New boot suggestions for adult skater with duck feet

[leia1979]

I'm an occasional adult skater who keeps considering going back more regularly. One problem is that my current skates just aren't very comfortable.

I was fitted with Riedell 320s (Bronze Star) when I was 14. I got a 6 narrow that served me well through my low-level competition years. About 15 years ago, I decided they were too broken to jump in anymore, so I got a new pair of 320s, this time in 6.5 narrow with MK Double Star blades. I've had lots of problems with foot cramping, and I think it's because while the heel fits great, the forefoot is just too narrow. I have tried stretching them, but it hasn't helped enough. I think time and possibly ten years of dance have made my forefoot wider.

Today I went to a local shop (really a hockey store that sells a few figure skates) and tried the Jackson Freestyle Fusion after seeing Jackson is a good choice for a triangular foot. I started with 7R, which sounded right compared to my Riedells, but they were a tad short and just uncomfortable. The 7.5R was more comfortable, but my toes were swimming in space (width more than length), and I worried they'd be dangerously big once broken in. They didn't hug my heel like my Riedells. The shop didn't have any higher-level Jacksons in stock.

My feet are Egyptian shape with medium arches. Heels are 5cm wide and ball of foot is 9cm wide. Length is 24.5cm. I'm 5'5" and 127lbs and rarely do much beyond waltz jumps and scratch spins. I think at most I might go back to single salchow and flip.

The only fitter I know of around only does Jackson and Riedell. I was wondering if I should consider another brand. Do I just need to get split width boots? I could theoretically go to Harlicks, but they are more than I'd like to pay.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm an occasional adult skater who keeps considering going back more regularly. One problem is that my current skates just aren't very comfortable.

I was fitted with Riedell 320s (Bronze Star) when I was 14. I got a 6 narrow that served me well through my low-level competition years. About 15 years ago, I decided they were too broken to jump in anymore, so I got a new pair of 320s, this time in 6.5 narrow with MK Double Star blades. I've had lots of problems with foot cramping, and I think it's because while the heel fits great, the forefoot is just too narrow. I have tried stretching them, but it hasn't helped enough. I think time and possibly ten years of dance have made my forefoot wider.

Today I went to a local shop (really a hockey store that sells a few figure skates) and tried the Jackson Freestyle Fusion after seeing Jackson is a good choice for a triangular foot. I started with 7R, which sounded right compared to my Riedells, but they were a tad short and just uncomfortable. The 7.5R was more comfortable, but my toes were swimming in space (width more than length), and I worried they'd be dangerously big once broken in. They didn't hug my heel like my Riedells. The shop didn't have any higher-level Jacksons in stock.

My feet are Egyptian shape with medium arches. Heels are 5cm wide and ball of foot is 9cm wide. Length is 24.5cm. I'm 5'5" and 127lbs and rarely do much beyond waltz jumps and scratch spins. I think at most I might go back to single salchow and flip.

The only fitter I know of around only does Jackson and Riedell. I was wondering if I should consider another brand. Do I just need to get split width boots? I could theoretically go to Harlicks, but they are more than I'd like to pay.

Hello and welcome!
First of all, where are you in the world and we can suggest good professional figure skate fitters.
It seems like with age and so on your toebox part of your foot has widened, so that is why your old boots feel so tight and uncomfortable.
You may need a split width, but before that. If you are properly fit with a Jackson (your foot needs measured properly for skate boots and traced), then you probably could get away with a Premiere Fusion. Hearing your foot shape, etc you may want to try Risport RF3, you might even be able to get away with one boot down which is the Electra.
Either of those teamed with an intermediate blade either Wilson Coronation Ace or MK Pro will be the way to go.

Good luck and if you have any more questions just ask!

 

[leia1979]

Hello and welcome!
First of all, where are you in the world and we can suggest good professional figure skate fitters.
It seems like with age and so on your toebox part of your foot has widened, so that is why your old boots feel so tight and uncomfortable.
You may need a split width, but before that. If you are properly fit with a Jackson (your foot needs measured properly for skate boots and traced), then you probably could get away with a Premiere Fusion. Hearing your foot shape, etc you may want to try Risport RF3, you might even be able to get away with one boot down which is the Electra.
Either of those teamed with an intermediate blade either Wilson Coronation Ace or MK Pro will be the way to go.

Good luck and if you have any more questions just ask!

Thank you very much! I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area. The one fitter I know of is in San Mateo and will gladly take any other suggestions.

Regarding the Risport Electra, I saw that only comes in one width and couldn't find anything that specified how wide "comfort" is. I was interested to check out the brand, but they don't show any resellers in the western US.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Thank you very much! I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area. The one fitter I know of is in San Mateo and will gladly take any other suggestions.

Regarding the Risport Electra, I saw that only comes in one width and couldn't find anything that specified how wide "comfort" is. I was interested to check out the brand, but they don't show any resellers in the western US.

Hence why I suggested the RF3 Pro to you in Risport. There are sellers in California, I know there's one in Westminster but that's 6 hr drive from you, but if you're interested it's USA Skates and the only one you want fitting you there is Bruce.

 

[WednesdayMarch]

My feet are wider at the front and I wear Risport in their standard width, with a little punching out at the big toe joint now that my feet are swollen with medication. When I bought them, however, they were perfect without any extra work.

I would say that you really need a proper fitting, not just a hockey shop with a few figure skate models. Ic3Rabbit will know of all the places to try.

 

[leia1979]

I thought I'd update in case someone is searching the forum with similar issues. I looked at Risport for a bit and contacted Skater's Edge in Canada, who were very helpful and informative. After sending some photos and measurements of my feet (along with ones on my ridiculously narrow Riedell insoles), I spoke to one of their fitters who thought I would be better off with Jacksons.

I made an appointment with Figure Skating Pro shop in San Mateo, CA, and tried on Freestyle Fusions again. 7R was the right size (I wear a 7.5 street shoe and 6.5 in Riedell), but I didn't love the Freestyle and ordered Jackson Debuts with a Coronation Ace blade instead. The Debuts actually don't hit the front of my toe like the Freestyles did. The shop was great at getting me all set with blade mounting and heat molding. I even learned my usual 3/8" sharpening is now considered old-school for freestyle.

It took a little time to get used to a half-inch shorter blade, but my feet don't cramp anymore!

 

[WednesdayMarch]

This is great news! Thank you for the update.

 

[leia1979]

Hey there, reviving my old thread as I've run into an issue. I've had my skates for two months, and I've been getting blisters in the same spots just to the inside of the side of my heel (mirrored location on both feet) as I've started jumping more. My coach said my heels are slipping, and I agree. The padding on the Debuts is quite thick, and I think as it's compressed a little, it's starting to feel loose from the arch area to the heel. I've been wearing gel pads for now, but I'd rather have something that fit right.

I decided to try the Risport RF3 Pro (figured out the most likely size and ordered from a shop that allows returns, since there's no fitter for the brand nearby). I bought 255B, and frankly, the fit feels identical to my Jackson 7R and the insoles look really similar in size. Risport's AA width is going to be too narrow in the toes.

I hadn't gotten rid of my old Riedells yet and compared the insoles. The heel on the Riedells (6.5A-2A), which fits perfectly and never has given me blisters, is so much narrower. The toes are a little narrower, too, which is why they make my feet cramp.

What are my best options now? I could:
1. Try to get my old Riedells stretched at the ball. They are in good shape, but 15+ years old and heavy.
2. See if there's any way to make the Jacksons narrower. Is that even possible? They're the synthetic Debut Fusion.
3. Just live with gel pads.
4. Get something in a semi-custom AA-B split width.
5. Something else I haven't thought of?

Fitters in my area that I know of are for Jackson, Riedell, Edea, Harlick, and Avanta Boot Labs.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

You probably needed a split width boot. But anyway, are you making sure when you put your boots on that you are locking your heel into your boot before you lace up? Bungas are your friends.

A risport is not going to size the same as jacksons.

 

[leia1979]

are you making sure when you put your boots on that you are locking your heel into your boot before you lace up?

Yes, absolutely! I just think my heels are a little too narrow. The fitter only measured the width of my foot at the ball, not the heel when I bought the Jacksons. They felt fine at the time, so I didn't think much of it.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Yes, absolutely! I just think my heels are a little too narrow. The fitter only measured the width of my foot at the ball, not the heel when I bought the Jacksons. They felt fine at the time, so I didn't think much of it.

This is one of the reasons why the foot is traced.

 

[leia1979]

This is one of the reasons why the foot is traced.

Yeah, that didn't happen, either. Do you know of any other Jackson fitters in Northern California? If I decide to get semi-customs at some point, I think I'd rather go elsewhere.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Yeah, that didn't happen, either. Do you know of any other Jackson fitters in Northern California? If I decide to get semi-customs at some point, I think I'd rather go elsewhere.

I can suggest SoCal area but not so much the NorCal. If you'd be able to fly to Socal then I can give you contact info for one of the best fitters in California.

 

[leia1979]

I saw George Spiteri today, and he had some split width A-AA SP-Teris on hand, one pair of which fit great. He said my Jacksons were too wide for my feet (maybe even too long). I’m glad to know I wasn’t just imagining they felt so roomy! The other option would be split width Riedells, but they’d take months. This way I can pick up my new skates on Friday.

My fitting experience was a lot more thorough this time. Tracings were done and lots of measurements taken.