Right Figure skates for Thick ankles & Calves

[cuemommy]

I have been skating for a while and it has just occurred to me to ask you guys for some advice.  I would rate myself almost advanced and doing pair/adult ice dancing.  I am famous for ALWAYS having problems with my skates and trying different brands.  This is my first time posting on a forum and this is my first one. 

Here's my problem. I am only 5' and while I do have long legs, I struggle with big thighs and thick calves and ankles.  Skates never look good on me and the edges always rub into my ankles.  I have never tried skates with 3 hooks. I find myself often taking off the top hook. 

I have tried Jackson Elites (they are a bit too advanced but they have lower ankle length comapared to Freestyles).  I have never tried Premiere but not sure if they can withstand the abuse I put on them.  (I do 2 different styles--pair & ice dancing and sometimes solo)

I have stayed away from Reidells due to the narrow length.  I skate in D or E wide with the Jacksons.   

I ordered a used pair of Edeas but not sure if they will work. 

Do you guys have any suggestions on skates?   Do you have the same problem?   

Being a single Mom, I cannot afford customs. 

Thanks!
Julie Ann

[JSM]

The size of your calves doesn't matter, really.  The important thing with boots is that they fit your feet!  A skater needs boots that fit their feet (not too big, not too small, but snug) and has the proper support level for what they are doing.  This is dependent on a lot of factors - jumps being performed, height and weight of the skater, disciplines practiced, etc.

Ankles can always be punched out (and frequently are) to improve fit.  Boots can cut into your skin, but padding can be worn to prevent that.  Even some elite skaters wear bunga pads.  There are other options as well (band aids, sponges, etc).  Some more advanced/expensive boots can have rolled top edges to make them more comfortable.



It's really important that you try boots on before you buy them if you can.  Otherwise, you may be out lots of money trying different brands and sizes, and you can never get what they are worth on the secondary market.  Plus, money is wasted practicing and taking lessons in skates that don't fit.

If you are located near a larger city, it's worth it to get fitted properly and/or try on boots.  Nearly every brand is represented here, not all brands will work with every foot.  Split widths can be necessary, and if you plan on doing more difficult jumps/flying spins, a boot that doesn't let your heel slide is super important.

Larger skate shops will often have used boots for sale as well as new.  There is also ebay and myskatingmall.com, but if you don't know what you need, it can be a waste of money trying to figure it out!

[cuemommy]

I appreciate your response. I do know that Jackson Elites feel good on my feet. The freestyle is too thick for me.  I'm trying to find something with a lower ankle support but at a higher level.  I tried on an ice dancing boot and it felt really good on me but it's not high enough level. Elites are too much for me because of it's stiffness level.

Unfortunately where I live (Florida) in Orlando area. I am near RDV sports complex.  The pro shop only sells Riedells and Jackson's. The highest level Jackson they have is Freestyle.

I've been looking online for medium/high level boots with lower ankle support. My calves are really thick down to my ankles. I can't even wear most cowboy or ladies calf boots because of this issue.

[taka]

Don't totally discount Riedells! You wouldn't necessarily need customs - you can have a "Special" order which is 1 change (eg a change of the width at the ball of your foot.) According to the Riedell website this would cost an extra $60. That is what I have for my Riedell 2010 LS : E ball +  B heel. They fit my duck-like feet pretty well! The shape of that range may work for you too as they are more dance style with a lower, very padded back but have a lot of support at the sides for jumping in. They may be stiffer than you are looking for though.

[AgnesNitt]

I too have the same leg size problem.
The issue is, you probably won't find satisfaction with stock boots.
You may be able to get semi-custom boots but ask for a wider tongue to the boot.
I have calves like tree trunks from a life spent horseback riding. When I got my customs that was what was recommended.
I also have to have split width, but that's another story.

As for not skating with the top hook, give katstrapz a try. They're cleared for competition.

[aussieskater]

I'm not sure why you've said no to Jackson dance boots if you like the Jackson last?  I'm not sure which Elite you've been using, but the super elite is rated 85, the elite 75, and the elite dance is 80 so stiffness-wise, the dance is in between them.

The size of your calves doesn't matter, really.  The important thing with boots is that they fit your feet!

In my experience, if the calves are thick right down near the ankle, it can be very difficult indeed to get the top of the tongue to sit so the lacing is correct and comfortable, especially in brands with a narrow tongue and/or wide ankle throat.  I feel cuemommy's pain in this regard  .  But I absolutely agree about "foot fit" being of primary concern.

[Loops]

I have to agree on the Elite Dance.  When I tried it on it was uber-concrete stiff, so I ruled it out based on that (I'm was just getting back in after 25 years and wanted to avoid overbooting).  I ended up with Risport Dance.  They're a narrow last, so I wouldn't recommend them necessarily for you.  Why I'm bringing this up is because support wise they felt "right" in the store, stiff, but not "un-doable". I'm not sure what they're rated- I've seen everything from 45 to 65.  I can tell you that they feel solid without, for me, restricting too much forward knee-bend movement.  Only now, after 5ish months of relatively light skating (for me) I can barely get  and keep them tight enough to give me the support I want on my ankles.  They're still really stiff, so it might just be psycho-sematic due to the lower height.  So for the next go-around, the Jackson dance will get more consideration.

My experience since switching to a Dance boot- the lower ankle does reduce at least the feeling of support once they're broken in ymmv, so going up in stiffness (i.e. to that 80-rated elite dance), might actually be OK.

Another Jackson model to consider would be the Jackson Finesse.  It's a dance boot, so lower on the ankles.  If you think your current Elites might be too stiff, that might be a good choice for you since it's a softer boot (I forget its specific rating, but they were not supportive enough for me).

You might be happy with the Edeas....they seem to have a really wide last (I swam in them, especially around the heel/ankles).

How desperate are you for new skates?  Are you in the market or just fishing for ideas?  Like you, I live far from a shop.  I plan to take advantage of family vacations, and when we're near a shop I'd like to check out, go in for a fitting, even if it costs me a fee.  This way I hope to not only find a fitter I trust, but also try on some makes/models that I couldn't necessarily when I bought, so I have a better idea of directions to go for the next pair.

[davincisop]

Cuemommy - We have probably seen each other. While the RDV shop only sells Jacksons and Reidells, you can get fit by Brian for a pair that will work with your skill level and your needs. Another option is going to Ellenton and talking with Mark Ladwig who is a Jackson rep or Christine at Space Coast who is also a Jackson rep. Randy at Space Coast can punch out/sharpen/etc (highly recommend him and Brian as far as skates go) if you do make the trip to Space Coast.

For what it's worth, I'm in Jackson Elite Supreme, at the lowest strength I could get (I think 85 or something) and that's been strong enough to last me 3 years in those boots. Custom in Jackson really isn't all that much more. I had to get custom width in my current boots and paid I think an extra $50 for it. Lots of skaters have to do split width boots, and Jackson tries to make it affordable.

[cuemommy]

Thanks everyone for your terrific responses!  Very interesting link about the Katzstrapz.  I checked the website out and definitely plan to order it one of these days. ;-)

For now, I ended up with EDEA Overture (stiffness level 48) The next level up is  Edea Chorus which is rated for double jumps and at my age, I don't expect to ever do them.     I love how the Ice Fly looks--but its overkill and especially overkill for my budget!

Edea has videos on youtube to show proper lacing and it shows you can be loose up on top around the calves. So those of you in Jacksons or Riedells with thick calves, maybe check out the video regardless of the brand difference. The lacing technique may work for your boots and help with your comfort level. Give it a try---if not, go back to whatever methods you tried before.   

I skated in the Edeas and they weren't too bad. It was interesting and definitely different from the Riedells due to the lower heel height.  I haven't broken into them yet, so my feet hurt a little bit after skating. I will have a better opinion of them after a few months.

Davincisop:   THANK YOU for the wonderful tips of people in our area!  Brian is at RDV?    Christine/Randy--- how do I contact them?   I most likely will go with Jackson next time around because I really liked how they felt and definitely more padding than the Edea Overture.  I notice on the ice, however, that my feet were still warm in the Edeas and I was wearing thin stockings.   I'm not sure what split width means.

Thanks again! ;-)

[davincisop]

I will PM you.