Advice/reassurance on new boots

Hi everyone. I’m going to try and stick with the most relevant information and hopefully someone has some thoughts.

I am 6 ft tall, female, slim but muscular and weigh about 175 pounds. I started with basic skating lessons about a year ago in Jackson classiques in an 8.5C. I passed through basic 6 in 3 months and moved on to private lessons, where I realized they just didn’t have enough support and were too wide. My skate tech suggested the Jackson Premiere in an 8.5 B and they felt perfect from the get go. I honestly felt zero discomfort and never felt they were too stiff at all.

7 months later, I had passed standard pre pre and preliminary moves, the first 3 dances and can land up to single loop although I have not taken any free skate tests. My boots were obviously creased, felt very unstable/wobbly on landings, my heel was slipping and I felt that there was too much space at the end in front of my toes. The tongue is very compressed and I had to use cut up gel sleeves to prevent lace bite, and patches of gel sleeve behind my heels to prevent bumps from forming. I skate about 8-10 hours a week.

After much discussion with the skate tech, I decided on Jackson supreme, 95 stiffness in an 8B. They finally came in, and holy crap. I honestly had no idea what people were talking about with regards to break in pain until now. I can bend my knees with all hooks laced, but I have other concerns.

My questions are: my toes feel very tight on either side next to the pinky and big toes. I’m going to have them stretched, but is it normal for the toes to reach the very end of the skate? When I bend my knees, my heel is forced back a bit more and the tightness lessens, so is this just something I’ll have to deal with until the padding breaks in a little?

Is it normal for them to feel so damn hard? I can bend no problem, but they just feel like absolute blocks on my feet. A part of me is tempted to try the 8.5, but I don’t want to have the same problem in a few months.

I’m still waiting for the shorter blades to come in so I can’t try them on the ice yet, but I just wasn’t expecting this level of discomfort and am interested In hearing any other experiences.

It seems like you have two issues - the stiffness and the sizing. Is there a reason that you didn’t try on the regular Jackson elite? Higher level boots often feel smaller than lower level boots because there’s more padding and it’s denser. Could you get a 8 and 8.5b elite (not supreme) and see how that feels?

jf12 said:

It seems like you have two issues - the stiffness and the sizing. Is there a reason that you didn’t try on the regular Jackson elite? Higher level boots often feel smaller than lower level boots because there’s more padding and it’s denser. Could you get a 8 and 8.5b elite (not supreme) and see how that feels?

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I went with the 95 because the 65 only really felt like enough support for a few months before I started jumping. They do not feel too stiff to bend at all.

I could try an 8.5, but consider the 8.5 proved to be too big already, I’m just afraid the same thing will happen you know?

Yes, but the supremes might fit or feel smaller than the premieres did. I don’t think the lasts are the same between those models, and the padding will be more. It sounds like you’re between sizes and I feel when you’re switching models, it’s always worth trying both sizes you’re in between, just to see. I personally never had boots that touched my toes at the front.

Toes generally should be at the top but not pressing the top.

Are you kicking your heel back before you tie the boots? This will situated your foot back into the heel, and will give a hair more space in the toe.

Did you try on other brands of boots? Some brands are better for certain foot types than others. The advanced Jackson's are automatically made in a split width, so if you got a B width, the heel is going to be an A heel. If your feet are really straight, you might be better off with another brand of boot.

Did you ask your coach before getting the boots? It seems to me like Supreme with 95 firmness is going way overboard for what you are doing. There is actually an extra cost to get the 95 firmness instead of the 85 which is the standard for Supreme model. Unless you have something wrong with your ankles, there really is no reason to get that boot model for the type of skating you are doing.

treesprite said:

Toes generally should be at the top but not pressing the top.

Are you kicking your heel back before you tie the boots? This will situated your foot back into the heel, and will give a hair more space in the toe.

Did you try on other brands of boots? Some brands are better for certain foot types than others. The advanced Jackson's are automatically made in a split width, so if you got a B width, the heel is going to be an A heel. If your feet are really straight, you might be better off with another brand of boot.

Did you ask your coach before getting the boots? It seems to me like Supreme with 95 firmness is going way overboard for what you are doing. There is actually an extra cost to get the 95 firmness instead of the 85 which is the standard for Supreme model. Unless you have something wrong with your ankles, there really is no reason to get that boot model for the type of skating you are doing.

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Yes I’m kicking my heel back. I’ve tried risport, riedell, and Edea and none fit the shape of my foot as well as the jacksons. My coach was the one who suggested paying the extra for 95. He’s experienced and has been coaching for a long time, and I trust both him and my skate tech.

I actually went and tried on the 8.5 today. Way too much space in the front already. I had the 8 heat molded and things opened up a lot more. I’m not worried about how stiff they are. It’s awkward, but I was able to bend my knees in them at the initial fitting with no problem.

Thanks for the responses!

jf12 said:

Yes, but the supremes might fit or feel smaller than the premieres did. I don’t think the lasts are the same between those models, and the padding will be more. It sounds like you’re between sizes and I feel when you’re switching models, it’s always worth trying both sizes you’re in between, just to see. I personally never had boots that touched my toes at the front.

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The Premiere is also built on the Elite last. Jackson had a discussion on their website (can't find it now) concerning the fit on their competitive boots. They target a fit such that the toes initially "touch", but do not press against, the inner lining of the boot. I have the Jackson Elite Men's Suede (2014 leather model), which is lined with memory foam and microfiber. When the boot was new, my toes would brush lightly against the lining when I wiggled them, but they were not squeezed. I first found it disconcerting, because my previous Riedell Royals didn't do that, and I was concerned that the boot might be too short. However, once the boot broke-in, the foam compressed enough to allow an extra bit of clearance, and the fit was spot on. I don't know what the lining is like on the latest generation of Elites and Supremes.

tstop4me said:

The Premiere is also built on the Elite last. Jackson had a discussion on their website (can't find it now) concerning the fit on their competitive boots. They target a fit such that the toes initially "touch", but do not press against, the inner lining of the boot. I have the Jackson Elite Men's Suede (2014 leather model), which is lined with memory foam and microfiber. When the boot was new, my toes would brush lightly against the lining when I wiggled them, but they were not squeezed. I first found it disconcerting, because my previous Riedell Royals didn't do that, and I was concerned that the boot might be too short. However, once the boot broke-in, the foam compressed enough to allow an extra bit of clearance, and the fit was spot on. I don't know what the lining is like on the latest generation of Elites and Supremes.

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Thank you, this is what I was hoping to hear. When I went back to the skate tech yesterday, he and his partner were adamant that the 8.5s would be too long and that the width is as perfect as it can be. I guess I am so used to using boots that are a half size too long and the snugness just threw me off. I can wiggle my toes, but there is no extra space around them, if that makes sense.

Thank you for your thoughts!