Thanks for your support. These Mark IV blades just sort of looked more like what I remember having as a kid, so I figured eh, good enough. BTW, I found a picture, attached of what I had as a kid. The boots were really bad, you had to glue in stiff leather inserts before for any use.
Note the bolted blade: the idea was that one would change the blade to a different one for the "compulsory figures" (everybody just had a separate pair of skates, dull and with a huge rocker).
I am in decent shape, except the usual: achillies, little planar fasciatis, etc, but that's the price of running a lot. Should be no problem there.
I tried to ski, but I get quickly bored with downhill and, besides, pretty much priced out of marked with the lift ticket prices the way they are. Everything else, outdoor related I do
Figure skating is so much more fun and so cheap and easy! I have 3 rinks within 30 minutes of my house and for $8 I can get literally drunk on endorphins. Besides, I get to properly impress my kids with "mad skillz". Can't jump or spin, but the nice glade was beat into me by my mom and coaches for eternity
I have a few friends who do or used to dance, like salsa or... something modern, I forget. I am not into dance, always used to get kicked out of the choreography classes
For some reason they made us do these silly French ballet poses a couple of times a week.
P.S. What do people think of wearing a helmet? As a kid, I remember just hitting the back of my head on ice hundreds of times. I make my kids wear helmets. What about adults? Getting a concussion would be bad.
I didn't know Russia made blades. Do they make boots too? Do you have links for either?
Jackson is a good company, but Mark IV are beginner level blades:
http://www.jacksonultima.com/en/Index.aspx?category=VLrDP7VJmBWQSIPAKIyVdw1A2B3C4D5E1A2B3C4D5E
So, based on what you say, I think you would find them frustrating. You probably have to roll forwards farther to reach the toe pick than what you were used to. And the steel probably isn't very durable.
Ask around for used boots too. For example, craigslist. And many figure and hockey skating clubs are good resources for finding used figure skates.
The theory has been that if you aren't now in good physical shape, with appropriate strong muscles to bend the skates, you shouldn't be using high end (stiff) skates. There are many warnings of potential medical problems if you violate that. Maybe you don't need ultra high level skates, until you get back into shape? Maybe you can start with rentals? (Though rentals wouldn't look impressive on a coach.)
Boulder is an incredible place to ski. Lots of exercise, especially if you go cross country, to get you back into shape and get practice edging your feet. When the snow is gone, you can skate. I was only there in the winter, but I think there is good hiking around there too, and I knew someone from there who did white water kayaking near there, too. But when I visited there, a fair number of years ago, there wasn't much social dance or ballroom outside the university. How is the dance scene now?