That's one of the things I liked about the Superfeet insoles - they're full-length, so they can just replace the entire insole. (Although I really like the leather insoles from Klingbeil much more than foam, felt or fabric.)
My husband uses the yellow (skating) Superfeet and according to him, the package specifically says to put the insert in underneath your regular insoles. It doesn't replace the insole, it augments it. You would get to keep your nice leather insoles, but still have the benefit of the Superfeet insert underneath them. I thought it sounded strange, but he insists that's what the instructions said to do.
I would honestly consider trying to return the classique's - whoever sold them to you did so knowing they were not even close to the right size, which is really questionable IMO.
The guy who sold me the Classiques didn't fit me for them. Our pro-shop owner is new to the business and hasn't a clue about fitting skates. First he sold me a pair of size 8 Glaciers (when I'm a 6.5!) and when it became clear that I needed a smaller size in a wider width, he offered to special order whichever skates I wanted to try. I guessed that size 7 would fit best, and they didn't come wider than C, so that's what we ordered. He didn't check the fit when they arrived, he just handed them to me and let me decide whether to buy them or not.
The thing is, they don't feel that tight in the toes. I mean, the left boot is fine. The right boot touches my foot at the widest part, but it's not painful, just slightly annoying when I'm walking around. I don't even notice it while skating. The only pain comes from the arches. I can see how the problem might be that my foot is too wide across the arch, and that's why I'm feeling the bump. It makes sense, especially since the left boot takes longer before the arch starts to hurt. That foot must be a little narrower than the other.
I would definitely contact Jackson and see which models can be made in an E (or EE) width.. I know that the Premiere boot can be made as an E because I asked about it last year, and the Elle and Freestyle may also be included, I just don't know.
I'm uncertain about special ordering an extra wide width, for a couple of reasons.
1. Unless I can get the Elle, it looks like it would have to be a skate that's stiffer than what I have now. I'm only in Adult 2, I'm learning edges and two-foot turns and pivots. My skates are already so stiff that I have to use elastic hair bands at the top two speed hooks instead of lacing them up, because otherwise I can't bend at the knees properly. I can't imagine a boot that's any stiffer!
2. I would have to special order them through my pro-shop (if they're capable of ordering special widths, which they might not be) or else drive 5 hours to the nearest figure skating shop and have them special order the E width. That means it would be difficult to return them. Most places I've seen won't give refunds once the skates have been sharpened, which means I can't test them on the ice to see if they truly work. So if they're still too narrow, or if the arches are still too high, or if there's some new problem--then I'm stuck with a fourth pair of skates that I can't wear.
Even so, I will give this consideration. Right now I feel like Tantalus: every step I take towards the water, the water recedes. It's right there, but it's forever out of reach.
The normal fee for ordering a non-stock (or if you need it split - narrower heel with a wider ball) width is $50.. if you want to make more changes than that to a boot, the cost goes up significantly, but I do have to say that these are your feet, and it's not worth risking an injury or permanent damage to save some money now - it's worth spending a little more to make sure that they fit well.
I agree that it's better to pay a little extra and reduce the risk of damage. It's just a LOT of money when this is only a hobby for me. I love skating and I would hate to have to quit. But at what point do I say, "This is costing too much"?
Regarding the split width boots, how do you find out what heel width you need? I suspect I have narrow heels, since I've always had to add stick-on heel grip pads to my dress shoes. Without them, my heels slip out of the shoes with every step. In my old Riedells, my heel constantly slipped when I walked, unless I laced so tightly that it cut off my circulation. I haven't noticed that problem with the Classiques, but they have thick memory foam around the heel and ankles. Sooner or later, that's going to wear down and then there might be a problem with heel slippage. Especially with the new inserts, which lift my foot up slightly--it means my heel is no longer in the same place, so there might be slipping. I won't know for sure until I try skating in them. But in any case, is there a way of measuring to find out whether you need a narrower heel?
Is it possible to get skates that are extra-wide
and are split-width with a narrow heel width? How much extra would something like that cost?
Just out of curiosity, if my boots are too narrow (and I agree that they probably are), will the inserts make a difference? They'll lift my foot up to where the boot is slightly wider, right? So will that help prevent damage to my feet? I'm just wondering whether I should start saving up for a pair of extra-wide skates even if the inserts stop the pain.
Topic: Skate Buying Adventures (Read 48982 times)