Boot suggestions for ice dance?

[astroangel626]

I was recently recommended to switch from Jackson to Risport from my coach. However, the only skate fitter nearby is trying to put me in Edea’s which I do NOT like the feel of. I am more of a traditional boot person and do not like how it feels like my ankles are loose in the Edea. My feet measurements are 25.3 cm on the right and 25.1 cm on the left with a width of 22cm on both. Looking at the size chart for Risport it is saying I am an A or B width when I was always told I had a wide toebox. I think this is because my pinky toe hits EVERYTHING even though they aren't necessarily wide. My heels are definitely on the narrow side compared to the rest of my foot. I need a boot and blade combination better for ice dance, as I was recently “grounded” from jumping by my doctor. The only problem is I am constantly scratching that bottom toepick on my current coronation ace blade. My coach seems to think this is a blade problem as she says my form is perfect on my edges and progressives and there is no reason it should still be scratching.

I am currently in a Jackson Debut firm in a size 8.0 wide. My blades are coronation ace 10 1/4 inch. I need a boot and blade combination for ice dance that I can progress with. I am satisfied with the boots, but not happy and thrilled in them like I was with my old customs. I am hoping to find a new boot that makes me happy and blades that are a better fit for me. I am 5 feet 5 inches and weigh 140 pounds if that helps. I am 29 years old. I am currently working on testing silver dance.

Let me know if any other information will help! I am open to any and all suggestions!

 

[jcskates]

Omg we have the same foot size!!! I made the transition to risport from an ill fitting Jackson and was the best decision I have ever made.

Anyone correct me if Im wrong, but risport has lower cut boots compared to jacksons. I’m doing beginner freestyle right now and a little of dance as well (dutch waltz). I have the RF3 pros with cor ace lites. They’re supportive, gives me good knee bend and toe points.

@Ic3Rabbit will be able to give you more insight as she does both dance and freestyle and has experience with different brands. She has helped a lot of people when it comes to equipment advice.

 

[1111bm]

I'm in old Jacksons and have a narrow heel, and I tried on several different models of Risport boots in different widths and none of them felt right around my heel, no heel grip there. Then I tried on a newer Jackson model and they fit my foot perfectly (I didn't like them for other reasons, but the shape of them was great for my foot shape). It also felt like it had to do with the depth of the boot in the heel area, and not only the width, if that makes sense?

So I'm not sure Risport would necessarily be a good fit for you, when you say your heel is narrow as well? Obviously you should still check them out and find out for yourself.

What exactly is it that you don't like about your current Jackson's though?
BTW, I think the higher level Jackson boots are a bit lower cut than their Fusion Series boots, not sure though.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

BTW, I think the higher level Jackson boots are a bit lower cut than their Fusion Series boots, not sure though.

Do you mean regular-cut or low-cut Jacksons? Just asking since I'm thinking about low-cuts in the future to use for both ice dance and freestyle. (I may go custom though due to weird feet, so that might be a moot point.)

OP I'm working on silver dance as well, but multitasking with freestyle boot/blade so can't say much on the matter except that I hate Edeas too Risport didn't work for me but everyone's feet are different. If you're never planning to jump again, I guess most standard dance or synchro blades should help since they all have smaller drag picks?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I was recently recommended to switch from Jackson to Risport from my coach. However, the only skate fitter nearby is trying to put me in Edea’s which I do NOT like the feel of. I am more of a traditional boot person and do not like how it feels like my ankles are loose in the Edea. My feet measurements are 25.3 cm on the right and 25.1 cm on the left with a width of 22cm on both. Looking at the size chart for Risport it is saying I am an A or B width when I was always told I had a wide toebox. I think this is because my pinky toe hits EVERYTHING even though they aren't necessarily wide. My heels are definitely on the narrow side compared to the rest of my foot. I need a boot and blade combination better for ice dance, as I was recently “grounded” from jumping by my doctor. The only problem is I am constantly scratching that bottom toepick on my current coronation ace blade. My coach seems to think this is a blade problem as she says my form is perfect on my edges and progressives and there is no reason it should still be scratching.

I am currently in a Jackson Debut firm in a size 8.0 wide. My blades are coronation ace 10 1/4 inch. I need a boot and blade combination for ice dance that I can progress with. I am satisfied with the boots, but not happy and thrilled in them like I was with my old customs. I am hoping to find a new boot that makes me happy and blades that are a better fit for me. I am 5 feet 5 inches and weigh 140 pounds if that helps. I am 29 years old. I am currently working on testing silver dance.

Let me know if any other information will help! I am open to any and all suggestions!

Omg we have the same foot size!!! I made the transition to risport from an ill fitting Jackson and was the best decision I have ever made.

Anyone correct me if Im wrong, but risport has lower cut boots compared to jacksons. I’m doing beginner freestyle right now and a little of dance as well (dutch waltz). I have the RF3 pros with cor ace lites. They’re supportive, gives me good knee bend and toe points.

@Ic3Rabbit will be able to give you more insight as she does both dance and freestyle and has experience with different brands. She has helped a lot of people when it comes to equipment advice.

Thank you @jcskates for the mention, since there's alot of misinformation in this thread.

OP, you should try the Risport Turchese, it seems perfect for what you are doing right now and is their lower level dance boot. The Dance Prime boot, which I wear is going to be too much, too stiff for you right now. Risport boots do come in split width and your fitter can arrange that for you, as I've said on this forum many times before I have a wider toebox and more narrow heel.
Pair that with a JW Coronation Dance blade or even Eclipse Dance or Apex Dance blades. I would not put you in a MK dance blade yet.

Good luck. If you have any specific questions, my inbox is open!

 

[MCsAngel2]

Are MK Dance blades considered higher level than the others? I've never heard of dance blades being rated differently.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Are MK Dance blades considered higher level than the others? I've never heard of dance blades being rated differently.

MK Dance Blades are the best of the best, the ultimate. There are some top dance teams that wear a few of the others I've mentioned, but MK Dance is the more widely used by elite dancers.

 

[MCsAngel2]

MK Dance Blades are the best of the best, the ultimate. There are some top dance teams that wear a few of the others I've mentioned, but MK Dance is the more widely used by elite dancers.

I did know that MK Dance is the blade most ice dancers use...I meant more, is there something about the design that's considered more advanced than the other dance blades? Are they just more expensive than other dance blades? I'm wondering why you would not recommend them for the OP yet, I'd never heard of dance blades being ranked as beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I did know that MK Dance is the blade most ice dancers use...I meant more, is there something about the design that's considered more advanced than the other dance blades? Are they just more expensive than other dance blades? I'm wondering why you would not recommend them for the OP yet, I'd never heard of dance blades being ranked as beginner, intermediate, or advanced.

I know what you were asking but didn't feel the need to go into detail at the time. Yes, there actually are differences with dance blades depending on manufacturer and mk dance are the super expensive top of the line in a way.

There's no reason for OP to buy MK Dance right off the bat, especially if just starting in dance and not used to the difference between singles blades and dance blades, it's going to be way too extreme with MK Dance because they are higher off the ice and super thin.

Eclipse Dance which is one I suggested to start with are the most comparable to MK Dance, but with a much cheaper price tag.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

I'm totally with Ic3Rabbit in her recommendation for either Coronation Dance or Eclipse Dance blades for the OP right now. Get used to the much shorter length before changing up to MK Dance, which are much, much thinner and much, much slicker. They are glorious blades but not something to change to as a first dance blade. Seriously. Also, remember that when changing to dance blades, the plate needs to run from the tip of the toe to the back of the heel, rather than ending 1/4" or so in from the back. That's fine for freestyle blades but on a shortened heel it makes a hell of a difference and that difference is dangerous.

I would actually recommend the Risport Royal Pro, as they are a good crossover boot to start with. The change to a low cut boot, especially when paired with a dance blade, can be very off-putting for some skaters as it can feel just too unstable to do all at once. Personally, I'd go Royal Pro and Eclipse Dance blade.

 

[astroangel626]

Thank you so much for all of your recommendations everyone! Will talk to my fitter about all options!

 

[scc]

I'm totally with Ic3Rabbit in her recommendation for either Coronation Dance or Eclipse Dance blades for the OP right now. Get used to the much shorter length before changing up to MK Dance, which are much, much thinner and much, much slicker. They are glorious blades but not something to change to as a first dance blade. Seriously. Also, remember that when changing to dance blades, the plate needs to run from the tip of the toe to the back of the heel, rather than ending 1/4" or so in from the back. That's fine for freestyle blades but on a shortened heel it makes a hell of a difference and that difference is dangerous.

I would actually recommend the Risport Royal Pro, as they are a good crossover boot to start with. The change to a low cut boot, especially when paired with a dance blade, can be very off-putting for some skaters as it can feel just too unstable to do all at once. Personally, I'd go Royal Pro and Eclipse Dance blade.

Speaking of Royal Pro, I have a question. Not sure if I should start another thread.

I've tried Jackson, Riedell, Edea and Risport with multiple sizes from each brand. My foot length is 23cm with wide ball of foot but thin otherwise from toe to heel. So far I find the comfortable among everything I've skated in is Risport RF3 Pro 245C, but it's still about a little bit too long and too roomy for me. The width of the ball of the foot is right, but the height is too much. Insoles that come with skates always hurt my arches, so I've used thick felt insoles with layers of loose wool added underneath to fill the extra space b/w my foot and the skate. (These adapted felt insoles also correct my pronation.) I tried a pair of RF4 240C. Instantly it felt way too tight both length- and width-wise. Someone I know has a pair of Royal Pro 245B, which has an insole measuring 9.5", while my 245C RF3 Pro measures barely 9.25".

Above is a very long way to ask my question, which is: Does Risport have inconsistent sizing across their models? Or, perhaps it's a matter of inconsistent sizing from one year to another?

 

[WednesdayMarch]

Speaking of Royal Pro, I have a question. Not sure if I should start another thread.

I've tried Jackson, Riedell, Edea and Risport with multiple sizes from each brand. My foot length is 23cm with wide ball of foot but thin otherwise from toe to heel. So far I find the comfortable among everything I've skated in is Risport RF3 Pro 245C, but it's still about a little bit too long and too roomy for me. The width of the ball of the foot is right, but the height is too much. Insoles that come with skates always hurt my arches, so I've used thick felt insoles with layers of loose wool added underneath to fill the extra space b/w my foot and the skate. (These adapted felt insoles also correct my pronation.) I tried a pair of RF4 240C. Instantly it felt way too tight both length- and width-wise. Someone I know has a pair of Royal Pro 245B, which has an insole measuring 9.5", while my 245C RF3 Pro measures barely 9.25".

Above is a very long way to ask my question, which is: Does Risport have inconsistent sizing across their models? Or, perhaps it's a matter of inconsistent sizing from one year to another?

No item of clothing or footwear is made entirely by machine, even if it is cut out by a computerised process. There's always a human operating the machine - especially sewing ones - and thus every garment/shoe/boot will differ slightly. It's amazing just how much a millimetre here and there will add up to when it comes to fit! (Back when I wore SP-Teris in the 1990s, I knew which person at the factory made the boots that suited my feet best!)

The RF4, RF3 Pro and the Royal Pro are all different boots, too, so I'm not sure you can really compare them for length. @Ic3Rabbit will probably have more idea. I do know, however, that Graf boots seem to vary massively from boot to boot, even of the same size! At least the Edmonton Specials did. You don't want to know how many pairs I went through to try to get the right fit...

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

No item of clothing or footwear is made entirely by machine, even if it is cut out by a computerised process. There's always a human operating the machine - especially sewing ones - and thus every garment/shoe/boot will differ slightly. It's amazing just how much a millimetre here and there will add up to when it comes to fit! (Back when I wore SP-Teris in the 1990s, I knew which person at the factory made the boots that suited my feet best!)

The RF4, RF3 Pro and the Royal Pro are all different boots, too, so I'm not sure you can really compare them for length. @Ic3Rabbit will probably have more idea. I do know, however, that Graf boots seem to vary massively from boot to boot, even of the same size! At least the Edmonton Specials did. You don't want to know how many pairs I went through to try to get the right fit...

@scc All boots have the chance to be inconsistent just a little bit b/c like @WednesdayMarch said above, it's just how they are made. The best chance of getting perfect consistent for your foot is full on customs, but even there depending on brands and factors, those have even come out a tad off in the past for me. If you knew the number of boots I've been through in my career you would cry lol!

That is all I have to advise or say on this matter.

Good luck!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

@scc All boots have the chance to be inconsistent just a little bit b/c like @WednesdayMarch said above, it's just how they are made. The best chance of getting perfect consistent for your foot is full on customs, but even there depending on brands and factors, those have even come out a tad off in the past for me. If you knew the number of boots I've been through in my career you would cry lol!

That is all I have to advise or say on this matter.

Good luck!

If you knew the number of boots I've been through in the last 2 years... It's a minefield. Nothing beats trying them all on at a fitting with an experienced fitter.

And I've recently moved from the Royal Pros to Jackson Elite Pros...