Hey all, I'm a 46 year old returning skater, after about a 30 year lay off. Rediscovered how much I loved skating. Went to a rink last month for the first time in 30 years! My mind remembers what to do, but my body sure doesn't. I am a complete newbie, struggling to find my balance.
The rental situation was interesting. Essentially, my shins are way, way too wide for standard sizes. I wound up with a size larger than my normal, just to be able to buckle the plastic straps. It felt like my legs were in a vise, and afterwards left me with some weird and concerning bruises farther up my leg. Meanwhile, my foot was swimming in the boot.
So, off to the pro shop I went! The first one (attached to another rink) was a dud. Fortunately my research turned up a legit shop and pro in my metro area. I had planned on trying to see if Jackson Artiste was available to customize (which it's not). So the pro (after talking to Jackson about options) recommended the Jackson Debut Fusion, the low cut (the dance boot). I was a bit surprised, as it's rated at 45, and I thought I'd be getting around a 30.
I am overweight; I weigh 175 and I'm 5'3". Ordered the skates last month, they should be coming in any time now. By the way, I'm a EE/E. I'm sure the reason he recommended the low cut is to hopefully help accomodate my large shins; not going to lie, I'm still pretty nervous that they won't fit properly. I did tell him I would do just about anything to get skates that would fit properly, just hoping I don't have to go pay to go the custom-custom route.
Over the last few weeks, I'm getting used to the idea of having a stiffer boot than anticipated. I'd kinda rather have the standard boot than the dance, but I'm trying not to be pessimistic about the fit (or not fitting, as the case may be).
I've not been able to find any posts on skating boards about boot fit problems due to large shins, like me. Anyone know of someone who's been in my situation?
Secondary is what ROH to have my blades sharpened to. I'm a bit nervous to start out at 1/2", and was thinking of starting at 5/8". Opinons?