Do modern figure skating boots allow flexion at the ball of the foot?
When most people jump, or even just walk, their feet flex about the balls of those feet, as the foot rolls forwards. I think it makes it helps create the jump, makes the landing more gentle, and also helps you to walk smoothly.
My 12 year old Klingbeil ice dance boot have fairly rigid insoles, that keep the bottom of the feet quite rigid, so the feet cannot flex this way. It doesn't even have much padding that would allow a slight such flexion as the front of the insole compresses under greater weight.
1. Is my understanding of flexion at the ball of the foot correct?
2. Is this what is called "forefoot flexion"?
The bottom of the outsole and the bottom of the heel must conform to the blade mounting plates, which strongly limits flexion, but there is a lot of material between those and the top of the insole, so it would be possible to allow some flexion. Some hockey boots have a compressible insole that would allow a small amount of flexion, as do some Jackson boots.
3. Do more modern boots, dance or freestyle, of any brand, allow such flexion? If so how - simply by overall insole compressibility, or in a more complicated manner?
4. If the answer to 3 was yes, how confined to the ball is that flexibility?
5. Is such boot flexion be a good idea?