So I was finally able to get my foot in properly. Apparently I was being much too gentle with them. Anyway, the fit is great except for the heel, which is being crushed right above the sole where the padding is peculiarly minimal. These boots are ridiculously stiff, even though they are rated as being only marginally more so than the Freestyles which I'm accustomed to. The odd thing is, for all the discomfort, I am able to skate 5-6 hours at a time without any lasting damage to my feet even though it feels like they're causing bruises. I'm slowly recovering my ability to bend knees, but most of the time I just feel/hear a hard *clink* whenever I take a step--I don't feel any connection with the ice anymore. Hard to believe the higher end boots are twice as stiff as this one...
If fit right, it should not bruise your foot, and shouldn't hurt.
May I suggest a few things?
1. Push really really hard in the heel. Not just down so your foot touches the bottom of the boot, but also back so your foot pushes back and touches the back of the boot. People commonly need to kick on the floor with the back of the sole of the boot - especially if they have certain foot shapes.
2. Ask the fitter to do a heat mold. This site:
http://www.jacksonultima.com/static/images/debut_boot_flyer.pdfsays that the Debut boots are heat-moldable.
This video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhZLOEw7o5Qsays Jackson heat molding material now includes something in the heel counter, which should help.
Some of us have heat molded our own boots, but the dealer has the real equipment, and most of them will mold for free if you bought it there.
3. If that isn't sufficient, and your fitter has no other ideas, try contacting Jackson (not just the fitter or seller) to see if they have any, or have a fit warranty.
4. If that doesn't help, try taking out the insoles.
5. If none of those help, we can look for other ideas, like punching (stretching) the boots at the desired location.
BTW, pretty much all figure boots get less stiff with time. Expect them to need a break in period if that bothers you.
Also - very high end boots are really, really, stiff. Many of us can't bend new ones perceptively with our hands. If your shop hasn't any to look at, look at their high end hockey boots. Hard to believe that people can bend either at all with their feet, but somehow, they do. Also, some of the difference between a higher end boot and what you have (and Debuts ARE rated for competitive use), might possibly be how long the stiffness lasts before it begins to break down, rather than initial stiffness. (I'm basing that on a quote from a book on boat-building, not skates, so it might not apply.)
Others may disagree, but, AFAICT, the only figure boots that really need to bend perceptibly are ice dance boots - and only if you deliberately pronate and supinate to deepen edges. Especially if the boots have some padding.