When / how did you find out custom boots are needed?

[jjane45]

A friend of mine recently got new boots from our local reputable pro shop. She complained her feet were "swimming" in those boots and visited the pro shop for another fitting. Same story with the second set. Went back again and tried on many more options, eventually they found out she has wide ball and narrow heel (quack quack~). She was lucky that they had a used pair in store that fits her perfectly, and everyone is happy.

I wonder usually at what point do fitters break the news to people who do not get away with regular width stock boots? If I understand it correctly, many beginner skates don't have wide or narrow size. How often do beginner skaters order custom? Or do they wait until freestyle?

If you wear custom skates, do you mind sharing 1) how long have you been skating before you found out custom skates are needed, 2) how did you become aware of the need, e.g. pro shop, coach, etc., and 3) at what level did you start wearing them?

Thank you for sharing!

ETA: ops I thought split-width is considered custom... guess I meant both.

[FigureSpins]

I try to shop with my students when they get order and/or pick up new skates.  I think it gives the parent some support, lets the shop talk out any issues, and keeps me in the loop.  They're not buying high-end skates, all of my students are Preliminary or below.

I can honestly say that very few shops will measure the heel width, usually only the forefoot width and the length. 

The fitter I've been using lately does look to see if there's a disparity between the two, but when you're dealing with stock boots on low-level skaters, there aren't that many options.

One of my highest-level students has a wide foot.  Her last pair of skates, purchased before I started coaching her, were a STOCK split width Riedell with Coronation Ace blades.  She just switched to a pair of stock Jackson Freestyles with the same blades and I worry because there's a lack of stability in her skating now.  I'd like to think it's because she's only on the ice for our 30 minute lesson, not that the boots or blades are off.

[icefrog]

Do you mean custom built or split width?

I was told by a fitter I should go with a custom pair because my foot is done growing, I could wear them for a long time, and get some cool features that I pick out. I really think it was because he likes the specific brand that he only sells which mostly does custom work. He wasn't a fan of the brand I have, but it fits my foot in a regular stock size and is all I've ever worn. So I'm thinking unless you have a different foot size AAAA Heel/E Ball or some deep pockets it isn't necessary but that's just me. My coach told me I didn't need them and I trust her.

[FigureSpins]

I asked if they were custom-ordered in split width and the shop said C/A or C/AA was the Riedell standard, not custom-ordered.  We often say "Jacksons run wider."  I think some of that is because the heels in Jacksons may be wider, thereby feeling more comfortable. 

What's funny is that the girl had to be FORCED to wear them, even though her old skates were too tight.  She didn't like the way they fit.  Since she has a wide forefoot, I think she needed a wider heel than the Riedells provided, which is why she likes the Jacksons.  I'm worried about her tendency to stumble while standing still. 

I switched to custom Klingbeils after breaking down Riedell Silver Stars in 6 months.  After two years of buying new skates, breaking them in, getting them rebuilt, then breaking them in again, I needed a stiffer boot that would hold up.  My first pair of Klingbeils lasted over four seasons with one rebuild.  When I stopped skating regularly, I still used them - they were fine until they became painfully tight after I had my twins.

I don't what magic Bill Klingbeil worked, but I think the shop had house elves at the time that he made those skates.  I was able to jump and spin in them immediately.  Never had a problem breaking them in or getting the blades aligned.

[aussieskater]

My first pair of "real" boots were Jackson "D+" width.   Jackson called them "semi-customs", and the extra width cost an extra $50 at the time.  Back then, one size wider was as much of a change as Jackson would do to that model of boot.  If I wanted wider, I'd have to go up in boot and get full customs.  I wore those boots for 6-ish years, and knew from the get-go that they were too narrow in the forefoot and too wide in the heel, but at my (then) level, no way was I springing for customs or more expensive split-widths.

Now I have new boots A heel E ball.  I'm probably at pre-silver dance level and I've had all the kids I'm going to, so hopefully my feet aren't growing any more!

[sarahspins]

As a teenager I went to custom boots (SP-Teri's) because I just couldn't get what I needed from stock boots - mostly in terms of stiffness/durability, but also in terms of width - we had to special order the size I needed anyways, so adding on a few other extras like wool tongues and whatnot, it ended up not being much more to order customs.  Basically I broke down skates in months that should have lasted years... and I still needed more support.

Now, as an adult returning to skating, my custom SP-Teri's didn't fit after 3 pregnancies (feet are wider and a half size longer now) so I'm skating in stock Jacksons (and seem to be the only skater locally that wears them) and I am quite happy with them... originally I opted for them because the price was right and I couldn't afford another pair of customs not knowing if I'd really get back into skating again, but unless this pair has some sort of catastrophic failure that has me shy away from the brand as a whole, I will likely stick with them in the future since they do agree with my feet so well.   I haven't really had any major problems breaking these boots in.. no major blisters or other problems, except that I did have to modify the tongues on mine (I ripped out the latex foam since I am allergic and replaced it with lambswool - only after getting reassurance from Jackson that for the bargain price of $50 they would replace the tongues completely if I screwed up), but that's something that I can take care of when I order the next pair so I don't have to have anything to do with it myself... and it's my own fault I didn't make the connection that the foam was latex when I ordered them.

[FigureSpins]

I never realized the foam was latex.  That's an allergy concern, for sure.  Glad you were able to resolve it safely.

[sarahspins]

Yeah, it had never occurred to me either - and pulling the foam out was a much messier job than I expected it to be as well.. I wouldn't recommend it as a DIY job, that's for sure! (and in my defense, Jackson had initially just recommended that I cover the foam with something rather than replacing it, or sending the skates in to get new wool tongues).  If my latex allergy was the more severe anaphylactic type I definitely wouldn't have attempted it, but latex exposure for me usually just results in a really nasty rash.  It's amazing how many things have latex in them that you would never think about - like swimwear and underwear elastic. 

[jumpingbeansmom]

Our fitter never did, we did after having a horrible year with ill fitting boots.   My dd is in love with her Klingbiels.

[jumpingbeansmom]

I don't what magic Bill Klingbeil worked, but I think the shop had house elves at the time that he made those skates.  I was able to jump and spin in them immediately.  Never had a problem breaking them in or getting the blades aligned.

Totally...same with my 10 year old dd.   She was doing double jumps on the 2nd day successfully...I honestly think the slightly longer blade she had was more cause for the couple day adjustment.