Jackson Competitors

[FigureSpins]

I recently bought some Jackson Competitors (7.5D) with the stock Ultima blade.  I'm still breaking them in, but fwiw, here are my notes and observations:

. They're fairly stiff and the heel cup is like a keyhole - getting your heel all the way against the backstrap is difficult.
. Definitely had to have them heat-molded, although I used the power of the Sun to heat them up. 
  (Small wonder I have artificial flowers in all my front porch flowerboxes/baskets.  Direct afternoon sun - yowch!)
. Even with that, I had to press the spine forward to open it up enough for me to seat my heel.
. The nylon laces are ridiculously long and slippery, which makes lacing up difficult.
. Factory Sharpening: the ROH is very shallow for a freestyle skater and the blade felt uneven/"sticky" in spots.
. The boots have four hooks and come up way past my ankle, which inhibits knee bend and foot pointing.
. I don't even bother with the top hook - I only use the bottom three and have plenty of support.
. The stock foam insole wasn't molded well for my foot (I wear Orthotics and have high arches) and it made my feet sweat.  No wonder my kids' Jacksons stink.
. I feel like the boot part is "too deep" - lacing up meant pulling super-tight to gather the leather.  That started to cause a wrinkle near the toe box.  Yet, the width is correct for my foot.  I switched to a thicker molded insole and that resolved most of the problem.

. Turns are easier on the Ultima blades.  I can do all four forward 3 turns with ease, back three turns feel different because that heel rocker is in a different spot.
. Almost wiped out on a backspin entrance because the forward rocker is pretty prominent.  That will take practice.
. I'm surprised at how far forward on the blade I am on spins and stroking. 
. Jump entrance edges felt pretty balanced - that could be because my old skates have alignment issues.

So far, they're okay skates, but I miss my Klingbeils.  Breaking in skates isn't my favorite activity and I really haven't had to do that in many years, so this is a bit painful.

[Skittl1321]

I must have fat feet- My feet graze against the top of the Jackson boots- definetly not too deep.


I wonder if you really got the full effects of heat molding.  Maybe if you left them in a car trunk for a few hours on the hottest day (usually trunk boots are more of an "ahhh" where oven boots are an "oww!", but when my boots got heat molded, they were in an oven at 200 degrees. I don't think leaving them in the sun gets them that hot. 
(I once left small pieces of cookie dough in my parked car in the Texas sun for 3 days.  It doesn't get hot enough to cook...it does melt chocolate onto the dash though...)

[Isk8NYC]

Mine sink down really deep without the thicker insoles.

[sarahspins]

I have "fat" feet myself.... which is I think part of why Jacksons work so well for me.  I did have to make changes to the insole in mine, but that for the most part involved adding extra arch support as well as post wedges (I pronate).

Leaving boots out in the sun isn't nearly the same effect as having them properly heat molded.  My boots were really uncomfortably warm when I had mine done - any hotter and I wouldn't have been able to leave them on.  I've left my skates in a hot car and the feeling of putting them on after isn't anywhere near the same as when they were heat molded (I do try to bring them inside, but sometimes it's not practical).

[aussieskater]

I must have fat feet

I have "fat" feet myself

Girls, we don't have "fat" feet; they're "high volume"    .  I hear you on the feet thickness - Jacksons are known to have a high-volume boot.  There's no way I could fit into a lower-volume boot.

Sounds like the thicker insole has worked for your feet Isk8NYC - hope the rest of the break-in period goes OK for you!  I agree with sarahspins about the heat moulding - mine were *really* warm when they were done too.

[AgnesNitt]

I have delicate little fairy feet. Someone on the board has size 4.5 feet, so, mine are far from the smallest on the board. But add in orthotics and my feet barely fit in my Competitors with a lot of stretching. I have the narrow heel, wide forefoot, and to fit the orthotics my skates look like 'bubble toe' after they've been stretched.

ISK8NYC, I found the competitor shaft too tall as well. I've left the top hooks undone for years, except I put a pony tail holder over them to give them a little restraint.

The only problem i've had with them is that some kind of metal staple came up through the sole when I was skating with an thin fabric insole.  If you need hefty insoles it should never bother you.

[Skittl1321]

I was in a Jackson size 3D until recently.  I moved up to a Jackson 4C now- I think it is too long and a little too narrow, so I think I should be in a 3.5D.

I don't think my feet are fat when compared to normal humans- I have tiny feet- apparently they are just "tall".  The only tall part of me, that's for sure.

I hate a lace break and skated with the Competitor only laced to the 3rd hook for months on my landing leg (tied all the way up on my other leg).  I couldn't tell the difference.

[ChristyRN]

I've been in Competitors for years.  I just got a new pair in the spring and will continue to break them in as soon as school starts back (and I get back on a set 3day a week work schedule)  They are much stiffer than my 8 year old pair.  I'm also switching from an MK Vision to a Jackson Ultima blade.  The blade is still on a temporary mount. I think I'll take them off and seal the soles this weekend and take them in for mount/sharpen/heat molding next week.  I've done it once at home and need to somehow make the ball wider. 

I went from a 7C to a 7B.  Great fit in the heel (it didn't move a millimeter) but tight in the ball.  My own heat mold didn't fix it.  Other than that, great fit.