When is it time to upgrade?

[littlerain]

How do you know when it is time to upgrade? Kids are always growing, but as adults, when do you make the switch?

I suppose that is two questions rolled into one :-P
1. How do you tell when your skates are really breaking down, if there are no outward signs of wear?
2. At what point do you decide you need a better boot/blade?

I'm skating on Riedell 133s that are from a few years ago but haven't had that much wear on them. I'm still a beginner, just working on elements from the later basic levels / FS1 at this point. No complaints about my current skates really, so really I'm asking out of curiosity and the fact that i like to plan ahead. Or perhaps it is my bad shopping habit that has me looking at skating gear all the time!

[fsk8r]

I never broke down my old boots, but the insides had widened so much that I could no longer pad them out so my heel didn't move around when jumping. I got fed up with the blisters and got new boots then. For someone with a slightly wider heel they're still good boots.
I'm currently debating whether my dance boots are breaking down (or just broken in) as I'm now getting a lot more lace when I've tied them than ever before. I might just need new laces though.

[Bill_S]

If there's a crease in the ankle that goes beyond the halfway-around point, chances are that you are losing support. Here's an example of my Riedell Bronze Stars that I still use for my PIC skates. They are way overdue for replacement. I've had them since 2001, but skate only once or twice per week in them...



...and how the ankle portion is misaligned as seen from the front...



This is severe, but at least you will know what to look for.

With my former pair of Riedell  Gold Stars, a sturdier boot than the Bronze Stars shown above, the ankle support hadn't failed after 6 years of skating. However the leather on the inside had worn away from use, but that's an obvious sign to replace them. (I really loved those boots!)



I was skating about 12-14 hours per week back then and that takes a toll on a boot's life.

[nicklaszlo]

Old thread from the additional archives:

http://skating.zachariahs.com/skatingforums-onice/www.skatingforums.com/archive/index.php/t-24147.html

[littlerain]

Thank you nick for the link and thank you bill for the detailed photos!!

[littlerain]

I impulsively decided to upgrade my skates today!

Ugh, the whole thing I wrote somehow managed to delete itself? So here it goes again -

I went to rainbo this afternoon to take in a pair of older skates I had laying around, and I ended up asking about new skates just so I could figure out what I may need in the future and plan ahead... Tried some on and it turns out I've been wearing a size too big! (What can I say, I've lived in roomy shoes lol)

Ended up really loving the fit of a riedell 255ts that had been used for a week (turns out the box said one size but the skate was another - lucky for me!) but, I needed a blade. Ended up with an aspire xp (used) bc I didn't want to give my fiancé a heart attack with the expense lol. All in all, it was $245 and I'm super excited to skate in them. Yay.

[sarahspins]

Tried some on and it turns out I've been wearing a size too big!

Don't feel bad - this happens to MOST skaters with their first pair of skates.  The good news is that some skills (particularly spins and turns) may become much easier for you with a better fitting boot since your weight will be more correctly balanced on the blade.

[littlerain]

Don't feel bad - this happens to MOST skaters with their first pair of skates.  The good news is that some skills (particularly spins and turns) may become much easier for you with a better fitting boot since your weight will be more correctly balanced on the blade.

That is very good news hehe, wish I could test them out today! Thanks sarahspins

[ChristyRN]

I went to rainbo this afternoon to take in a pair of older skates I had laying around, and I ended up asking about new skates just so I could figure out what I may need in the future and plan ahead... Tried some on and it turns out I've been wearing a size too big! (What can I say, I've lived in roomy shoes lol)

Been there done that! The proper fit makes a huge difference. I've only been in mine a week and can already tell a huge difference.

[littlerain]

Been there done that! The proper fit makes a huge difference. I've only been in mine a week and can already tell a huge difference.

Oh that is encouraging! I was worried about how the difference might feel, especially since I can't skate on them until my lesson tomorrow. Well perhaps I can get on freestyle for a half hour before hmmm