My feet often ache - Edea Overtures

Hi there,

I recently bought a pair of Edea Overtures, they are beautiful and i love the look as well as the support increase that they offer over my old skates. I only have one problem with them, they tend to hurt my feet.

How much pain would be expected when getting a new pair of skates, especially Edeas?

My old skates were quite a lot broader in the foot i think, they were Grafs. I have noticed, although they hurt, sometimes its not as bad, depending on how i tighten them.

Would the lacing be a contributing factor to the pain? I must furthermore state that i haven't had much time to skate in them and have only skated in them about 6-7 times.

I have also noticed that the pain sometimes subsides after skating a bit but then at other times the moment i stop skating then the pain comes back and becomes quite unbearable. The areas that i tend to experience pain is in the heel pocket, around the heel and then sometimes the in step, below and around the arch of my foot.

What are the general reasons for having these issues?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Regards,

Ansell

My current skates are Edea Overture and I also struggle with pain, but mainly in the arch. I often experience the arch pain after about 5-10 minutes on the ice and they usually go away after 10 minutes or at least it becomes bearable. However my skates are too big for me, maybe 1 size too big so I don't know if this is one of the reasons for the pain. Does your boot fit perfectly or are they too small/big? I've never been in other boots before so I don't know how common it is. I hope when I get new boots soon that the problem might go away.

I did find this page which shows different lacing technique for different problems though. Maybe you could try one of them and see if it works?
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.no/2015/12/techniques-for-lacing-your-skates.html

The first thing that comes to mind is if you got the proper fit or not.

Your boots should hurt for the break in period, but not be intolerable, especially Edeas.

Mikansei said:

My current skates are Edea Overture and I also struggle with pain, but mainly in the arch. I often experience the arch pain after about 5-10 minutes on the ice and they usually go away after 10 minutes or at least it becomes bearable. However my skates are too big for me, maybe 1 size too big so I don't know if this is one of the reasons for the pain. Does your boot fit perfectly or are they too small/big? I've never been in other boots before so I don't know how common it is. I hope when I get new boots soon that the problem might go away.

I did find this page which shows different lacing technique for different problems though. Maybe you could try one of them and see if it works?
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.no/2015/12/techniques-for-lacing-your-skates.html

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Hi,

Thanks for your input and advice. My pain is exactly the same and the pain also tends to go away or get better the more i skate through the pain. There are however some instances where i have to get off the ice because it can sometimes get quite bad. My skates are actually one size too big for me, so could that be why? I have seen that link for skate lacing, how do you lace your skates up? I try and follow that guide but i feel like when i make them tighter then they hurt. Maybe its because ive got to break them in still...

Thanks anyways.

Ic3Rabbit said:

The first thing that comes to mind is if you got the proper fit or not.

Your boots should hurt for the break in period, but not be intolerable, especially Edeas.

Click to expand...

Hi there,

My skates are one size too big for me, could this be why? My foot doesn't really move much in them though.

I know one size too big is an issue but theres nothing i could have done about it. It would have cost me too much to send them back to Italy (no skate shops in South Africa, where i am).

Do you think they could be hurting because of the break in period though? I know Edeas aren't suppose to really hurt, i believe they are suppose to be quite comfortable.

What do you think?

Could it also be because the skates are stiffer and therefore need more time to break in?

I haven't been able to really work them much so maybe they've got to conform to my foot still?

How long does a break in period generally take? I know it depends on how hard and how often you skate...

Thanks!

Ayzil31 said:

Hi there,

My skates are one size too big for me, could this be why? My foot doesn't really move much in them though.

I know one size too big is an issue but theres nothing i could have done about it. It would have cost me too much to send them back to Italy (no skate shops in South Africa, where i am).

Do you think they could be hurting because of the break in period though? I know Edeas aren't suppose to really hurt, i believe they are suppose to be quite comfortable.

What do you think?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Yes, the fact that they are one size too big for you is an issue.

Could it also be because the skates are stiffer and therefore need more time to break in?

I haven't been able to really work them much so maybe they've got to conform to my foot still?

How long does a break in period generally take? I know it depends on how hard and how often you skate...

Ayzil31 said:

Could it also be because the skates are stiffer and therefore need more time to break in?

I haven't been able to really work them much so maybe they've got to conform to my foot still?

How long does a break in period generally take? I know it depends on how hard and how often you skate...

Click to expand...

Yes stiffness is a factor, but your boot is supposed to fit you like a somewhat comfortable glove, and if yours are not fitting properly/are too big then it's going to hinder you more than help.

And yes it depends on how much ice time you have in them and how hard you are on them.

Okay, so the pain could be because of the skates being too big as well as the fact that i maybe need to try and skate with them more to see if i can break them in past the point of this pain? Im sure what will happen later on is that the more they break down, the more my foot will start to move around in the boot, correct?

I really appreciate your help immensely Theres nobody in this country that knows about this kind of thing even though we have "coaches".

Ayzil31 said:

Okay, so the pain could be because of the skates being too big as well as the fact that i maybe need to try and skate with them more to see if i can break them in past the point of this pain? Im sure what will happen later on is that the more they break down, the more my foot will start to move around in the boot, correct?

I really appreciate your help immensely Theres nobody in this country that knows about this kind of thing even though we have "coaches".

Click to expand...

What I'm saying is that if they are too big it's going to not do you any good regardless. And as they break down it will make it worse and you could injure yourself.

IDK what else to tell you, I'll have to think about this and come back. In the meantime perhaps someone else also in the know could offer their opinion.

You are very welcome BTW, I'm happy I could help so far, I know skating isn't big in your country and also would someday love to visit there!

I’m not sure what kind of arch support Edeas have, but if the boots are hitting your arch and instep in the wrong place because they’re too big, I would not be surprised if they caused you pain there. If you bought them online, perhaps you should sell them and buy a pair that fits properly. Its nice that they’re pretty and lightweight, but if you can’t skate without pain those things don’t matter. If you were in graf, perhaps Jackson would fit you better. They don’t look at all like Edea but they do have a lightweight line of boots. I think Debut is the beginning freestyle boot. If there are no skate shops in your country, then you will need to work closely with the manufacturer to make sure you get a good fit.

Ayzil31 said:

Hi there,

I know one size too big is an issue but theres nothing i could have done about it. It would have cost me too much to send them back to Italy (no skate shops in South Africa, where i am).

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Tavi... said:

I’m not sure what kind of arch support Edeas have, but if the boots are hitting your arch and instep in the wrong place because they’re too big, I would not be surprised if they caused you pain there. If you bought them online, perhaps you should sell them and buy a pair that fits properly. Its nice that they’re pretty and lightweight, but if you can’t skate without pain those things don’t matter.

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The cost of selling the boots now is probably more than the cost of sending them back would have been. Not saying Ayzil31 shouldn't do it, just saying that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and pay now to avoid greater costs later.

I can sympathize with people who bought skates thinking they fit and it later develops that they don't. I had to sell an almost-brand-new pair of x-country ski boots because my feet always got cold in them. They didn't seem too tight to me, but my feet thought differently. Fortunately I loaned them to someone and she liked them and bought them from me.

You've said that while they're big your foot doesn't move "that much". Could you explain further what you mean? Like: does your fingers have too much wiggle room, or are they too wide for you, or do your heels feel slippery?
Has the pain reduced somewhat since you bought them?


When breaking down new boots my coach suggested to lace them up somewhat more lose (NEVER too loose though) in the first hour of skating (maybe leaving one of the hooks) and then lacing them progressively tighter to help with the pain. And also wearing them in your house (with your guards on, and not walking with them, only having them on to help them get used to your feet) But in your case I don't know if that's the problem, since it could be the size.
If the difference is not too big maybe you could make do with socks. That's something a girl at my rink does, but she wears skates just half a size bigger. Another person at the forum said this was dangerous, in a similar thread, and recommended implants for the boots, and maybe you could look into it as well. Lacing definitely helps as well, but as @Ic3Rabbit said, in your case it may be just the size, and that's harder to fix.

Kudos for skating where it isn't easy to do so!

Ic3Rabbit said:

What I'm saying is that if they are too big it's going to not do you any good regardless. And as they break down it will make it worse and you could injure yourself.

IDK what else to tell you, I'll have to think about this and come back. In the meantime perhaps someone else also in the know could offer their opinion.

You are very welcome BTW, I'm happy I could help so far, I know skating isn't big in your country and also would someday love to visit there!

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Hi Ic3Rabbit,

Okay no problem I feared that this would be the case when it comes to skates that are too big for you.

The funny thing is, i did so much research for months and months and i measured my feet and everything but at the end of the day, i went for the size 12US instead of the 11US mainly because my friend had a 11US and i thought that was too tight without realising that the Edeas will feel like that in the beginning.

I recently put my foot on his insole and found that the 11US was perfect!

im so very upset that i made this wrong decision because it was so expensive for me to import them, hence why returns weren't an option.

I have accepted my most unfortunate decision and decided to make the most of it, however i can.

Yeah, skating isn't big here, most folks don't know much about figure skating here. We do have a fairly decent rink though but do not have enough experts, if any.

You should definitely visit! Come for a skate! Thanks again

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Tavi... said:

I’m not sure what kind of arch support Edeas have, but if the boots are hitting your arch and instep in the wrong place because they’re too big, I would not be surprised if they caused you pain there. If you bought them online, perhaps you should sell them and buy a pair that fits properly. Its nice that they’re pretty and lightweight, but if you can’t skate without pain those things don’t matter. If you were in graf, perhaps Jackson would fit you better. They don’t look at all like Edea but they do have a lightweight line of boots. I think Debut is the beginning freestyle boot. If there are no skate shops in your country, then you will need to work closely with the manufacturer to make sure you get a good fit.

Click to expand...

Hi Tavi,

Yes, i do think that might be a possibility and will not be able to rule that out as the underlying cause until i give the skates a bit more time. I have thought before that because the skates are too big that my foot would be potentially not lying in the optimal area of the boot, causing my feet to suffer from not receiving the support that they should (especially in the arch).

I did buy them online - rollskater.com - I tried to sell them in my country but unfortunately i couldn't find a buyer, mainly because the skates are a 11UK/12US and there aren't many, if any male skaters here with that foot size. The size of my foot has definitely been detrimental to the selling of my skates.

I hear what youre saying and agree, having higher end skates are no good if they do not fit you correctly. The only options i had were risport and edea of which the edea worked out to be more affordable and i chose them because i read that the overtures were a great entry level boot but not if they are the incorrect size.

Sigh...

Thank you for your support and advice I will continue to try and make the most of the skates. Ill let you know if anything changes

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NanaPat said:

The cost of selling the boots now is probably more than the cost of sending them back would have been. Not saying Ayzil31 shouldn't do it, just saying that sometimes you have to bite the bullet and pay now to avoid greater costs later.

I can sympathize with people who bought skates thinking they fit and it later develops that they don't. I had to sell an almost-brand-new pair of x-country ski boots because my feet always got cold in them. They didn't seem too tight to me, but my feet thought differently. Fortunately I loaned them to someone and she liked them and bought them from me.

Click to expand...

Hi NanaPat,

Yes, so what happened was, when i figured out that the skates were infact too big for me, i contacted the company i bought them from in Italy. They told me that i could send them back, which would have been at my cost, following that, they would exchange the skates and give a type of credit for another pair based on the condition of the pair i had just bought (they were basically brand new) - So, that was an option but after doing the math, i realised that sending them back and then having to pay customs and duties etc all over again would have cost me more than buying a brand new pair all together, so i decided against that.

I tried selling them in my country but there wasn't anybody who was interested in spending that kind of money on a pair of skates if they were going to be skating twice a month etc. So my only option has been to stick with them and make the most of them. I think my goal now is to accept they will not be as good as they could be but at the same time, to accept this and make the most of the skates as they are.

So yes, as you've stated, i am biting the bullet on this one

Thanks so much for your input! Really appreciate it

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Mussique said:

You've said that while they're big your foot doesn't move "that much". Could you explain further what you mean? Like: does your fingers have too much wiggle room, or are they too wide for you, or do your heels feel slippery?
Has the pain reduced somewhat since you bought them?


When breaking down new boots my coach suggested to lace them up somewhat more lose (NEVER too loose though) in the first hour of skating (maybe leaving one of the hooks) and then lacing them progressively tighter to help with the pain. And also wearing them in your house (with your guards on, and not walking with them, only having them on to help them get used to your feet) But in your case I don't know if that's the problem, since it could be the size.
If the difference is not too big maybe you could make do with socks. That's something a girl at my rink does, but she wears skates just half a size bigger. Another person at the forum said this was dangerous, in a similar thread, and recommended implants for the boots, and maybe you could look into it as well. Lacing definitely helps as well, but as @Ic3Rabbit said, in your case it may be just the size, and that's harder to fix.

Kudos for skating where it isn't easy to do so!

Click to expand...

Hi Mussique,

Yes, my feet don't really move at all, in fact they generally feel quite locked in. My heels don't slip or lift either.

In terms of the wiggle room and skate width, i feel that i have wiggle room, maybe more than i should have but that's understandable because i do have a skate that is about one size too big.

I feel like the skates aren't very wide at all, i think they are much narrower than my old grafs so i don't experience any side to side movement at all. I have sometimes felt that maybe the pain is because of the skates being too narrow but then again if i loosen that skates then the pain generally goes away. If i loosen the skates then i feel as if my ankles don't feel very supported anymore and i find it difficult to control my edges and jumps/landings. This could also be because i am not use to this style of skate and i might need to work on adjusting my technique with these skates.

The pain has gotten better since i bought them but the funny thing is, if i tighten them unevenly then it is more painful. For example, if i tighten the top portion of the skate more than the middle section then that causes pain. I think the pain could also be from my lacing technique but then again there has been times when i lace them up once and then i have no problems.

Like i mentioned above, if i do make them a bit looser then i feel like i lose a bit of control in my foot work and edges. I also tend to experience quite a bit of edge sliding. For example, i will be holding an edge but then it kind of just starts sliding out from under me, almost like the edge isn't biting into the ice correctly - My blades are sharp as well - On the loop jump for example, when i want to take off then my edge will slide instead of cutting into the ice.

I feel as if the edge problems could be due to the fact that my foot placement might be slightly off in the boot due to the fact that the skates are one size too big.

I apologise if my answers are rather vague, im trying to describe it all the best i can.

I will try those suggestions. I think at the end of the day, skates that are too big will most likely cause all of the above and aforementioned issues.

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your input and advice

Ayzil31 said:

Hi,

Thanks for your input and advice. My pain is exactly the same and the pain also tends to go away or get better the more i skate through the pain. There are however some instances where i have to get off the ice because it can sometimes get quite bad. My skates are actually one size too big for me, so could that be why? I have seen that link for skate lacing, how do you lace your skates up? I try and follow that guide but i feel like when i make them tighter then they hurt. Maybe its because ive got to break them in still...

Thanks anyways.

Click to expand...

Honestly I try to lace them as tight as possible everywhere especially around the instep/ankle where it's supposed to be tight, since they are not only too long, they are too wide for me as well. If I lace them lighter I think the pain disappears, but the skate will then be too lose and it's impossible for me to do anything with control on the ice. I don't recall having this much pain when my skates were new, but then they were a bit more stiff and more difficult to lace so I didn't need to tighten them as much. I also did easier things (less movements) so I didn't feel like I moved much around in the boot and didn't feel that the skates were too big for me. Now, I've been in my Overtues for over a year so I believe I'm past the break in period, and the problem has not disappeared, just getting worse (and the boots wider) so I believe it's very much due to the boots not being fit. I did put in extra insoles to make the boot more fit, maybe you can try that.

Don't know if you have this problem too, but I have small ankles, and I can move my ankle sideways in the Overtures boot no matter how tight I tie the top. I know now that the Edea boots are designed for lots of flexibility around the ankle for bending, but I feel very little support at the top due to the sideway movements.

I'm going to buy new skates (and change the brand due to the sideways ankle problem with Edea) hopefully in the next month so I'll let you know if the I still experience pain in new and more fit skates I also remember reading that the Edea have higher heel compared to Jackson for example, so this could be a cause for pain as well. I hope someone else with better knowledge can confirm/unconfirm this though.

Mikansei said:

Honestly I try to lace them as tight as possible everywhere especially around the instep/ankle where it's supposed to be tight, since they are not only too long, they are too wide for me as well. If I lace them lighter I think the pain disappears, but the skate will then be too lose and it's impossible for me to do anything with control on the ice. I don't recall having this much pain when my skates were new, but then they were a bit more stiff and more difficult to lace so I didn't need to tighten them as much. I also did easier things (less movements) so I didn't feel like I moved much around in the boot and didn't feel that the skates were too big for me. Now, I've been in my Overtues for over a year so I believe I'm past the break in period, and the problem has not disappeared, just getting worse (and the boots wider) so I believe it's very much due to the boots not being fit. I did put in extra insoles to make the boot more fit, maybe you can try that.

Don't know if you have this problem too, but I have small ankles, and I can move my ankle sideways in the Overtures boot no matter how tight I tie the top. I know now that the Edea boots are designed for lots of flexibility around the ankle for bending, but I feel very little support at the top due to the sideway movements.

I'm going to buy new skates (and change the brand due to the sideways ankle problem with Edea) hopefully in the next month so I'll let you know if the I still experience pain in new and more fit skates I also remember reading that the Edea have higher heel compared to Jackson for example, so this could be a cause for pain as well. I hope someone else with better knowledge can confirm/unconfirm this though.

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Hi Mikansei,

I don't have to tighten my skates very much for them to feel snug and tight but i do know that my skates are still new which means that later on i will most likely have to tighten them more and more, the older they become.

My skates are about one size too big for me, roughly, but they are not too wide. My foot doesn't shift side to side, in fact i think that my skates feel quite tight in the heel pocket, if im to be honest.

My foot doesn't shift or move in the boot but this could be because the skates are fairly new. I will say, however, i do, do quite a bit of edge work and jumps in my skates currently and i don't really feel my foot shifting around at all, i instead feel as if my blade is not always making good contact with the ice, almost like certain parts of the blade will slide under me when trying to hold an edge - SOMETIMES but not always. I will try the insoles because somebody else also recommended trying that.

Yes, i have noticed that my skates feel a little more loose at the top, requiring a lot more ankle strength and control but i wonder if mine isn't as bad as yours. My old skates were GRAFS and they were usually tighter up top but i have read that Edea recommends it looser up at the top.

I think there is suppose to be a bit of side to side movement but i think if it makes maintaining control quite a challenge then that might be because the skates are too big. Maybe because your skates are too wide for you? Ill have to take note of how much movement i have next time but i feel mine is normal but i cant really say to be sure.

Yes, please let me know how your new skates are, if they have sorted out your issue

Id appreciate that. I have also read that the Edeas have a higher heel than other manufacturers so that could also explain why it feels the way it does. I think on the other hand, GRAFS are a completely different fit and i think that i have a lot to get use to with the fit of the Edeas.

I really don't know

Thanks for your input!

Ayzil31 said:

My foot doesn't shift or move in the boot but this could be because the skates are fairly new. I will say, however, i do, do quite a bit of edge work and jumps in my skates currently and i don't really feel my foot shifting around at all, i instead feel as if my blade is not always making good contact with the ice, almost like certain parts of the blade will slide under me when trying to hold an edge - SOMETIMES but not always. I will try the insoles because somebody else also recommended trying that.

Click to expand...

The way you describe this is so similar to the problem I am having. Like I just feel like I can't steadily hold it, even though it works with no problem in my old boots.

I got the Overtures about... 4 months ago? And I'm skating around 3 times a week so they've been skated in fairly often since then. Thankfully the size itself works fine for me - I got the 245, which I think is a US size 6? I had Grafs before as well and while they were comfy I wanted the Edeas to fit more snugly - I had tried the 250 (which is half a size up) as well and that felt too loose.

But I'm sometimes getting a serious amount of pain in them - it sort of feels like my arch is cramping? I've all different kinds of lacing tightness strategys, but it never completely goes away AND feels secure. There also sometimes a bit of heel slipping if I let them a bit looser but thats only after I've been skating for 2 hours or so. (Also fair warning - I'm skating barefoot, but I've had that problem with socks/tights too.)

I know you don't have the option of someone helping mold them a little, but I'll be going to a shop with mine soon and try to address all of that, so I can let you know what the guy says if you want

somelikeitpink said:

The way you describe this is so similar to the problem I am having. Like I just feel like I can't steadily hold it, even though it works with no problem in my old boots.

I got the Overtures about... 4 months ago? And I'm skating around 3 times a week so they've been skated in fairly often since then. Thankfully the size itself works fine for me - I got the 245, which I think is a US size 6? I had Grafs before as well and while they were comfy I wanted the Edeas to fit more snugly - I had tried the 250 (which is half a size up) as well and that felt too loose.

But I'm sometimes getting a serious amount of pain in them - it sort of feels like my arch is cramping? I've all different kinds of lacing tightness strategys, but it never completely goes away AND feels secure. There also sometimes a bit of heel slipping if I let them a bit looser but thats only after I've been skating for 2 hours or so. (Also fair warning - I'm skating barefoot, but I've had that problem with socks/tights too.)

I know you don't have the option of someone helping mold them a little, but I'll be going to a shop with mine soon and try to address all of that, so I can let you know what the guy says if you want

Click to expand...

Hey,

Yes, the uneven control in my edges from the sliding of the blade is a big problem, especially with edge jumps and foot work. I haven't been able to figure out if the blade is mounted slightly off centre or if its the size of the skates that are creating this problem OR if its because Ive got to adjust my skating style compared to my GRAF skates.

Yes, that's also why i chose the Edeas, for the snug fit and i wanted a skate that was a little more agile. My old Grafs were decent for what i used them for but i became too advanced for them and they didn't have the support needed for my jumps so i went for the Edeas.

I also tend to experience that pain but i feel like the pain is in differently areas depending on how i lace my skates up or depending on how tight i make them. I sometimes experience the pain on the sides of my feet but then sometimes i don't. Then there are days that the moment i put my skates on then my feet are in agonising pain and i start sweating because it gets so sore. Ive also noticed that they feel very tight in the heel pocket and it hurts the heels of my feet.

Ive also noticed that if i loosen up my skates a bit then i tend to lose my ankle support as well as not being able to control my edges. I don't make them very tight but that's also because they're quite new.

I don't know what other options i have. All i can do is skate in them and hope for the best but it really makes my skating unenjoyable because i have to constantly get off the ice to adjust my skates and then i get so frustrated that i don't feel like skating anymore.

Id really appreciate that, thanks so much Thanks for your feedback