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Today, 12:06 AM jjane45 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 36 Ankle pain and buying used skates I have been experiencing some noticeable ankle pain in my landing foot for a few week. Mostly due to flip jump attempts I think. Checked the skates with Rainbo today and it seems like I grew out of the current pair! (Second-hand Jackson Classique that I've been using since LTS delta, treated me really well) Good news though: my newly acquired gel ankle sleeve seem to relieve the ankle pain quite a bit, allowing me some buffer time to shop for skates. I do not have budget to buy new ... Rainbo recommended Jackson Elite (or Elite Plus) 6B but also said this size is hard to find in good condition - tends to break down too much already when skaters grow out of it. On the other hand, around the regionals there is a high inventory turnover and I should call in frequently to check. Sounds like quite a bit of good luck is needed, sigh. Where else could I look for used skates in addition to asking skaters / coaches I know? My rink does not seem to have a skates swap. Just set up an eBay search alert but chances are slim I think (not everyone is as lucky as icestalker!) Any other sources I should try? I vaguely remember there is a website for swapping used skating goods (with the option to support clubs) but can't seem to find it now. This link mostly recommends Riedell, Gam, and Risport for ISI FS4&5. Guess I could look into them as well if I run across a good pair. Your opinions on skates-shopping and handling ankle pains are truly appreciated! jjane45---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Today, 09:40 AM Isk8NYC Board Moderator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Below the Mason-Dixon Line Posts: 9,816 Make sure to get the blade alignment checked. When skates get older, sometimes the blade shifts or sinks, which can also cause ankle pain. An adjustment can stave off the need to buy new or new-to-you skates. I will say that I know of two skaters who are wearing skates from a skate swap and I don't like them. One pair is definitely broken down and the blades are sunken - the skater is struggling to fight the skates for every edge and flat. The other skater's boots are angled in at the ankle and look too big for her, but that's not the skates' fault. I've always found that replacing the laces with new ones is a good start at combatting any kind of boot pain issue in older skates. Laces tend to stretch out and become inflexible, which requires the skater to tie them tighter and tighter. New laces can relieve that fastidious tying and help alleviate the pain from it. Honestly, I prefer buying from a pro shop and letting them do the work required to get a good, well-fitting skate. My time is too valuable to waste online. I once spent hours researching a purchase, measuring feet, comparing products, only to find the skates were discolored when they arrived, so more time was wasted handling the return. Buying from a pro shop eliminates that nonsense. The cost of research+item+shipping online is the same as measuring+ordering+fitting+sharpening+adjustments - much more bang for the buck, imo. (People in Australia have said this isn't the case where they are, though.) If you know exactly what model and size skate, eBay's a good option. You can set up a search to notify you immediately when an auction matching your criteria is posted. Most new skates go on clearance around April or May, so always check your skates in February/March to see if you need to replace the boots or blades. If you join online stores' mailing lists, they will notify you of sales and sometimes send coupons or discount codes, so it's worth the junk email. If you run an internet search for the skate model and add the word "Clearance," you can come across some good buys. An older model within 2 years is fine as long as they've been stored properly and the boots haven't yellowed with age. Always check return policies as well. There are some clubs and rinks that host online skate swaps. If you run a search on "skate swap", "skate consignment" or "skate exchange" a few sites will turn up. You often have to to contact the club coordinator via email. To find out if your club or rink is hosting a future skate swap sale, ASK. Send the skating director at the rink and the club secretary an email or give them a call. I know that several people asked at our rink one year and were told that a swap was planned for another rink about 30 minutes away, so there may be another nearby option. You have to ask in advance, though, and be patient. Many pro shops keep a list of consignment skates that are available, so even if your rink/club doesn't have a skate swap, ask at your pro shop. Other pro shops accept email or telephone inquiries, or have online "For Sale" pages. www.sharperedgeskates.com and http://www.capitolskatingschool.com/skates.html are two examples. (Both are empty right now, but they're accepting skates to be sold on consignment.) The Skate Exchange is okay, but it doesn't get a lot of traffic: http://www.sk8stuff2.com/m_sk8exch.asp Most ads don't include photos and everything's done via email messages, so that's a bit of a turnoff. The site itself, www.sk8stuff.com, is awesome and the creator, Don Korte, deserves a medal for keeping it up to date. The newer site to buy/sell skates is MySkatingMall. That's the one that allows you to contribute part of the sale to the skating program of your choice. It's still new and relatively unknown to the general population, but the Ryan Jahnke, the founder, has been publicizing it well. The postings of used skates for sale start to increase around this time of the year in the US, so be patient and vigilant - sometimes you can find real bargains. It's really important to understand how to judge the condition of used skates over the internet. Ask for photos of the soles, blade edges, boot sides and toe areas. Stay away from boots with deep creases (broken down indicator) and boot rot on the sole. If the toe area's really banged up and cut, the skater fell a lot while wearing them. Dark colored areas means waterproofing wasn't done regularly. Uneven/very low edges or rust indicates that the blades weren't sharpened well or maintained. Ask about the age of the skates - leather does dry out after a few years, especially when the skates have been stored poorly. I once bought a pair of Riedell Gold Stars (<$20) from eBay, only to find out that they were almost 20 years old, with no support and dried-out leather. I had pretty front porch decorations for a year or two, lol. __________________ Isk8NYC