My daughter is 2 years 7 months old and weighs 31 lbs. She has been wearing size 8 Jackson Softskate Plus (the white ones with the colored lining) for the last year and is now outgrowing them, and her coaches have recommended that she get a pair of "real" figure skates. She is currently enrolled in a Snowplow Sam 1/2 group class (her fun "play" class), a Snowplow Sam 2 group class, and has started private lessons once a week. She has passed all the Snowplow 2 elements, can do most everything for the Snowplow 3 level (can only do 5 swizzles in a row, rather than 6-8 but can pass everything else in level 3), and can do some of the stuff from Basic 2 & 3 (is learning stroking with her private coach, and can do a 3 revolution two foot spin). She is being kept in the Snowplow 2 group classes because of her young age; the Snowplow 3 kids are all 4.5 and 5 years old and they don't feel it is safe for her to be with them, hence the private lessons (and it might make the kids feel bad to see a "baby" do things that they can't; she is too young to know the difference). I'm worried that any of the real figure skates are going to be too stiff.
She can't fit into a Reidell boot because they start at size 9 but their size 9 is bigger than Jackson's size 9 (her foot is tiny and it would really make a difference). It would seem that my options are the Jackson Glacier, Mystique, or Artiste. I read on some website that the Glaciers offer less support than the Softskates, so I wasn't really considering them (but is that true?). Is the Mystique going to be too stiff? Her Softskates are (I think?) the perfect stiffness; her ankles are totally supported and are always held verticle | | but she can easily do a dip while gliding to grab her toes. The Mystique's blade appears to be the same as that of the Softskate, with the tiny toepicks up and out of the way, which is what she needs. I figure that the Artiste would probably both be too stiff and the blade too advanced for her until her stroking is solid and she can do front crossovers. But do you think the Mystique would be too stiff and we should either put her in the Glacier (good enough skate for someone who is serious?) or keep her in the Softskate (which the coaches have said are too bulky. But we have seen 5-8 year old girls in the mid-Basic levels in those skates..).
All the other toddlers at our rink wear rentals, but I believe a big part of the reason she has progressed fast is because she has had her own skates. And, we have saved sooo much money over the last year by spending $50 on her own skates! Can anyone give me any advice? Our local skate shop can fit the skates (not there's much to fit as there is only one size choice and maker) but says we need to make the call with how stiff, because they just don't have much experience with toddlers. Thanks very much for your help!