Recommendations for boots with lower heels?

[rinkratpat76]

I also recently got the Risport RF3 pro! Like you, I prefer a lower heel (in fact in the shop the fitter commented she much preferred my knee bending and movement in the risport vs the Jackson that I also tried), like you, I have a smaller right foot and narrower heels, though I have the boots in a B width. I’ve been dealing with upward movement in the right boot too! This seems like such a simple solution!! Thanks for sharing this, I must order some and give it a go too. Do you think you will leave it in there permanently with tape?

Other than the heel slip the boots are very nice, I had no trouble adjusting to them. Last time I bought brand new boots I hated every second of it and sold them off quickly haha. These ones suit me well, if I can just lock my heel down

Hi khi, sorry you had the same experience with these otherwise very comfortable boots! If my shorter foot wasn’t my landing foot, it wouldn’t be quite as big an issue.

I took off the trial tape and partially removed the sticky backing of the heel grip, attaching the top half only back in the same position. (This was in case I need to adjust it once again. Don’t want to keep ripping at the vertical heel grips or interior of the boot.) The grip holds firmly now when putting on my boot, and yes, the right heel grip will need to be a permanent fix.

My 3rd skate session in new boots was about the same; improved, but not there, yet. Spins and edge work are coming along ok, but there’s still more upward heel movement than I’m comfortable with. So, a little nervous about even trying a jump. I plan to add a 2nd grip and try a jump tomorrow.

Glad the suggestion was helpful to you! Hope it does the job.

 

[Query]

It is amazing how very simple solutions - and they don't actually require expensive commercial products - can solve a lot of boot problems. It really mostly is simple geometry and intuitive physics. I don't understand why many people aren't willing to experiment with simple solutions themselves. Is this basically just a small piece of leather or something similar, plus some glue, and you could have made something similar yourself?

Does the "Space Lion" effectively raises your heel a little bit higher? Or do you only place it behind the heel, rather than under it?

Anyway, it's great you found a solution that works for you. Hope it continues to.

 

[Mimi2789]

I've been wearing Risport RF1 Elites for a while, and decided to give the Graf Edmonton Special a try for my next boots, just because I'd never worn Graf before and knew they'd fit my foot shape. With Ic3Rabbit's encouragement, I tried on a pair yesterday at my fitters in Vancouver and ordered them on the spot. They had the R and W widths in stock, but I needed size 3 1/2 SS (extra narrow) so those had to be ordered. They felt virtually identical to my Risports, with the same heel height, so you'd probably like them when you get around to boot-shopping again. I particularly like their simplicity and clean lines. I'm not a fan of boots all tricked out with swirly bits and sparkles and extra hooks stuck in odd places. The Grafs are nice and plain.

Hi! What fitter in Vancouver? Feel free to PM me if you prefer

 

[Diana Delafield]

Hi! What fitter in Vancouver? Feel free to PM me if you prefer

Cyclone Taylor Figure Skating at 49th and Oak St. Anyone there is good (or maybe I'm just an easy customer and don't have the fitting problems many others seem to have).

If you say "Diana Delafield" recommended them, they won't know who you mean. That's just my user name here, in honour of the older SIL who did all the driving and played Skating Mother when I was a kid

 

[rinkratpat76]

It is amazing how very simple solutions - and they don't actually require expensive commercial products - can solve a lot of boot problems. It really mostly is simple geometry and intuitive physics. I don't understand why many people aren't willing to experiment with simple solutions themselves. Is this basically just a small piece of leather or something similar, plus some glue, and you could have made something similar yourself?

Does the "Space Lion" effectively raises your heel a little bit higher? Or do you only place it behind the heel, rather than under it?

Anyway, it's great you found a solution that works for you. Hope it continues to.

Thanks for the encouragement, Query. I added the Space Lion grips behind the heel; definitely didn’t want to raise the heel pitch. Unfortunately the solution was only temporary, though; it appears the boots as well as the width were too big, as each day the issue became worse as my feet settled into the skate. So…some do-it-yourself stuff is definitely worth a try (and I really wanted this to work). But sometimes (esp in the case of loose heels causing insurmountable stability issues), there’s not much you can do to fix the problem except to try another skate or brand.

 

[tstop4me]

Thanks for the encouragement, Query. I added the Space Lion grips behind the heel; definitely didn’t want to raise the heel pitch. Unfortunately the solution was only temporary, though; it appears the boots as well as the width were too big, as each day the issue became worse as my feet settled into the skate. So…some do-it-yourself stuff is definitely worth a try (and I really wanted this to work). But sometimes (esp in the case of loose heels causing insurmountable stability issues), there’s not much you can do to fix the problem except to try another skate or brand.

You've reached the right conclusion. There's not much you can do about a heel pocket that's too loose. Even with heat-moldable boots, the heel pocket is the portion of the boot that is least amenable to heat molding. Some techs will heat the heel pocket and pinch it in. But the heel pocket won't conform to the heel of your foot properly, and the heel pocket will loosen again with wear. And the trouble with gluing pads to the sides of the heel pocket is that when you insert your foot, the heel of your foot will push down on the top edges of the pad, and the pad will work loose after several times.

When you try out your next pair of new boots, check for heel slippage at the shop. Lace up, and stand up. The heel of your foot should be fully seated within the heel pocket of the boot, and there should be no painful pinching (otherwise the heel pocket is too small). Have the tech grab the toe and heel of the boot and hold the boot firmly against the floor. Then try to move the heel of your foot from side to side and up and down (with reasonable force, but be sure not to kick the tech in the face ). Any movement should be due to compression of the padding and lining (maybe a mm at most). But you should not feel any sliding of the heel of your foot within the heel pocket of your boot. If you do, you now know you probably can't fix it. Depending on the width of your ball relative to the width of your heel, you might be able to punch out the ball and toe region if needed, or you might need a split-width boot. But start with a proper fit of the heel pocket first. Good Luck!

 

[rinkratpat76]

You've reached the right conclusion. There's not much you can do about a heel pocket that's too loose. Even with heat-moldable boots, the heel pocket is the portion of the boot that is least amenable to heat molding. Some techs will heat the heel pocket and pinch it in. But the heel pocket won't conform to the heel of your foot properly, and the heel pocket will loosen again with wear. And the trouble with gluing pads to the sides of the heel pocket is that when you insert your foot, the heel of your foot will push down on the top edges of the pad, and the pad will work loose after several times.

When you try out your next pair of new boots, check for heel slippage at the shop. Lace up, and stand up. The heel of your foot should be fully seated within the heel pocket of the boot, and there should be no painful pinching (otherwise the heel pocket is too small). Have the tech grab the toe and heel of the boot and hold the boot firmly against the floor. Then try to move the heel of your foot from side to side and up and down (with reasonable force, but be sure not to kick the tech in the face ). Any movement should be due to compression of the padding and lining (maybe a mm at most). But you should not feel any sliding of the heel of your foot within the heel pocket of your boot. If you do, you now know you probably can't fix it. Depending on the width of your ball relative to the width of your heel, you might be able to punch out the ball and toe region if needed, or you might need a split-width boot. But start with a proper fit of the heel pocket first. Good Luck!

Thank you, tstop4me—all excellent advice!