Custom Boots | Golden Skate

Custom Boots

Sk8erGeek

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
None of my coaches have been able to figure this out but maybe one of you have had this problem. My edges are too deep. I'm not sure if you can tell from the photo but my legs and upper-body are totally upright and my foot from the ankle down are flexed on a deep outside edge. It was originally thought that my feet were supinating. My blade was adjusted to accommodate this even though my doctor said my feet were fine for the average person but my arch is too high for a figure skating boot. It was also thought I had weak ankles but I went to physical therapy for this and the therapist said my ankles were pretty strong. I've not had this problem with other sports I play such as track and field, ballet, gymnastics, and tennis. I have had this problem in the past with ill fitting hockey skates. Now that I am changing my edge in my spins and practicing spinning in both directions I find both my inside and outside edges are too deep. I've had boots that didn't cause this problem in the past but they weren't the correct size (my foot slipped out of my boot when I was doing a jump). One of my coaches suggested I go in person to Klingbeil and get customs. Before I embark on this expense I would like to know if there is an extra custom feature I should ask about getting.

Oh by the way, I have hyper-mobility in most of my joints (not all) if that makes any difference.

photo
 

Dramahkween

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 19, 2010
Not quite sure how to answer your question however I do have a supination problem and Klingbeils were the only boots I could really use. LOVED them!
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Klingbeil is defunct other than crappy rental skates. If you are going to look into customs, Harlick, SP Teri, Reidell, and Jackson.
 

IcyEdges

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2013
I tend to overprone (turn my feet out) as well as having a wide toebox. I wore Riedell's for years, and then switched to custom Klingbeil's and loved them.
I would suggest looking into Graf and Edea skates. Esp. Edea, as they can be customized easily.
 

Sk8erGeek

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Thank you all for the responses. Very helpful. I got the email from Klingbeil about them closing their doors. I'm getting ready to order Edea skates.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
There's a recent email that they are NOT taking new customers or orders from existing customers and their master boot maker left for a new company started by Bill Fauver. As far as I can tell from everything I've read, they are NOW defunct.
 

LilJen

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 11, 2014
Oh dear. That's terrible news. They'd gone to so much trouble to get all their equipment & lasts & employees to the new location. . . I guess I should cherish the customs I have (and am very glad to have gotten in Jan 2012 before all the cafuffle began).
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
It is not terrible news. Serves them right. My last order was so disappointing that I would never ever order from them again (and I had several pairs of customs boots from them over the years). They just couldn't put my last order right and wanted more and more money. I wish they would bankrupt so that that there is no more dishonest boot makes around. It is too much money to loose for custom boots that are no fit for the purpose.
 

pooh-beanie

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Edeas are not THE best if you have strange feet, but you didn't mention physically strange feet...
i've had two pairs of custom-built jacksons... (actually 3 but the 2nd pair was useless) and that was only because i have bad bunions, really small ankles, and the typical asian duck foot...
if you are looking for a good skate person, ask around your rink(s), there are bound to be very competitive people/ kids who know who's great and who's not
best of luck!
 

Babbette1

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
I know this thread is about custom boots. But I've had more than my share of boot 'issues' and I've recorded every boot adjustment trick that I've picked up in the last 7 years. I have nothing for supination. Just pronation. Sorry.
Super-fitting your boots: http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2014/08/super-fitting-your-boot.html
A tip for loose heels: http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2014/10/boot-fit-ii-heel.html
(I have to have custom width tongues. Once I got those extra wide tongues it completely changed my skating, but it took years to find a fitter who pointed out that I needed them. It's an easy fix even on old skates.)
I'm so obsessed with boot fit I have my own boot fitting tool to punch out bunions.
 

CdnSkateWatcher

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 21, 2010
Klingbeil is a sad story ... I feel so badly for the family, having had the distinct pleasure of having custom skates fitted on my kid by Don himself in the old Jamaica store. Anyways. When Klingbeil was going "down" for the 1st time (bankrupt, looking for a buyer) - we switched to Harlicks as they were able to offer a solid boot similar to the Klingbeil that our kid had been wearing for years. We ended up happier with the Harlick boot than we were with the Klingbeil; the fit was excellent, and the quality of the material is outstanding. The heel height was slightly higher than the Klings, which were a bit of a transition (we could have gotten a Kling heel height, but, coach was comfortable with the change). We also had the boots completely rebuilt a year ago for under $100 by Harlick themselves, and they are still going strong. Great value for the dollar.
 

Babbette1

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
Over at skatingforums.com there's a long thread about Klingbeil. If you go to the last post you'll find the latest info about Klingbeil.
http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=5855.0

I just want to mention that boot companies don't seem to last more than a couple of generations. Anyone remember Oberhamer? (SPTeri is doing okay)
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
I think all of the boot makers (SP Teri, Harlick, Jackson, etc.) are suffering right now due to the sudden popularity of Edeas.
 

pooh-beanie

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
what vlaurend said is pretty true, but remember that the rest of the world (mainly the eastern hemisphere minus japan and other foreign skaters that train in america/ canada) still favor the old leather boots... jackson is still loved by many. Riedell is also pretty popular... Harlicks are iffy- i've heard they're only good for dance and special feet...

Edeas aren't too much lighter than regular boots. My skate guy showed me that most of the weight cut is in the blades. Regular vs. hollow omigod the difference was huge...
 

Casey

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
I posted recently over at the thread on the skatingforums link above in post #13 (check it out for a lot more details I'm too lazy to copy/paste here!), but as a Klingbeil owner, I had a long chat with Bill Fauver, ex-Olympian and the owner of Avanta Boots (you can google for the website) and that company is basically the place to go if you want new Klingbeils in everything but the name. It's Klingbeil's old bootmaking staff, and while the new default boot incorporates a carbon fiber layer between the leather layers to reduce weight, they can make a traditional all-leather boot if you desire it (I think I do), and sounded open to any customization requests. They are also using STS castings for foot models, which should yield better fit for custom skates, and they are producing stock sizes also. Check them out yourselves, but this will be where I get my next pair of custom boots from!
 

Casey

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 26, 2014
It is not terrible news. Serves them right. My last order was so disappointing that I would never ever order from them again (and I had several pairs of customs boots from them over the years). They just couldn't put my last order right and wanted more and more money. I wish they would bankrupt so that that there is no more dishonest boot makes around. It is too much money to loose for custom boots that are no fit for the purpose.

That wasn't Klingbeil, that was Adoni, who owned Klingbeil more recently, and destroyed the company. There are many accounts like yours with them screwing up everyone's order. They just couldn't keep things together after they decided to fire Don Klingbeil and started losing important staff.
 

Scamper

Spectator
Joined
Mar 6, 2015
I did not want to start a new thread so here is our story: My daughter had worn out her Jackson and out skated the Protege blades on them. After a ton of research and even more hand ringing trying to make the right decision, we packed up the car and went to TN to see Will and the group at Avanta Skating Boots. after an hour of talking and a tour of the plant we were sold and committed to this new venture. My daughter was molded and it was explained that a "last" would be made of the feet and that is what the skates would be built from. We had a great time at Advanta and in TN in general! (if you ever get the opportunity go fun city and Ford ice center is GREAT!) we were told the skates would take 5 to 6 weeks to be done and delivered. we waited hardly able to contain our excitement for the arrival of the new skates. At just under 5 weeks we were called and told there would be an additional week do to a machine issue. Hey it happens. So with a little diminished excitement we waited. We were finally called and told the skates were done, there was also the appologies for a number of customer service foibles and follies. Nothing usual form a infant company trying to balance growth with service. They could not have been nicer or more apologetic. Not wanting to disappoint or wait any more I had them shipped overnight to me. When the box showed up it think is was like a birthday and Christmas all rolled into one! These were not even for me! I opened the box and it was just like the movies think Indiana Jones opening the Ark or and sifi movie opening the and box there was a glow and a light coming out of this box! These are the most beautiful boots I had ever seen. It seems that patten 99's we ordered were not available in time so Avanta sent Pattern 99 parabolics at their expense! I had the opportunity to water proof the soles and had a few issue with that completely my fault if you want to see refer to waterproofing thread in this fourm to see the problems and fixes!! The biggest issue was my daughter was testing and had her Ice Show this week so we all felt a skate change was not in her best interest. Side not Ice show went very well and She passed her Moves and FS tests!! I really wanted to wait until she had time to skate in these new boots before posting. I am happy to report and tell everyone these are great boots no Problems or issues at all. The blades and the skates are fitting and preforming every bit as expected! Yes she is getting used to the blades and has lost some skills that should come back very quickly as she acclimates to them. Ok so here is the low down, everyone that we respect in our skating community have commented on the beauty of these boots and the quality of the material and construction! in fact two of the coaches have looked into getting themselves a pair. The boots are heavier that Edeas no question but I am still not sold on the carbon fiber thing. sorry personal preference only. I know that Avanta has been at senior Nationals and other events taking orders, this company will continue to grow and be a force in this sport. so if you are looking take a look at them and get on it quick they will only continue to get busier and busier and take more time to get your skates. once you get them as my skater said they are the best ones ever! Please feel free to ask questions I will try and answer as best I can and will tell you our experiences. Hope this helps!
 
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