ask the fitter about it when I try on some new brands next week.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

The granddaughter who inherited my feet and whose new Risports I tried on today said she'd tried Riedells and their heels were indeed a lot lower than she was used to. She also found the low cut (she'd never worn dance boots before) left her feeling there was a lack of support when she was skating back edges, although back crosscuts were all right. She advised me not to try them if I was so accustomed to Jacksons. She said several times when she did an inside 3 turn in the Riedells she borrowed, the low heel pitched her backwards and she ended up sitting on the ice. She was concerned I could land on my head, so I told her I'd keep that in mind and ask the fitter about it when I try on some new brands next week.

I have to admit that I'd be a bit wary about the dance boots for you; they really are quite an adjustment. Far more of an adjustment, at least in my experience, than moving to ML Dance blades from Phantoms. The backstays of most boots these days seem to me to be lower than the boots of 20+ years ago, anyway, so in your position, I don't think I'd bother with dance boots at all. I'm an ice dancer and am happy with my toe point in my Jackson Elite Pro 5320s.

Dance blades might appeal to you, as they make precise footwork much less fraught with danger and they are fine on any boot, just please, please, please don't put a freestyle blade on dance boots. That way lies cracked ribs when you point your toe in a swing roll...

 

[Diana Delafield]

I have to admit that I'd be a bit wary about the dance boots for you; they really are quite an adjustment. Far more of an adjustment, at least in my experience, than moving to ML Dance blades from Phantoms. The backstays of most boots these days seem to me to be lower than the boots of 20+ years ago, anyway, so in your position, I don't think I'd bother with dance boots at all. I'm an ice dancer and am happy with my toe point in my Jackson Elite Pro 5320s.

Dance blades might appeal to you, as they make precise footwork much less fraught with danger and they are fine on any boot, just please, please, please don't put a freestyle blade on dance boots. That way lies cracked ribs when you point your toe in a swing roll...

Thanks for the warning! If I were going to mix'n'match anything, it would be to put dance blades on my old Jackson boots (which are only worn away a bit on the inside; I've always worn boots stiffer than I needed and there's no sign of wear on the outer leather at all). I've always used MK Pro blades. Never tried any other brand or style of blades for freeskating, although I had a separate pair of skates for patch and don't remember what the blades on those were. I'll see what the fitter says about getting used to dance blades when I see her later this week. In any case, the ice at my new partner's social club is out for maintenance at the moment so we won't be skating until mid-May, he said, or later if they find any problem in the pipes that need repairs. No rush, I'd just like to get whatever boots I'm going to use and get used to walking around in them. I'm certainly hoping they'll be heat moldable. Over the decades boots have become lower and the lacing system has changed drastically with each new pair I got, but heat moldable lining was the best advance by far for me!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I clearly remember my first pair with actual padding! Alviera Rhapsody. Heaven after the beastly things I'd had before that made my ankles bleed.

 

[Diana Delafield]

I clearly remember my first pair with actual padding! Alviera Rhapsody. Heaven after the beastly things I'd had before that made my ankles bleed.

I started out at 6 with WIFAs, which I think were the only brand available in Canada in those days apart from the standard sporting-goods stores' CCM boot-and-blade sets. I'd have to be coaxed onto the ice the first time with any new pair of boots, knowing how much they were going to hurt. I told my mother it was "like going to the dentist for my feet".

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I started out at 6 with WIFAs, which I think were the only brand available in Canada in those days apart from the standard sporting-goods stores' CCM boot-and-blade sets. I'd have to be coaxed onto the ice the first time with any new pair of boots, knowing how much they were going to hurt. I told my mother it was "like going to the dentist for my feet".

That is the greatest description of boots 30+ years ago!

 

[eclipse]

just please, please, please don't put a freestyle blade on dance boots. That way lies cracked ribs when you point your toe in a swing roll...

Going to pretend I did not read this one