Your Favourite Skates? :) | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Your Favourite Skates? :)

Rusty Blades

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
I'm a re-beginner and not very good yet.

I got Jackson Competitors (10C) because they were highly recommended for wide feet, which I have. They fit perfect in the heel but are tight across the toes. After having them punched out a zillion times, I got measured for custom Jackson Elites (which haven't arrived yet).

I have MK Pro blades which I LOVE! I am big and heavy and like DEEP edges - so far the Pros haven't let go on an edge but I have done a few face-plants because of that MASSIVE first pick! :eek: I have resisted the urge to grind it down ;)
 

Wolfgang

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Don't know how much this is going to help, but here goes:
You're not alone having to buy skates sight unseen....
In this city of 1/2 million people, there are 2 ice rinks, which have shops (open whenever someone gets there with a key...), and they do have some new and used FS's for ladies, but only hockey skates for men.
They can,of course 'custom fit' you ( = $$$$).....
There's 2 other stores, one used sporting goods store, one skate(board) shop, where they have crappy vinyl cheapies (for ladies), not much better than the rink rentals.
One lady I know has skates she bought from one of the rinks, and they are killing her, because the professionals at the store did not factor in her orthotics......
Any European brands are hard to find in most of the US, you would have to buy mail order/internet and hope for the best.
That's one reason why most of us skate on American or Canadian skates.
I upgraded from rink plastics to Dominion 718's (Canadian), the cheapest leather uppers I could find for $ 70 online.
The boots are fine after breaking them in for about a week, the blades are WAY too long (13"), they're also mounted wrong, and I have so far managed to tear 2 of the lace hooks off, which does not make a huge difference, and if I use them at least 35 times (which I definitely will), they will have paid for themselves.
By the way, grinding down the bottom toe pick seems to be the #1 secret wish of every skater I know......:)
The next upgrade I'm looking at is the Riedell Silver Medaillon with Wilson Jubilee blades (via internet, again) for about $ 300, for men, there's only one easily available skate 'above' that (the Riedell Bronze Star, about $ 600), then, there's this huge gap before you get into the custom skates for 1,000's of $'s......
It is generally said that Jacksons are better for narrow feet, Riedells are easier to get and better for not-so-narrow feet, don't know if this is true.
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Wolfgang said:
The next upgrade I'm looking at is the Riedell Silver Medaillon with Wilson Jubilee blades (via internet, again) for about $ 300, for men, there's only one easily available skate 'above' that (the Riedell Bronze Star, about $ 600), then, there's this huge gap before you get into the custom skates for 1,000's of $'s......
It is generally said that Jacksons are better for narrow feet, Riedells are easier to get and better for not-so-narrow feet, don't know if this is true.

Wow, that's quite expensive for those Reidell Silver Medalions! I had Gold Medallions (bought them maybe two years ago?????), and they cost about $250! Unfortunately, they lasted less than a year, and I upgraded to Reidell Silver Stars, which, combined with the Majestic blade cost me about $550. I can't believe how much you have to pay.

I don't know who you've talked to, but in my experience, Reidell's are better for narrow feet. I don't know about Jacksons, as I've never tried them on, but Reidell's do run quite narrow.

If you want my opinion on Reidell's, I hate them. My first pait 1) broke down way to quickly and 2) hurt like the devil. I went to a new fitter, who said that I was having pain because the boots were not sized correctly, my previous fitter had put me in boots that were a half size too short and a width too narrow. So, I figured that it was a combination of poor fit and being broken down that was causing the pain, and went for another pair of Reidells, this time the Silver Stars. Now they fit correctly and we even heat molded them, but they still hurt. I know not every boot is suitable for every foot, so I think its just time to look into a different brand of boots. Since I'm prone to shin splints and tendonitis in the ankles, I'm thinking of trying the Jackson ProFlex boots. I'm not wild about the look, but they are hardly noticible under over-the-boot tights.
 

Wolfgang

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 9, 2006
Dancindiva - Where did you get your skates for that cheap?
I've done some fairly extensive searching on the web, and that's just about the best price I could find, anything from the rink 'pro shops' is going to cost significantly more still.

Ladies have it easier, there are a lot more options available, and there isn't the huge jump from the $ 600-700 price bracket to the custom boots, Ladies' skates kind of continue to gradually go up in price, for men, there's not much between $ 700 and $several 1,000's.
 

Lanie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Jacksons = evil.

Riedell = evil.

I'm 20, size 3 1/2 feet, and I tried them both. Tooo narrow, but they told me Iwas a B width - I'm D width, in custom HArlicks and they're nice. Narrow ankles, so I have lots of ankle padding in it. It's a bit stiff on the tongue and kinda pushes down on my toes but I think I can break that in. I love them though! I can dance around now knowing I skate without much pain now!

dancindiva, I suggest you check out some other types of boots... I had the saaame problems with my Jacksons and Riedells that you're having and a lot of heat molding/punching them out pretty much killed the $300 boots I bought. :(
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Wolfgang said:
Dancindiva - Where did you get your skates for that cheap?
I've done some fairly extensive searching on the web, and that's just about the best price I could find, anything from the rink 'pro shops' is going to cost significantly more still.

Ladies have it easier, there are a lot more options available, and there isn't the huge jump from the $ 600-700 price bracket to the custom boots, Ladies' skates kind of continue to gradually go up in price, for men, there's not much between $ 700 and $several 1,000's.
I got mine from a fitter here in central New York. She owns a pro shop at a rink in my area, though not the rink I skate at. She sells Reidells, and I think is also a fitter for Harlicks.
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Lanie said:
Jacksons = evil.

Riedell = evil.

I'm 20, size 3 1/2 feet, and I tried them both. Tooo narrow, but they told me Iwas a B width - I'm D width, in custom HArlicks and they're nice. Narrow ankles, so I have lots of ankle padding in it. It's a bit stiff on the tongue and kinda pushes down on my toes but I think I can break that in. I love them though! I can dance around now knowing I skate without much pain now!

dancindiva, I suggest you check out some other types of boots... I had the saaame problems with my Jacksons and Riedells that you're having and a lot of heat molding/punching them out pretty much killed the $300 boots I bought. :(

Now, that's weird. My fitter specifically told me, with a wide foot, I should avoid Harlicks like the plague. Also that I would never get my foot into a Riedell, but I knew that going in. I have D ball/B heel split-width Jackson Elites that work fine (except for some pinching now that I've had innersoles put in, but it's better than being in agony from no arch support.) Of course I had to get the customized stock books, and couldn't buy off the rack, but that would go for any kind of boot if I wanted one anywhere near to fitting. So I suppose custom Harlicks would be wide enough--but customs from any brand would be. Klingbeil was the other option mentioned by some people, with their customs, though my coach thinks they would probably be too stiff and heavy for me.
 

dancindiva03

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
julietvalcouer said:
Klingbeil was the other option mentioned by some people, with their customs, though my coach thinks they would probably be too stiff and heavy for me.
I have a friend who had custom Harlicks, and found them to be waaaaaay too stiff and uncomfortable. She now has custom Klingbeils and absolutely loves them.
 

SK8LUVR

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Has anybody tried Graf skates? I'd like to try them for my daughter who is working on her doubles. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
 

anything_for_skating

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 7, 2006
SK8LUVR said:
Has anybody tried Graf skates? I'd like to try them for my daughter who is working on her doubles. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Hey!

The only thing I can tell about Grafs is the thing all of the skaters are into:
It's actually a rule about Grafs...
IT'S ALL ABOUT SKATER.
They can fit great or they can fit b-a-d-l-y...
I never tryed to skate on them...However, on the skating camp last year I just tryed them off ice, and they were Ok for me. But it's all I can say- that a skater should decide. Still, my wote goes to Risport.
 

Lanie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
julietvalcouer said:
Now, that's weird. My fitter specifically told me, with a wide foot, I should avoid Harlicks like the plague. Also that I would never get my foot into a Riedell, but I knew that going in. I have D ball/B heel split-width Jackson Elites that work fine (except for some pinching now that I've had innersoles put in, but it's better than being in agony from no arch support.) Of course I had to get the customized stock books, and couldn't buy off the rack, but that would go for any kind of boot if I wanted one anywhere near to fitting. So I suppose custom Harlicks would be wide enough--but customs from any brand would be. Klingbeil was the other option mentioned by some people, with their customs, though my coach thinks they would probably be too stiff and heavy for me.

Mine are pretty wide, but they fit very nicely and I'm liking them. I'm getting my toes squished a little bit from the top where the tongue meets the boot, since it's so stiff there, but otherwise it's working just fine. Jacksons never worked for me, maybe because the fitter was a dumbass and kept telling me my feet were width B when they are definitely not. Another problem for me is high, high arches so I have some Dr Scholls stuff in my boot. It's helped.
 

julietvalcouer

Final Flight
Joined
Sep 10, 2005
Ow, sounds like the fitter was a dumbass if he couldn't tell a B from a D! You're lucky you didn't do permanent damage.

Yeah, I have very high, very rigid arches to my feel. Until I got orthodics I was in agony. The basic sole just didn't support my feet. Unfortunately the inserts are now raising my foot up and my toes are pushing against the top of the boot, but it works.

And I'm constantly monkeying with the lacing around the ankles. Too tight, and I can't skate at all. Too loose and it psyches me out. My coach got a bit fed up with me, I think, last week, and told me to remember, I ought to have the ankle strength to not worry about the tightness of the boots. And he's right, which has lead to me almost to wish for something more like old-style boots, with a lot more flexiblity in the ankle, though having some support around the back of the heel and the toe would be good. (I'm not trying to land triples, so I really do think he's right and flexiblity is a great deal more important than a cast-like ankle support. And, okay, it would be really kind of cool to be able to REALLY point my toe.)
 

Sk8Gr808

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 27, 2005
SK8LUVR said:
Has anybody tried Graf skates? I'd like to try them for my daughter who is working on her doubles. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

I know some people with Grafs, who love them, but I've heard many a Graf horror story. It all depends on how your daughter's foot is shaped and what your willing to spend.

If your daughter has wider feet(like myself), Gams, Jacksons, and Riedells work well. If your daughter has narrower feet, brands similar to Risport will work well. Frankly, if your daughter is comfortable in the skate brand she's currently is, I wouldn't change brands.
 

dlkksk8fan

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Has anybody tried Graf skates?
I skate in Graf's and I like them. I have the Richmond Special's which isn't the most expensive. I have trouble because my right foot is smaller then my left so I have heel movement. I just had them worked on so hope they will be better. You can do a custom boot (Graf's and all the other skates) that are not really that much more then the top stock boots. Each boot is different so trying on different ones would be helpful in deciding which one is right.

Has anyone tried the hinge boot? I tried them on and they are different. Not sure I would want to skate in them.
 
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