Adult Beginner Skate Buying Advice

[tinglingstars]

Hello everyone,

I'm an adult beginner finally living in a city with an ice rink and getting the chance to take actual lessons and am now looking into buying proper skates.

I'm 28, about 1,70m and 60kg (5'6 132lbs) and skill wise all I've got going thus far are swizzles in both directions, forward crossovers and whatever general balance and little tricks translate from years of more or less regular inline skating and those 3 months of being in the ice skating society on my exchange semester 5 years ago.

I currently have a pair of Graf Davos Gold recreational skates that are about 10 years old (although they've been rarely used in all this time) and while they're a great step up from rentals, they're a little too big and I'm in a constant fight with my right skate dragging me inwards or slipping when it really shouldn't (which could be equally the shoes fault or my own)

My problem is that I don't know of any shops close by that could properly fit me in person.
So to start off, does anyone know a good fitter in Northern Germany or even Southern Denmark?

I know of a shop in Berlin (~3 hours one way) but have read mixed reviews on their quality?
Unfortunately the one shop in Hamburg, which is around the corner, is closing and no longer selling skates. They do however still offer sizings with their fancy digital scan system to give you advice on which boots would fit. But if I can't try on or buy any there I'm wondering if it's even worth the 30€ they're charging when I'll have to go to a different shop to buy anyway.

My skating coach's favorite shop is in Düsseldorf which would be an almost 5h journey one way.
I'll be there some time this year (won a weekend trip) but don't know when that'll happen and it might as well not be until the end of the season which would kinda suck.

So should I bite the bullet and wait this course out on the old skates after all and take the trip to a proper fitter some time in the spring?

Alternatively I could do the measuring in Hamburg, order online from elsewhere according to their suggestions and then go back there for boot adjustments and blade mounting which they do still offer. But I'm very unsure if that's the way to go and I would be paying extra since they obviously charge all these things separately for skates I bought elsewhere.

Ideally there'd be another fitter who's still selling somewhere slightly closer

And what models could even work and could I ask about being in stock for trying on in a potential shop before making the trip out? (And what blades would I be looking at?)
My feet I'd say are Egyptian? (though the first two toes are the exact same length) and I have a medium to high arch.

I'm looking for something appropriate for my height and weight that'll hit the sweet spot of allowing skill progression but not being too over the top since realistically, I might never advance that far with my ever changing access to consistent lessons.

I'm grateful for any replies and advice!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hello everyone,

I'm an adult beginner finally living in a city with an ice rink and getting the chance to take actual lessons and am now looking into buying proper skates.

I'm 28, about 1,70m and 60kg (5'6 132lbs) and skill wise all I've got going thus far are swizzles in both directions, forward crossovers and whatever general balance and little tricks translate from years of more or less regular inline skating and those 3 months of being in the ice skating society on my exchange semester 5 years ago.

I currently have a pair of Graf Davos Gold recreational skates that are about 10 years old (although they've been rarely used in all this time) and while they're a great step up from rentals, they're a little too big and I'm in a constant fight with my right skate dragging me inwards or slipping when it really shouldn't (which could be equally the shoes fault or my own)

My problem is that I don't know of any shops close by that could properly fit me in person.
So to start off, does anyone know a good fitter in Northern Germany or even Southern Denmark?

I know of a shop in Berlin (~3 hours one way) but have read mixed reviews on their quality?
Unfortunately the one shop in Hamburg, which is around the corner, is closing and no longer selling skates. They do however still offer sizings with their fancy digital scan system to give you advice on which boots would fit. But if I can't try on or buy any there I'm wondering if it's even worth the 30€ they're charging when I'll have to go to a different shop to buy anyway.

My skating coach's favorite shop is in Düsseldorf which would be an almost 5h journey one way.
I'll be there some time this year (won a weekend trip) but don't know when that'll happen and it might as well not be until the end of the season which would kinda suck.

So should I bite the bullet and wait this course out on the old skates after all and take the trip to a proper fitter some time in the spring?

Alternatively I could do the measuring in Hamburg, order online from elsewhere according to their suggestions and then go back there for boot adjustments and blade mounting which they do still offer. But I'm very unsure if that's the way to go and I would be paying extra since they obviously charge all these things separately for skates I bought elsewhere.

Ideally there'd be another fitter who's still selling somewhere slightly closer

And what models could even work and could I ask about being in stock for trying on in a potential shop before making the trip out? (And what blades would I be looking at?)
My feet I'd say are Egyptian? (though the first two toes are the exact same length) and I have a medium to high arch.

I'm looking for something appropriate for my height and weight that'll hit the sweet spot of allowing skill progression but not being too over the top since realistically, I might never advance that far with my ever changing access to consistent lessons.

I'm grateful for any replies and advice!

Hi and welcome! Graf, Risport. I wanted to also add Edea until you said you have high arches.
With Graf: F4000. Risport: RF3 Pro or Royal Pro (know that royal pro has the ankle like edea that is looser).

As far as shops all I could find in "Northern Germany" would be

Toms Sportshop​

Arnstädter Str. 53, 99096 Erfurt, DE
Tel. +49 3613 46 06 63
but IDK if he does figure skates (presume he does b/c carries Graf). You would have to call to see if he or someone at the shop does pro figure skate fittings and sharpenings.

Your best bet from what I can tell might be:
Karin Ronne Skating
Stokerijstraat 106
2110 Wijnegem
Belgium
Phone +32 33243242
[email protected]

She carries Risport.


Otherwise as far as Germany, @emilinkaa may be able to assist you with a good pro fitter.


Good luck!

 

[tinglingstars]

Thank you for your reply!

I went to the local shop today that doesn't sell skates anymore but still offers measuring and advice and much like you, he primarily suggested Risport RF3 Pro boots and MK pro or Coronation Ace blades.

Looking at my feet and the scan of them, he said Edea might also be an option- apparently my arches aren't that high after all, but he said the Risport is my better bet.

I decided to order them online - with the option of a free return, and then blade mounting, heat molding and sharpening can be done at the local store here. I'll have to pay extra for that but it'll still be cheaper than what I'd pay for traveling (not including the time that'd cost me).

It's not ideal but I feel like it's a good middle ground and there will at least be a professional looking at my feet in the boots before I decide on definitely keeping them and it's the only way I'd still get skates before the end of the season.

And if it doesn't work out with the boots, I'll return them and wait to get to a shop in person after all.

 

[tinglingstars]

Okay, so the boots came in in the size I ordered and I'm not sure if they're the right size after all?
I've never worn professional skates so don't know how tight exactly they sit upon first putting them on.

They fit the length of my foot and the heel very well but they hurt terribly over the top part of my forefoot right at the side/top of the joint of my big toe, even just sitting down.

Is that something that heat molding/ punching out could solve or does that mean the boot is the wrong fit overall?

I got a C width, which is 237mm circumference according to Risport. My feet measure 234mm so in theory it should be fine.

How much initial pain is normal?

 

[emilinkaa]

Hi! Sorry for the delayed reply, I missed the tag. Unfortunately, the only friend I have who skates in Hamburg comes down to Munich for visits to get her skates. Frankfurt, Berlin, and Dresden would be my best recommendations for you.

I have a high foot volume, and wear a RF3 Pro. They were very tight at first in those same areas, and still feel quit snug at times. But I don’t remember sharp pain. If you trust the fitter, it’d be a good question for them. In my opinion, skates should feel snug but not painful, although as @Ic3Rabbit will tell you, they can do amazing things with punching boots.