No Experienced Pro Shop: Sp-Teri's, Jackson's Or Something else?

[Loops]

If you have the chance, specially if you think you may need split widths, you might want to pay him a visit. He doesn't expect or will push you to buy anything, so if you want to try the Sp-Teris it is worth the visit. specially since they do do split widths standard in all their stock boots.  Mine are the standard stock US 6C ( ~EU 37) with is a C ball and a B heel. They are actually very similiar to the Jacksons in a lot of respects, but I still find them more classic (if you know what I mean) . They are completely made of Leather with no plastic or funny stuff inside the boot, just leather and padding.

Yeah, I'm not married to Jackson, it's just what ev.er.y.one wears here (or Graf's and I don't have a Graf foot!).  What intrigues me (besides the comfort in the toebox...too much comfort?) is the range of styles they do- I'm only dancing at this rink, but when we move next I may land in a club that's Artistique.  So I was looking at their synchro boots (happy medium?  Unhappy hybrid?) and since that's what I really do, I'm very curious.  But stock SpTeris had just hit my local market when I quit, so I've never tried them.   I expect my current boots (Risport Dance) to get me through at least next season.  I've already creased them, and I'm not so happy with the level of ankle support, but accept that once I'm fully adjusted to them I may change my mind.

Kind of a bummer that the semi-customs might not be available over here.  Getting boots stateside is always an option, but seems rather complicated with the wait times and everything.  I wore Riedells for ages, and if I could get them and then have them fit me properly, I'd be happy to go back.  I'm also very happy to be a boot-whore and try other's too!

We'll see.  If I do find myself in London between now and new boots I'll deffo pay him a visit.  In any case, he's on my short list.  I do want to check out the store in Lyon- we pass through there reasonably often (it's my husband's favorite city), so I'll pay them a visit when I can, too.  And report.  The French Ice-dance training center is there, so someone's gotta know how to fit boots, right?   

[PhysicsOnIce]

Well, I just got off the Phone with George Spiteri. He is a great guy always willing to answer questions.
Apparently, the symptoms (ie the excessive pressure on my ankle bones) is a common thing with skaters with pointy ankles bones. Luckily, he says that heat molding my skates will fix it or at least alleviate some of the pain while I break them in and that any dealer with a heat molding oven can do it for me, no special Sp-teri oven of the like needed.

So, Heat Molding it is!!!
I assume I can skate immediately after the whole process has been done right? I mean I can get on the ice right away once the skates cool down completely. Right?

[Loops]

I think yes, you can skate straight away, although I must caveat that statement, by pointing out that heat molding is new technology to me.  But my skates were barely warm to the touch when they came out of the oven (it's set below 100C, well below I suspect), I put them on, tied them as tight as I could then sat there, un moving (and playing with my then-new cell phone) until someone remembered I was there.  I'd gone on "too long" but that wasnt a big deal.  Don't see why you couldn't skate straight away.

Good luck!

[Isk8NYC]

The standard advice is to let them cool fully before you use them to skate.  This allows the glues to hold their bond between layers.  If you chill the skates too quickly, the glue becomes brittle.

[PhysicsOnIce]

I think they rubbed a little at the ankles, but it was bearable. I molded mine with the blades mounted. Just be careful not to touch the blades--they'll be hot.

About 6 weeks in, the corners at the top of the boot started digging into my legs painfully and I wore gel sleeves for about a week, but haven't needed them since. I think this started to happen because I could bend my knees deeper, but the top of the boot needed to soften up to accommodate.

Update on my breaking in:
Took out the superfeets, my feet just didnt feel comfortable with them in and had the skates heat molded. They are feeling a lot better in the ankel area, and rather easily bendable now. However, I am having the same proble with the ankles, my outside ankles look like I took a chunk out of my leg with a razor, gel sleeves it is. Got them this morning. Now the only major problem is that stupid little small second ankle bone, right about in the middle of my foot, which is completely getting destroyed at the moment. I am thinking make up pads for this region any suggestions?

I took off my boots this morning after only an hour with my arches completely stripped of any skin on that bone... Why are these boots giving me so much trouble. I have never had this much trouble!!! Sp-Teris use to be so comfortable and had such an easy break in period!?!  Is it possible my feet have changed so much in the past years???

Well, anyways this too shall pass!!! Just need to skate it out. I seem to have lost all my jumps completely, but I have feeling that is because I am not pushing off the ice enough due to the pain in my arch/little ankle bone.

[Loops]

Ugh, bummer.  You can get gel discs too.  That might be more comfortable than a makeup pad.

Wish I had something magic for you, or at least useful for the arch.  Are they hitting you in the right spot?  Maybe the superfeet are a good thing?

[AgnesNitt]

You may want to try gel donuts too. You can make one from a gel disc or buy them pre-made.

http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2012/04/magic-circle.html

[PhysicsOnIce]

Ugh, bummer.  You can get gel discs too.  That might be more comfortable than a makeup pad.

Wish I had something magic for you, or at least useful for the arch.  Are they hitting you in the right spot?  Maybe the superfeet are a good thing?

I tried last night at home to put my skates back on with the superfeet.... It did relieve a bit of the pressure from the arch area but then the toe box just did not feel right.  Can skates be heat molded with the superfeet inside? I mean the superfeet do have a plastic layer so I would be afraid of putting them in the oven. That's actually the reason I did it at first without them. Anyways with them in my skates, it felt like my skates were WAY too small all around.  I've never used insoles with any of my skates before so it feels really weird/uncomfortable, and overall makes my skates feel worse.

The strange thing is that I still love my skates despite having this much trouble with them.... I talked to my mom last night an apparently, when I was breaking in my old Super Teri's she did have to wrap my feet in gauze for the first two weeks and then they were super comfortable for three years... I DON'T remember this at all... 

[Loops]

Did you try them on initially with the superfeet?  I don't see why you couldn't heat mold them with those inside, but like I said before, I'm a newbie with all this internal cushioning/heat molding technology....

I can't  believe you don't recall having your feet wrapped in gauze!  That sounds like a doozie of a break-in. 

Can you take it more slowly with the break-in?  Or are you pretty desperate (I was when I bought new skates in Nov, so I know what that's like)?  Maybe doing it the old fashioned way of wearing them for 30 mins or so a session will help.  Then you can still get on with your skating and maybe suffer less overall.

Good luck- it will pass!!!

[PhysicsOnIce]

Did you try them on initially with the superfeet?  I don't see why you couldn't heat mold them with those inside, but like I said before, I'm a newbie with all this internal cushioning/heat molding technology....

I can't  believe you don't recall having your feet wrapped in gauze!  That sounds like a doozie of a break-in. 

Can you take it more slowly with the break-in?  Or are you pretty desperate (I was when I bought new skates in Nov, so I know what that's like)?  Maybe doing it the old fashioned way of wearing them for 30 mins or so a session will help.  Then you can still get on with your skating and maybe suffer less overall.

Good luck- it will pass!!!

I did try the one originally with the superfeet, but they felt different at the store.... I did some more research on the topic an apparently you can just heat the boot, put the superfeet insole in and then mold the skate to your feet that way... I feel super stupid right now about this... of course that would have been the best way to do it. Actually thinking about it thats exactly what Les said to do.

I must be going crazy I seem to forget everything lately.

As for my break in process, I don't remember it at all. But then again  I was the type of kid that even if I was deathly sick I would want to go to the rink, so I might have just blocked that out.

my old skates are just too big to be switching back and forth between old and new, my blades alone are one inch shorter.

[Loops]

.... my blades alone are one inch shorter.

This happened to me too.  I wonder if something has changed in skates somehow, but since I can't get Riedells to see what would fit me I can't check.  Every boot I tried on this go around took blades that were 1/3 inch shorter than my old ones.  My feet haven't gotten any shorter, and I wasn't in an overly long boot (to compensate for width) before.  The heel doesn't feel any higher, but the boots are definitely shorter.  What is this?

Normally I wouldn't care or probably have noticed, but my patch blades are 10 1/3 and eventually I'd like to use them again, but my old boots won't work for that, and they might actually hang off the ends of my new boots.  So weird!

[alejeather]

I tried last night at home to put my skates back on with the superfeet.... It did relieve a bit of the pressure from the arch area but then the toe box just did not feel right.  Can skates be heat molded with the superfeet inside? I mean the superfeet do have a plastic layer so I would be afraid of putting them in the oven.

My SP-Teris initially felt tight in the toe box. I thought I would have to have them punched out, but I skated in them a few times first. One time, I even wore slightly thick socks because I'd forgotten my stockings--that felt extra tight, but I think it helped stretch them. They did stretch a little and I found I didn't need to punch them, but that is an option.

Also, SuperFeet can be trimmed, so that the length or width best fits your foot and skate.

I think you already resolved this, but I actually heat-molded my skates with the SuperFeet in them because I forgot to take them out I wouldn't recommend it, but it turned out not to be a problem.

[PhysicsOnIce]

Okay update number I dont know anymore!!!
We seemed to have reach a convergence point where my feet and my boots seem to be happy. YAY!!!! okay the holes on my feet still hurt from the stripped skin, but all major pain is gone

Had my skates heat molded for the second time, this time I put the superfeet in before sitting with them. It felt great while the boot was warm, but started to bother me in the shop when the boot was cool. However, I took them off and re-tied. I skated 5 minutes and had to re-tie again because my foot was getting a bit numb.  I apparently tie my skates WAY to tight! my coach looked at my skates today and was surprised to see then so tight. She untied them, only tying the first three hooks (the boot has 5), and WAH!!! I was able to skate the whole session without major problem. Okay the MIF inside spirals hurt but thats because of the wound.

Hurray for finally reaching a viable option!

[icedancer]

Glad you found a solution!

I wanted to mention that SP Teris are notoriously stiff and difficult to break in - I wear them and know first-hand!  But once they are broken in they are great and don't break down fast at all - I had my last pair for 15 years and am going on 8 years in my current pair.

Of course I don't jump so that explains part of the longevity for me.