Riedell F280 Bronze Medallion hurts my arches so much. Any Remedy?

[ubmuaer]

I am purely a recreational skater (I just go in circles around the rink; no other tricks).  I purchased a pair of brand new Riedell F280 bronze medallion ice skates. The blade is Sapphire ISE.  I have gone skating 3 different times and all times, the arches on my feet really starts cramping up and hurting not even 10 minutes into skating.  There is no pain when I walked around with it at home.

I have tried to buy a SuperFeet insole, but don't think it makes any different. My foot arch is low to middle.  Is there any remedies to get rid of the arch pain? It takes all the fun out of ice skating and I called it quits for the day pretty quickly each time.

[Sk8Dreams]

It's possible that the Riedells just don't fit your feet.  Riedells run narrow, which causes many people to end up with skates that are too long for them, and therefore have the arches in the wrong place.  You could also be lacing them too tightly over the middle of your foot. 

I put all my beginners (and recreational skater friends) in the Jackson SoftSkate and have had absolutely no complaints.  It somehow seems to fit almost every foot and is comfortable. 

[Sk8tmum]

I always have the same problem every time I go skating after I've not been on the ice for a long time; no, I'm not in Riedells, I'm in the Jacksons warm-and-cozy-with-Thinsulate Softskates, and it's happened with other brands in the past.  It goes away after I've been skating regularly for a bit. For me, I think it's primarily because my feet are being held in a "position" for a while, and they don't like that particularly. It's similar to the problem I have when I switch to stiffer-footbed hiking boots in the winter from softer and more flexible running shoes that I wear in the other seasons.

[ubmuaer]

So I was reading more about breaking in skates last night and read that you are supposed to leave the top 2 brackets unlaced when they're new skates.  I've laced up my skates all the way to the top since day 1. Could this perhaps be a problem?  So frustrating to have hurting feet.

[ubmuaer]

If I do try the Jackson SoftSkate, should I go by my street shoe size or size down?  I'm in NYC and when I went to Paragon Sports, they weren't any help in fitting skates at all.

Is the SoftSkate also softer at the bottom footbed? The riedells don't hurt my ankles or any other part of my feet at all, except my arches.

[FigureSpins]

Just a note: the F280 skates are Riedell Bronze Medallions.  They were discontinued several years ago, but they were a good, all-leather skate for lower-level skaters.  I believe the insole was very flat, iirc.  My DD's used to wear those skates when they were in LTS.

I get the feeling you bought these skates without first being measured by a professional.  Paragon is a sporting goods store with clerks, not professional skate fitters.  You probably "guesstimated" the size based on your street shoe size.  If I'm wrong, my apologies, but your story sounds like a typical rookie mistake.  People think they save all kinds of money by avoiding the pro shops and ordering online, but most of the time, they set themselves up for future problems and expenses.  Even though my pro shop is overpriced, I use them anyway.  I know many areas don't have pro shops.  NYC (where the OP lives) isn't one of those places.

So I was reading more about breaking in skates last night and read that you are supposed to leave the top 2 brackets unlaced when they're new skates.  I've laced up my skates all the way to the top since day 1. Could this perhaps be a problem?  So frustrating to have hurting feet.

Leaving a top hook undone for new skates simply gives the skater some extra knee bend.  It wouldn't cause your aching arches.  Some skaters lace up to the top from the very beginning with no issues, but less-strong skaters find it helps them break in the skates and prevent trip-falls from not bending knees enough to carry weight on the blades.

I have very high arches.  I found the SuperFeet Blue were too low under the arch, SuperFeet Yellow was better.  I still needed a little more height in the arch, so I tucked some soft foam between the insole layers and that resolved my achy arches. 

Do this: take out the insoles of your current skates and stand on them. 

. If your arches don't touch the insole arches, you probably need an arch support. 

. If your feet hang over the sides, they're too narrow, which can cause foot pain and soreness. 
If the skate's too narrow, you can try having a pro shop stretch the skates for width - they're leather, so that's definitely an option.  It's usually no more than $20.

. If the toe of your foot has a gap of more than a 1/2" from the insole front, you bought skates that were too big/long. 
If so, the arch of the skate ISN'T under the arch of your foot - it will be too far forward, which can cause arch pain.  Think about it: the insole is trying to make your foot bend in front of the foot's arch and it would leave your real instep unsupported.  As sk8dreams pointed out, many people buy too-long skates when they really need wider skates.

If Paragon or whatever store you go to has a Riedell measuring stick, use it to get your correct length and width measurements for that brand of skates.  Jackson has its own measuring stick, so don't mix-and-match.

If the Medallions fit well, just get the insole situation resolved and you'll be fine. 

[ubmuaer]

FigureSpins, thanks for all your thoughts and tips. I will try this at home.  May I ask what are the pro shops in NYC that I can visit?  My search on google only found one shop by 21st Street. I went there while I was shopping around and they mostly had Jackson skates, not Riedells.  They were busy assisting other customers so I didn't wait around to talk to them.  I would love to visit other pro shops too. Thanks.

[Sk8Dreams]

If I do try the Jackson SoftSkate, should I go by my street shoe size or size down?  I'm in NYC and when I went to Paragon Sports, they weren't any help in fitting skates at all.

Is the SoftSkate also softer at the bottom footbed? The riedells don't hurt my ankles or any other part of my feet at all, except my arches.

In my experience, up to shoe size 7, the SoftSkates run big and you should get a size smaller than your street shoes.  After that, get the same size as your street shoes, but it's best to try them on.  They do have a softer footbed than the Riedells.
Paragon is a terrible place to buy skates!  I sent a friend there to get a Jackson Softec with figure blade, and a sales guy talked her into hockey skates which were impossible for her.  Her fault, because I was very specific, but still!

May I ask what are the pro shops in NYC that I can visit?  My search on google only found one shop by 21st Street. I went there while I was shopping around and they mostly had Jackson skates, not Riedells.  They were busy assisting other customers so I didn't wait around to talk to them.  I would love to visit other pro shops too. Thanks.

Sadly, there are really no great pro shops in Manhattan.  The one at Chelsea Piers is owned by Wonderland, and I don't trust them.  I think West Side Skate & Stick on 5th Ave between 22nd & 23rd must be the one you found.  They have a good reputation for fitting, but I don't know anything about their stock.  If you have access to a car, you can go to Jesse Halpern in Great Neck (Long Island), Dante Cozzi at the Newbridge Arena in Bellmore (also LI), or, for the SoftSkate, Sports Plus 3 at the Iceland Arena in New Hyde Park, again LI and the closest of the three, but not much of a pro shop.

If you don't have a car, I might be able to help you get to one of the shops I mentioned.  PM if you are interested.