Attack of the Ice Fly!

[irenar5]

All of a sudden, kids at my rink are switching to Edea Ice fly in droves.  Every week there is another kid with the "OMG, they are SOOO comfortable!!"  I wonder if it is peer pressure or has Edea discovered the holy grail in boots?

I might just try them next...

[TreSk8sAZ]

Which actually is really funny, because a number of the kids at my rink that switched to Edea over the past couple of years are getting out of them. Some people really do love them, though.

[Lola]

I love the Edea boots I have (chorus, maybe?) and my daughter wants them off her feet as soon as she tries one on when it's time to buy boots. So, it's an individual thing, obviously.

Break-in was very short, one or two easy sessions. A lot of the things I had been able to do as a 12 yo skater came back rapidly after I got the Edeas.  Padded, comfortable, not too small in the toes. I've had these for around three years.

[amy1984]

Last year at my rink it was Risport RF4's with the silver heel for all the little ones.  I think it depends on the local stores, what they push, the sort of relationships they have with the dealers, what they think is a good boot.  My local store has a lot of Jackson and Ultima so that's what we tend to see a lot of - kids start out in them and stick with them.

[icedancer]

Doesn't Gracie Gold have the Ice Fly?

They sure are cute!

That being said there are a few skaters at our rink - and one pretty high level Senior Lady who LOVES her Ice Flys and said to me about them, "They bend in all the right places".

[Query]

Maybe what really happened is that a good Edea fitter is in the area? That could make all the difference in the world.

[Doubletoe]

I think it's a combination of high level skaters being seen in them (like Gracie Gold) and word of mouth from skaters who have switched to them and love them for their comfort and light weight.  I have several friends--and now my coach--who have switched to them and love them, so that is a big influence for me.

[TropicalSk8ter]

Went to my local open competition today and saw a bunch of girls and a couple of boys as well in ice Flys they really are popular!

[twokidsskatemom]

My DD got her new pair Tuesday afternoon and competed her short Friday and Long Saturday wearing them. Not her best best skate since it was new boots and new blades but not bad either. This is her 4th y season in them.

[EricaDer]

My 9 year old daughter switched to Ice Flys in February and LOVES them.  Says she'll never skate in anything else.  It's like they were made for her feet and fit her tricky feet and ankles great where many other brands have failed her.  And she loves the loose fit in the ankles paired with the super stiff boot. 

She tried on the Chorus model and hated it, it hurt her ankles badly, but the Ice Fly required zero modifications and had no break in time.  Her skating has improved a lot this year since getting the boots.

We're fans!

[Loops]

It does seem that Edea might be onto something with the ice Fly.  I talked about it this summer when I was stateside and saw my old fitter.  He's been around a loooong time,  is very knowledgeable and highly well respected in the sport.  He told me that Gracie gets hers for free, and goes through a pair ~every 6 months.  Considering the price tag on those boots, and their longevity (admittedly, she's harder on her skates than the vast majority of us), I'd hope they're stocking her up.

Perhaps some of the other recent switchees could chime in on how they feel about the longevity.  I know I'm hard on my boots, and for that reason alone wouldn't want to be dropping that bank.  However, if the technology becomes more affordable, I'd be open to giving them a go. 

[Nate]

The price is in line with other brands.

6 months for a female skater doing no Quads does seem a bit fast of a turn around though.

The Longevity is okay as long as you lace them properly.

As an Adult I wouldn't buy a used pair as the Memory Foam padding in them makes the skate practically a custom boot for whomever was skating in it, and it pretty much stays "molded" after that happens.  This can make the boot feel too big for you if the person who skated in them prior to you had a wider/fuller foot than you, as the foam will have compressed more for them than it would have if you had "broken" the boots in.  That's the only thing I'd be worried about.

I wouldn't mind buying one pair of boots a year, as long as I could get close to 2 years out of my blades (Assuming 5-6 weeks between sharpenings, switching to Ultima Blades or Paramount 420/440s would make that easy).  Two would cause me to look at other brands, though...

They're comfortable skates.  The biggest issue I had with Edeas was the heel pitch and the shape of the back of the skate.  The heel pitch was quite steep and the back of the skate was a bit further forwards than I have ever felt, which made it impossible for me to point my toes in them.  If I tried to point, it felt like I would snap my Achilles tendon.

[EricaDer]

It does seem that Edea might be onto something with the ice Fly.  I talked about it this summer when I was stateside and saw my old fitter.  He's been around a loooong time,  is very knowledgeable and highly well respected in the sport.  He told me that Gracie gets hers for free, and goes through a pair ~every 6 months.  Considering the price tag on those boots, and their longevity (admittedly, she's harder on her skates than the vast majority of us), I'd hope they're stocking her up.

Perhaps some of the other recent switchees could chime in on how they feel about the longevity.  I know I'm hard on my boots, and for that reason alone wouldn't want to be dropping that bank.  However, if the technology becomes more affordable, I'd be open to giving them a go.

We have a male skater at our rink who is doing triples and skates every day.  He's in Concertos and is just thinking about replacing his first pair after about 7-8 months.  Not sure how the Concerto compares to the Ice Fly, but he's not going back to traditional  boots.  He's sticking with the Edeas, which actually cost about half as much as his old custom Riedells.  So it's a wash for him even at 2 pairs/year - probably actually nets out to be cheaper with the Edeas. 

My daughter will outgrow her Icy Fly's long before she wears them out.  And even with small scuffs, they've held up very nicely.  They still look brand new out on the ice.  Any scuffs or scratches show as faint gray, versus dark like on traditional leather boots, so they stay nice and white, good enough for competition and I no longer have to buy expensive OTB tights!!! 

We have another high level female skater at our rink in Ice Fly's, but not sure how long her boots last.  I'll be sure to ask her next time I see her!

[Nate]

We have a male skater at our rink who is doing triples and skates every day.  He's in Concertos and is just thinking about replacing his first pair after about 7-8 months.  Not sure how the Concerto compares to the Ice Fly, but he's not going back to traditional  boots.  He's sticking with the Edeas, which actually cost about half as much as his old custom Riedells.  So it's a wash for him even at 2 pairs/year - probably actually nets out to be cheaper with the Edeas. 

My daughter will outgrow her Icy Fly's long before she wears them out.  And even with small scuffs, they've held up very nicely.  They still look brand new out on the ice.  Any scuffs or scratches show as faint gray, versus dark like on traditional leather boots, so they stay nice and white, good enough for competition and I no longer have to buy expensive OTB tights!!! 

We have another high level female skater at our rink in Ice Fly's, but not sure how long her boots last.  I'll be sure to ask her next time I see her!

Concertos are like $560+Tax here. Ice fly are barely stiffer; it's mostly comfort features for high level skaters added to them over the Concerto.

He was paying $11-1200 for Custom Riedell skates? O.O

Edea Boot prices are fairly in line with other manufacturers stock boots, so you'd need something like custom Aria boots with a Suede putter on Expedited order (or something lower with a ton of options) to get a 2 for one deal with the Edeas.

The shorter break in time is probably worth it for a lot of skaters though, so in many cases the comfort >>> any financial incentive to switch. They also do well with almost no care given to them.

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[Neverdull44]

I am going on Friday for a fitter. 

Good:  Lots of people love them.   Lighter weight might be better on my joints.   And, it might make it easier to bring my legs together in jumps.

Bad:   One of the skaters at my rink, tried and hated them.  And, she knows a person who broke her ankle in them.  I like ankle support.
I'm not sure if as an older skater, I can learn to skate in new boots.

[Doubletoe]

My feet are A heel, B+/C- ball in SP Teris.  I just got Edea Ice Fly boots and I've had to get them stretched 3 times already, and they still feel tight in the instep (and on the left foot, circulation to my toes gets cut off).  A friend of mine had the exact same experience and ultimately gave up and got a pair of Reidells.  Maybe they aren't good for those with a high instep, since there's a bone at the top of the foot that has a vein running right next to it and circulation can get cut off if the boot is too tight there.  This is right under the tongue so it shouldn't be a problem if you lace loosely over the arch area, but that's exactly where Edea wants you to lace tightly.  When I loosened the lacing enough to allow circulation back to my toes, my foot felt wobbly in the boot.  I've left them to be stretched one more time but I just don't know if I will ever like how they feel.  I also don't like the fact that the bottom of the boot has so little material that the mounting plate of the blade on my back foot actually scrapes the ice and makes an awful sound when I do an Ina Bauer.  On my SP Teri's, the leather sole is a little wider than the base plate so that is what scrapes the ice a little (as it should be).  The ONE THING I like about Edeas so far is that I can both flex and point my feet really easily in them.

[Nate]

What kind of blades do you have Doubletoe? Maybe Gold Seals/Stars can avoid the rubbing. If you use them I'm now sure what to do, lol...

My Teri's rub on crossovers. I hate it! My last boots were sanded and rounded to give more boot clearance but these weren't :-(

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[severina]

I love my ice flys.  I switched to Edea after being in SPTeri and Harlick in my teen years.  I then bought harlicks when I came back but I was wowed when I tried on a pair of Edea Concerto.  I switched to Concertos first and then after a year and a half in them (i do all doubles up to a lutz) I switched to the ice fly.  I will be 37 in November and the ice flys have given me a renewed vigor for jumping.  I plan to get my double axel back in the next year. 

I wear a pattern 99 profile carbon steel paramount blade (c9) because they are light and remind me of my old JW pattern 99's that I had all my life as a kid.

[Neverdull44]

I am two days into these boots and blades. . .

Ice Flies
Ultima Elite

[Doubletoe]

What kind of blades do you have Doubletoe? Maybe Gold Seals/Stars can avoid the rubbing. If you use them I'm now sure what to do, lol...

My Teri's rub on crossovers. I hate it! My last boots were sanded and rounded to give more boot clearance but these weren't :-(

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 using Tapatalk.

I have Gold Seal blades, which I love.  I actually woke up this morning with a big light bulb over my head:  All I have to do is put skate tape over the edge of that mounting plate where it scrapes the ice and it will keep the metal from contacting the ice and making that awful sound!  Meanwhile, I'm trying to picture how your SP Teris rub on crossovers.  What part of your boot rubs against what?

Interesting tidbit I overheard regarding the Ice Fly boots the other day. . .  I was putting my skates on at the rink and Gracie Gold and Kiira Korpi were right behind me talking about their skates.  Kiira asked Gracie how long her Ice Fly boots lasted her and Gracie said 3-4 months.  Funny because the Edea rep at AN this year said the pair Gracie was using at the Olympics this year was 8 months old.  Hmm. . .  Still, I know Michelle Kwan used to go through a pair of leather Harlicks and/or SP Teris every 4-6 months, so for a high level skater who skates 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, 3-4 months for a pair of Ice Flies sounds about right.

[littlerain]

I have Gold Seal blades, which I love.  I actually woke up this morning with a big light bulb over my head:  All I have to do is put skate tape over the edge of that mounting plate where it scrapes the ice and it will keep the metal from contacting the ice and making that awful sound!  Meanwhile, I'm trying to picture how your SP Teris rub on crossovers.  What part of your boot rubs against what?

Interesting tidbit I overheard regarding the Ice Fly boots the other day. . .  I was putting my skates on at the rink and Gracie Gold and Kiira Korpi were right behind me talking about their skates.  Kiira asked Gracie how long her Ice Fly boots lasted her and Gracie said 3-4 months.  Funny because the Edea rep at AN this year said the pair Gracie was using at the Olympics this year was 8 months old.  Hmm. . .  Still, I know Michelle Kwan used to go through a pair of leather Harlicks and/or SP Teris every 4-6 months, so for a high level skater who skates 4 hours a day, 6 days a week, 3-4 months for a pair of Ice Flies sounds about right.

Ooo kiira and Gracie skate at your rink?

[Neverdull44]

My update on my new Ice Fly

Last week I was in hell break-in on these new Ice Fly boots.  My feet were hurting, painful, numb, cramping, you name it!

I retied them, making the toe and ball area looser.   Miraculously, I didn't have the huge pains.
Over the weekend, hubbie stretched out the toe just a little more.   Today, I was mostly without any pain.  The end of my toes were numb and cool feeling.

They are light.  That (and new blades) has thrown off my camel spin.

I wouldn't say no break in.   I wouldn't say the worst break in I've ever had.   I will not say that they are magic.  I will say that the looser boot takes a little getting used to.

[Doubletoe]

Ooo kiira and Gracie skate at your rink?

Normally just Gracie.  This was the first time I'd seen Kiira there, and I must admit, the two of them standing within feet of each other was the most blonde gorgeousness per square foot I've ever seen, LOL!

[littlerain]

Normally just Gracie.  This was the first time I'd seen Kiira there, and I must admit, the two of them standing within feet of each other was the most blonde gorgeousness per square foot I've ever seen, LOL!

I can only imagine! Lol!