I should add that Klingbeil prices are not really much different from that of cheesy stock boots. Grafs run for about $650 for the Edmonton Special and they are pure junk. Shops sell them because they make more money on them, but skaters are being snowed. They need replacing more and the stink like crazy because they're plastic.
Grafs are not junk, nor are Riedells, nor are Jacksons. Stock boots are actually of excellent quality in many instances, and the improvements in recent years in the quality, construction, and value for the dollar are quite marked.
Stock boots are not "plastic". They are leather; often they are leather lined, and often with the same Clarino leather that you can get with a Klingbeil. There is a plastic lining within the leather, which gives the option for heat molding. Heat molding is an effective way to fit a boot. It does not make a boot "stinky". Actually, the stinkiest boots we have in the house are Klings, custom, with Clarino linings ... made by Don himself ... and they stink because my skaters feet sweat and they are used extensively.
I could walk around my rink and find 10 to 15 skaters who will complain bitterly about how quickly their Klings break down, and how poorly they fit, and the lengthy breakin period. I could also find 10 to 15 skaters who will enthuse over their Grafs, or Riedells, or Jacksons, and how well they fit, how well they last, and how easy they were to break in ... and all of these skaters will be skating the same amount, level, etc. Then, I could find you 10 who complain about Riedell and 10 who love Kling ... every skater has their own personal preference and what works for you may be ineffective for someone else. Doesn't mean that other options are wrong at all, or that people who use them are being taken advantage of in any way.
There used to be a long of Klings around here - several of the coaches were strong proponents. They no longer are. As they explored the options in stock boots from, frankly primarily Riedell, they found that their skaters were getting better value from stock boots, and that Klingbeil stock boots, excepting for those skaters who fit the Kling stock last, were not as good. The weight of the Kling stock boot was higher; and with the ability to heat mold, order split widths, and the variety of options available, skaters who were using "custom" no longer needed them. Plus, the speed of boot replacement ... a skater who needed new skates could get them immediately or in a few days, and breakin was minimal due to the heat molding etc. So, they moved existing skaters and newly developing skaters out of Klings and into Riedell, or Jacksons, etc.
IF my skater was able to fit a stock boot, I would have switched to Riedell for the convenience factor long ago. However, in terms of customs, Kling has an excellent product and a good reputation, which is why we used them. My other two skaters both wear Riedells, and they are very good quality boots, have precisely the same features as custom Klings, and, like the other skaters who use them, including our National level freeskaters and dancers, they are very effective and have no problems with lack of longevity.
I appreciate your enthusiasm for Kling, and I agree that Don et al are wonderful. However, there are many many many options out there for skaters ... and they too are effective and of more than acceptable quality.