Skates for Recreational/New at LTS

[wlrs22]

I am a recreational skater that has had daughters in LTS for the last 5 years. I've been considering taking lessons with them. So, I want to get a skate that I can just cruise around the rink with, but also use if I decide to take a few lessons.  I've been to a great fitter, but she didn't have my size of what she recommended in stock. So, I've looked around and found a couple of options.  I can choose between a Riedell 115 and 117. I don't think I want to spend the extra for a 121 or 133. I would call my fitter back and ask her advice except that she just went on vacation for Thanksgiving. So, I'm just trying to figure out the differences between those mentioned and which might best serve my needs.
Thanks for any and all advice!
Wendy

[FigureSpins]

It's very common for pro shops to not have a lot of sizes in stock.  They really only keep the most popular sizes in house because of inventory carrying costs and because the skates will yellow or get dusty/dirty waiting for a buy.  You should place the order and they'll be able to tell you how long it will take.  Good skates are worth the wait.

Just out of curiosity, what did she recommend for you?  I doubt it was a 115 or 117 because they're really not great for adults.  Adults don't outgrow skates and they hate breaking in new ones or spending money on themselves, so it's always better for them to buy good skates upfront rather than get something cheap and struggle with them or quit skating.

Riedell 115 are Riedell White Ribbon skates - bottom of the line.  Not worth the money for an adult; not enough support.  For fast-growing kids, they're okay because the skates are outgrown before they wear out.

Riedell 117 are Riedell Red Ribbon skates.  They're okay for occasional use, but break down quickly if the skater is heavy or tall.  For an adult, their skills usually outpace the boot within a few months, so the skaters end up replacing them sooner than they expect.

The Riedell 121 are the Blue Ribbon skates.  They're worth the extra $30 over the Red Ribbons because the boot has more support, is designed for ankle bend, and comes in wide, regular or narrow widths.  I've had adult skaters wear these through beginning one-foot spins and back three turns with no issue.

The Riedell 133 is a step above the Blue Ribbon skates, mainly because the blade is good for low-level freestyle skating turns, spins and jumps.  If you're beyond the very basics of skating and can do turns and crossovers, these would be better than buying cheap low-level skates.  They have the support and blade to take you beyond the mid-level recreational stuff into the LTS skills you'll be learning.

There's an earlier thread with some great advice here: http://skatingforums.com/index.php?topic=211.0

[Sk8tmum]

My 45 pound DD has been able to break in the 133s in under 2 months - not breakdown, I will point out, but breakin.  I would think that an adult would destroy them in pretty short order - all she does is stroke, 1 foot spins (badly) bunny hop, and some intro-to-toe-loop stuff. In Canada, it would be Canskate Level 4/5.

She was able to breakin the 117s in the same time frame. The 133s are nice, we love them, we're getting the same ones next time - they look great and work well for her - the blade is good, but, they are not designed for any kind of weight or jumping, IMHO.

[kiwiskater]

As a newbie completing LTS I offer my advice in buying skates...

My coach (who is the head coach/skate director) recommended to stay away from the recreational/beginner skates in Riedell (110, 115, 121), she recommended 133's (or above) for an adult. Her recommendation is based on a) comfort, b) the length of time you will potentially use the skates - adults don't grow out of skates like kids & c) the blade combo you get, all the low end skates come in a combo with a basic blade, the higher end skates (while may still come in combo's) tend to have a blade that will last you up until you are ready to do some serious jumps

But I add... just because Riedell's are the biggest player in the market (at least where I am) it isn't a reason to go for them - try on different brands you might be surprised how different they feel & make a decision that is right for you based on what feels right.

I ended up with Graf Prestige & am very happy with them as a boot - my only complaint is the blades & that is because of how the shop treated them before I purchased them - the box had obvious signs of moisture damage & I was naive enough to not think about the effect that had on the blades, I'm now trying to combat rust issues...

[katz in boots]

Jackson skates are popular where I am.  For an adult we would normally suggest trying the Jackson Mystique if you're lightweight,   even better is the Classique.
The Classique comes with a better blade (IMHO) and would last longer for an adult who begins to jump.  My observations tell me Mystiques generally wear out pretty quickly once you start jumping though you might get a year out of them if you are not heavy.

[Kat]

I'd recommend the 133.  That's what I have (I almost went with the 121, but then decided to spend the extra after reading about them).  As someone else said, I'd recommend them just for the blade they come with (though the 121s may have it now too; on another thread I'd noted that they seem to have a different brand of blade than when I bought mine).  That blade is closer to a freestyle blade, which you'll want...pretty quick.  And you might as well get used to a rocker and bigger toepick now, IMO.  There's definitely a difference, and it's not all the fun to have to switch over (as I found out the hard way with a fantastic belly smacker onto the ice when I caught one of my new, "big" toe picks).  I know they cost more, BUT you're not going to grow out of them as an adult so it's worth spending the money, and probably is cheaper in the long run than buying something less expensive now and having to upgrade in a few months anyway.

My 133s required pretty much no break-in period that I noticed.  They never hurt or rubbed.  They are (IMO) just not high-enough level (read: stiff) to require a lot of breaking in.  I've been wearing them for over a year (though lately I've only been skating about one hour a week) and they still work for me, and yes, I do jump and spin (well, attempt to spin) in them.  I'm on the lighter side for an adult, though, so YMMV.  But when I bought them, my fitter did say she estimate they'd take me through the single jumps (in a tone that suggested the 121s would not have been suitable for jumping).

If the Jackson Mystique comes with the blade I think it does, then Katz is right.  Don't do it.  I think those would be the skates a couple of my former classmates got, who were told in short order by our coach that they needed different, better blades ASAP.  So I figure I wouldn't bother if I were you.  Those blades resemble the crappy recreational blades more than figure blades.

[katz in boots]

If the Jackson Mystique comes with the blade I think it does, then Katz is right.  Don't do it.  I think those would be the skates a couple of my former classmates got, who were told in short order by our coach that they needed different, better blades ASAP.  So I figure I wouldn't bother if I were you.  Those blades resemble the crappy recreational blades more than figure blades.

The blades with Mystiques certainly are lower end figure blades, with the rounded pick cluster.  They are fine for recreational skating, which is what the OP indicated she wants, and will be fine for beginning figure skating. 
I do agree that I would be swapping them for Mirages if you went with Jackson's and decided you were going to stick with figure skating lessons.