Lateral ankle movement and high arch problems (Edea vs Risport)

[pheebsskate]

Beginner adult skater here (185 cm, 69 kg), skating for about 9 months. After a painful first pair, I eventually settled on Edea Overtures (size 265) and they felt perfect after remolding the toe box slightly for pinky toe room.

Now, 6 months later, my coach is worried about excessive lateral ankle movement in the Overtures. Even with tight lacing, I can fit two fingers down the outside of my foot, and he’s hesitant to start jumps until I get more stability.

Following his advice, I tried on Edea Chorus (260C/B, 260 is my actual correct size now) but they felt very tight in the toes, and the fitters leaned me toward Risport Royal Pro due to my narrow heel, skinny ankle, and high arch. I bought them but I'm having regrets - within 10 minutes I get pain and pins & needles on in the ball of my foot/toes from pressure from the boot on the top of my foot where I have a bone spur. Even the next day that part of my foot will still be aching. This is never an issue I had with Edeas and the fitters even commented that the tongue of the Risport boot doesn't sit quite right because of the bone spur when I tried them on (though they didn't think it was a huge issue).

I’m stuck now:

• Do I give the Risports more time to break in, or accept they’re wrong for my high arches / bone spur?
• If I go back to Edea, how can I improve lateral ankle support? I’ve used Bunga pads from the start but they haven’t helped much.
• I see some skaters with similar skinny ankles succeed in Edea Pianos because of the greater ankle padding, but I’m nowhere near that level yet.

Any advice or similar experiences would be hugely appreciated!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Beginner adult skater here (185 cm, 69 kg), skating for about 9 months. After a painful first pair, I eventually settled on Edea Overtures (size 265) and they felt perfect after remolding the toe box slightly for pinky toe room.

Now, 6 months later, my coach is worried about excessive lateral ankle movement in the Overtures. Even with tight lacing, I can fit two fingers down the outside of my foot, and he’s hesitant to start jumps until I get more stability.

Following his advice, I tried on Edea Chorus (260C/B, 260 is my actual correct size now) but they felt very tight in the toes, and the fitters leaned me toward Risport Royal Pro due to my narrow heel, skinny ankle, and high arch. I bought them but I'm having regrets - within 10 minutes I get pain and pins & needles on in the ball of my foot/toes from pressure from the boot on the top of my foot where I have a bone spur. Even the next day that part of my foot will still be aching. This is never an issue I had with Edeas and the fitters even commented that the tongue of the Risport boot doesn't sit quite right because of the bone spur when I tried them on (though they didn't think it was a huge issue).

I’m stuck now:

• Do I give the Risports more time to break in, or accept they’re wrong for my high arches / bone spur?
• If I go back to Edea, how can I improve lateral ankle support? I’ve used Bunga pads from the start but they haven’t helped much.
• I see some skaters with similar skinny ankles succeed in Edea Pianos because of the greater ankle padding, but I’m nowhere near that level yet.

Any advice or similar experiences would be hugely appreciated!

Is your bone spur being treated by a podiatrist or other bone specialist? I have very high arches and I wear Risport RF1 boots which are good for that shape of arch. Since bone spurs are usually caused by pressure on the area that builds extra bone to protect itself, was yours caused by your Edeas? Or a badly-fitting shoe? Or? Are you likely going to be rid of it after treatment (i.e. surgery) or are you just treating the pain and inflammation as a long-term problem?

I've never worn Edea boots, but have heard they tend to be looser fitting at the top than other brands. That's just hearsay for me, and I don't know if it applies to all their models. However, if your fitter finds the Piano model fits you and you can skate with less or no pain in them, I wouldn't be concerned that it would be overbooting. Adults need stiffer boots than children who may be at the same technical level. An adult with your stats is going to need a strong boot, and the Piano may be right for you.

I haven't tried enough different models being made currently, so I can only comment on the ones I've used. There may be other brands that would better than those two, but we'd need to know more about the shape of your foot, particularly your toe shape. Good luck!

 

[pheebsskate]

Is your bone spur being treated by a podiatrist or other bone specialist? I have very high arches and I wear Risport RF1 boots which are good for that shape of arch. Since bone spurs are usually caused by pressure on the area that builds extra bone to protect itself, was yours caused by your Edeas? Or a badly-fitting shoe? Or? Are you likely going to be rid of it after treatment (i.e. surgery) or are you just treating the pain and inflammation as a long-term problem?

I've never worn Edea boots, but have heard they tend to be looser fitting at the top than other brands. That's just hearsay for me, and I don't know if it applies to all their models. However, if your fitter finds the Piano model fits you and you can skate with less or no pain in them, I wouldn't be concerned that it would be overbooting. Adults need stiffer boots than children who may be at the same technical level. An adult with your stats is going to need a strong boot, and the Piano may be right for you.

I haven't tried enough different models being made currently, so I can only comment on the ones I've used. There may be other brands that would better than those two, but we'd need to know more about the shape of your foot, particularly your toe shape. Good luck!

I appreciate your response! Re: the bone spurs (I’ve got the same one on both feet but one is more pronounced), I’ve actually never gotten them looked at by a doctor/specialist because they haven’t caused me any pain or discomfort in the past. I’ve had them for as long as I can remember, even back into childhood, so definitely not due to my Edeas. Hence why I’m so concerned that the Risport boots are causing pain and numbness there because that’s quite abnormal for me and definitely not a common occurrence!

 

[tstop4me]

Following his advice, I tried on Edea Chorus (260C/B, 260 is my actual correct size now) but they felt very tight in the toes, and the fitters leaned me toward Risport Royal Pro due to my narrow heel, skinny ankle, and high arch. I bought them but I'm having regrets - within 10 minutes I get pain and pins & needles on in the ball of my foot/toes from pressure from the boot on the top of my foot where I have a bone spur. Even the next day that part of my foot will still be aching. This is never an issue I had with Edeas and the fitters even commented that the tongue of the Risport boot doesn't sit quite right because of the bone spur when I tried them on (though they didn't think it was a huge issue).

* Most fitters won't let you return the boots for a full or partial refund or credit at this point. A very few will, so it doesn't hurt to ask, especially since they had flagged a potential problem with the Risports in the first place.

* If you're stuck with the Risports, before you write them off as a total loss, try a quick and inexpensive possible fix. If it works, great; if not, you're out only about US$5. Try a pad between the inner lining of the tongue and your foot to cushion your bone spur and to redistribute the pressure about it. You'll need a pad that's thin, soft, and squishy so that you don't add more pressure to the bone spur and make things worse. The best choice would be Poron sheet, very soft firmness, 1/8" thick (uncompressed). Hard to get and fairly expensive these days. Instead, if you're in the US, get a pair of Dr. Scholl's Air-Pillo insoles. Cut two rectangular pieces. Length (to lie along the length of the tongue) about 3". Width (to lie along the width of the tongue) about 1/2" shorter than the width of the tongue (near your bone spur). Round off the corners of the rectangle so they won't dig into your foot. [ETA: If you're in another country, you'll probably find an equivalent insole. You just want a flat sheet (not contoured) insole, about 1/8" thick, soft and squishy (not firm).]

When you lace up, open the tongue wide. Insert your foot into the boot. Lay the pad over the region of your bone spur. Close the tongue, and lace up. The pad will be held in place. See if that works. Good luck.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

OP, Risport Royal Pro are designed similar to Edea. If someone needs an Edea style boot but has a high arch or other needs, that's the boot that is recommended.

You need to be seen by a professional podiatrist or other foot doctor for your bone spur.

 

[pheebsskate]

Wanted to provide a bit of an update as I went back to the skate shop today! They very kindly let me bring back the Royal Pros and swap them for something else - I tried on the Chorus again but also asked to try on the Ice Fly in 260C and it was a huge improvement from anything else I'd tried on. The padding hugged my foot so much better and it didn't put any pressure on the bone spur. They are a much higher stiffness than my existing Overtures but because of my height and weight they weren't too concerned (aside from warning I'll probably have a tough breaking-in period but I expected that)

So I've gone with the Ice Flys but separately I'll get advice on the bone spur from a professional - though I'm happy that I should now be able to skate pain-free in my new skates regardless

 

[tstop4me]

Wanted to provide a bit of an update as I went back to the skate shop today! They very kindly let me bring back the Royal Pros and swap them for something else -

Thanks for the update. Consider yourself one of the fortunate few. Not many fitters will do this.

 

[CoachSk8r]

Hello!

Most (if not all) boots, even the high end ones are made with minimal arch support. Between Edea and Risport, Risport has a little more arch support built into the boot, but it still accommodates those with flat feet. Every boot is essentially meant to accommodate flat feet because it’s impossible to take down an arch that’s overly built. And you’d be surprised to know how many high level skaters do have flat feet with accessory navicular bone growths mainly due to lack of support.

Something that may be worth looking into is a Jackson insole regardless of dealing with an Edea or Risport boot. This issue has been on Jackson’s constant radar as they’ve continually changed their insole offerings nearly every other year. I think every time, they’ve come up with something better than the prior iteration.

Most of the experienced fitters, such as myself, will offer alternative insole solutions that work well for whatever boot you go with. The biggest thing to pay attention to is to be sure the heel height of the insole is no thicker than the forefoot or you’ll be pitched more forward than the boot maker intended.

Hope this helps.

* Most fitters won't let you return the boots for a full or partial refund or credit at this point. A very few will, so it doesn't hurt to ask, especially since they had flagged a potential problem with the Risports in the first place.

* If you're stuck with the Risports, before you write them off as a total loss, try a quick and inexpensive possible fix. If it works, great; if not, you're out only about US$5. Try a pad between the inner lining of the tongue and your foot to cushion your bone spur and to redistribute the pressure about it. You'll need a pad that's thin, soft, and squishy so that you don't add more pressure to the bone spur and make things worse. The best choice would be Poron sheet, very soft firmness, 1/8" thick (uncompressed). Hard to get and fairly expensive these days. Instead, if you're in the US, get a pair of Dr. Scholl's Air-Pillo insoles. Cut two rectangular pieces. Length (to lie along the length of the tongue) about 3". Width (to lie along the width of the tongue) about 1/2" shorter than the width of the tongue (near your bone spur). Round off the corners of the rectangle so they won't dig into your foot. [ETA: If you're in another country, you'll probably find an equivalent insole. You just want a flat sheet (not contoured) insole, about 1/8" thick, soft and squishy (not firm).]

When you lace up, open the tongue wide. Insert your foot into the boot. Lay the pad over the region of your bone spur. Close the tongue, and lace up. The pad will be held in place. See if that works. Good luck.

Beginner adult skater here (185 cm, 69 kg), skating for about 9 months. After a painful first pair, I eventually settled on Edea Overtures (size 265) and they felt perfect after remolding the toe box slightly for pinky toe room.

Now, 6 months later, my coach is worried about excessive lateral ankle movement in the Overtures. Even with tight lacing, I can fit two fingers down the outside of my foot, and he’s hesitant to start jumps until I get more stability.

Following his advice, I tried on Edea Chorus (260C/B, 260 is my actual correct size now) but they felt very tight in the toes, and the fitters leaned me toward Risport Royal Pro due to my narrow heel, skinny ankle, and high arch. I bought them but I'm having regrets - within 10 minutes I get pain and pins & needles on in the ball of my foot/toes from pressure from the boot on the top of my foot where I have a bone spur. Even the next day that part of my foot will still be aching. This is never an issue I had with Edeas and the fitters even commented that the tongue of the Risport boot doesn't sit quite right because of the bone spur when I tried them on (though they didn't think it was a huge issue).

I’m stuck now:

• Do I give the Risports more time to break in, or accept they’re wrong for my high arches / bone spur?
• If I go back to Edea, how can I improve lateral ankle support? I’ve used Bunga pads from the start but they haven’t helped much.
• I see some skaters with similar skinny ankles succeed in Edea Pianos because of the greater ankle padding, but I’m nowhere near that level yet.

Any advice or similar experiences would be hugely appreciated!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Something that may be worth looking into is a Jackson insole regardless of dealing with an Edea or Risport boot. This issue has been on Jackson’s constant radar as they’ve continually changed their insole offerings nearly every other year. I think every time, they’ve come up with something better than the prior iteration.

Most of the experienced fitters, such as myself, will offer alternative insole solutions that work well for whatever boot you go with.

Welcome, always happy to see new voices on GS. Can I get it straight that you're recommending the OP use Jackson insoles in Edea or Risport boots? Or did I misinterpret your wording? Perhaps @Query could chime in on that. He enjoys experimenting with insoles and could expand on that suggestion.

 

[Query]

Welcome, always happy to see new voices on GS. Can I get it straight that you're recommending the OP use Jackson insoles in Edea or Risport boots? Or did I misinterpret your wording? Perhaps @Query could chime in on that. He enjoys experimenting with insoles and could expand on that suggestion.

I know you were having fun with me there.

I mostly now just experiment with insoles that I make for myself. Because the commercial ones I tried didn't work well for me personally. In any event, I have not tried the insoles that person is talking about, and can't speak to them in particular.

But an obvious question would be whether Jackson assumes a specific sole and periphery shape, one that matches Jackson boots, and designs their insoles to fit that shape. It's not enough to fit the foot - I think it should fit the boot too. Or specifically, that it should fit the gap between the foot and the boot. And do so in the foot configuration you desire, with the pressures against the foot that you desire.