An elite skater is not what drskater meant by "professional." It's a bit of a history lesson, but prior to the 1980's, competitive skaters were not allowed to earn a living from skating. At one point, the rules were so strict, skaters couldn't perform in shows or work as skate guards, and coaching was out of the question. Those rules were relaxed, but the terminology lives on. I've noticed that a lot of younger skaters these days consider every senior competitive skater to be a "pro," but a better word would be "elite."
If you go to see "RISE!" you'll get a better understanding of what adults mean when they call someone a "professional skater." After the 1960 Olympics, many elite skaters "turned pro" and left the competitive ranks. Getting reinstated as an amateur skater was difficult.
When we say someone is a "pro," we mean they earn their living as a skater. Dorothy Hamill, Peggy Fleming, John Zimmerman, Brian Boitano, Kurt Browning - they're all considered "pros."
Evan Lysacek, Rachael Flatt, and Jeremy Abbott are considered elite skaters who perform in shows. They're not considered professionals.
Research Plushenko and Rochette's latest news bits. Plushenko chose to skate in a show without getting the ISU's sanction, so he is now ineligible for reinstatement to the competitive ranks. Rochette did almost the same thing, but did get the sanction, so she can return at any time to compete. It's very interesting.
As for colored skates: purple seems to be the most popular. If you're ordering custom, might as well make it show, right?
My former coach had blue suede Klingbeils that sat in Don's shop for years before I nagged her to pick them up. Klingbeil engraves the soles with names, and her name (well, nickname) is unique, so I knew they were hers.