Here is my boot rebuilding saga.
I have been wearing Risport RF2 boots. They cost $600 in Australia. They are made in Italy and I bought my first pair in Philadelphia and my second pair in Sydney. Since they have been breaking down rather quickly, I decided to get the first pair rebuilt at Mont Clare Shoe Repair in Chicago. The first pair had issues with pain in the front of the first metatarsal bone on the inside of the foot before they were rebuilt, and with rubbing at the ankle. The second pair had issues with the boot tongue sliding down, crushing my toes, despite using the loop to hold the tongue up. However, both pairs fit a lot better than the Jacksons I used previously.
I got my rebuilt first pair of boots back after several months. I sent them via Auspost with the cheapest shipping and received them via Shopmate. By that point my second pair had broken down so that I did not feel very safe jumping in them. A local blade technician put the blades back on the boots without trouble.
The boots were rebuilt "as stiff as possible." Several coaches told me they wouldn't attempt to skate in boots that stiff. The break-in was more difficult than new boots. I heat molded the boots several times. I had to tape my feet because boots rubbed where the additional stiff material made them narrower than they were before.
On the whole I would call the rebuild a success because it was less than half the cost of new, and I won the national championships in the rebuilt boots. The boots are the right stiffness for me. The tongue does not slide down. However, I continue to have issues because the boots hurt on the edge of where the new material was installed. It's a bit pointy at the edges. This is most noticeable where the rear of the fifth metatarsal bone sticks out on the outside of my left foot. I also have pain because the boot is pressing down on the tendon at the base of my right big toe. However, this appears to be unrelated to the rebuild.
I have sent my second pair for rebuilding.
I talked to the Australian Risport distributor about buying a new pair, but they told me my boots were not broken down yet. I'm not sure why they think they can tell without touching the boots.