Blade and boot recommendations

[Freeskatekate]

I'm an adult that just finished Basic 1-6 so I'm looking to invest in a quality pair of comfortable skates as I progress. Can anyone recommend some good choices to look at? I'm 5'5, 115 lbs, have high arches and a large wide foot at the toes (I'm the widest size in sneakers)but relatively thin heels and ankles (think flippers!). I'm looking to progress through Freestyle levels but unlikely to be doing anything more than single jumps as I have some hip/spine issues, but I would like to work on spins. I skate around 15 hours a week and plan to stick to that schedule. Thanks!

Edit: Forgot to add, I don't mind spending $$ as long as the skates/blades are comfortable and good quality, since I won't be outgrowing them quickly or anything like that. Plus, I just want to treat myself! Haha.

[tstop4me]

Just as a baseline reference, what boot and blade are you wearing now?

[skatemom189]

My daughter has feet shaped like yours.  High arches and instep, wide toes, narrow heels.  She wears Risport, and is on her fifth pair.  She is. Eight years old.  Riddell discredit her right, she got blisters in them, and actually broke one of the boots.  Jackson's are a total no go for her, she rejects the boots immediately when her foot goes in.
So it's really important that you get professionally fitted, and try on as many brands as you can.  But give Risport a try.  If you like the fit, probably the Electra Light or RF3 models would be appropriate, depending on how much stiffness you need, and your budget.
Coronation Ace is the perfect blade for you.  I do think it's important to have a good freestyle blade for the beginning of freestyle, so you have a good toe pick.  It's important to learn the beginning skills correctly.
Good luck!

[Freeskatekate]

I'm currently wearing Jackson Excels from a sporting goods store. I know, I know! Terrible place to purchase. But I'm in Atlanta and there's really no place that I know of where I can try on a wide variety of boots and stuff, the rink where I skate is mostly focused on hockey. The Excels are so uncomfortable and honestly, feel almost like rental skates. I also didn't know whether I would stick with the sport so I was cautious about spending money on equipment, but now I'm hooked and I know how important a good pair of skates are, I'm definitely willing to invest.

[Loops]

I'm currently wearing Jackson Excels from a sporting goods store. I know, I know! Terrible place to purchase. But I'm in Atlanta and there's really no place that I know of where I can try on a wide variety of boots and stuff, the rink where I skate is mostly focused on hockey. The Excels are so uncomfortable and honestly, feel almost like rental skates. I also didn't know whether I would stick with the sport so I was cautious about spending money on equipment, but now I'm hooked and I know how important a good pair of skates are, I'm definitely willing to invest.

Kinzies Closet is somewhere in GA, I feel like in the greater Atlanta area even.....I don't know if they have a Brick and Mortar, but they might be able to help you out......

[tereskacz]

I'm an adult that just finished Basic 1-6 so I'm looking to invest in a quality pair of comfortable skates as I progress. Can anyone recommend some good choices to look at? I'm 5'5, 115 lbs, have high arches and a large wide foot at the toes (I'm the widest size in sneakers)but relatively thin heels and ankles (think flippers!). I'm looking to progress through Freestyle levels but unlikely to be doing anything more than single jumps as I have some hip/spine issues, but I would like to work on spins. I skate around 15 hours a week and plan to stick to that schedule. Thanks!

Edit: Forgot to add, I don't mind spending $$ as long as the skates/blades are comfortable and good quality, since I won't be outgrowing them quickly or anything like that. Plus, I just want to treat myself! Haha.

I am about to do same decision being on the same level - will probably go for Jackson freestyle or debut standart with ace coronation blade or RF3 plus ace cor. ( or MK pro)

[Freeskatekate]

I am about to do same decision being on the same level - will probably go for Jackson freestyle or debut standart with ace coronation blade or RF3 plus ace cor. ( or MK pro)

Thanks, the Jackson freestyle boot looks great. I ended up ordering it, but am contemplating keeping the stock Aspire XP blade on it. Is that a mistake? Do I really need the Ace or the MK Pro?

[icedancer]

Did you go to Kinzie's Closet?

You can stick with the current blade and it might make your transition easier and then change to Coronation Ace at some point along the road as it were -

But at some point having a Coronation Ace is a good idea - good blade -

[alejeather]

You'll be fine starting off on the Aspire blade. I used the stock blade that came on my Jackson Freestyles through beginning to learn my axel. I upgraded more because I needed new boots anyway. I was ready for a new blade at that point, too, but did fine on the stock blade for a while.

[tstop4me]

Thanks, the Jackson freestyle boot looks great. I ended up ordering it, but am contemplating keeping the stock Aspire XP blade on it. Is that a mistake? Do I really need the Ace or the MK Pro?

In your first post, you wrote "but I would like to work on spins".  The Aspire XP blade has a relatively flat (large radius) spin rocker, which will make scratch spins more difficult.  The MK Pro and the Coronation Ace have more pronounced (smaller radius) spin rockers, which will make scratch spins easier.

Note that the Aspire XP has an 8' radius main rocker, while the MK Pro and the Coronation Ace both have 7' radius main rockers.  The 8' main rocker has an easier glide.  If you learn all your basics with it and then later switch to a 7' rocker, you will find that you will need to develop more forceful stroking to compensate.

It's too bad that Jackson forces you to buy the Freestyle boot pre-mounted with their choice of blade.  It's annoying to pay for something and not use it.  Perhaps a reasonable compromise is to use the Aspire XP initially to determine whether the boot is the proper one for you; i.e., you don't want to buy an MK Pro or Coronation Ace right away and then find out the boot is not suitable ... the blade might not be the right size to transfer to a different boot.  If the boot is OK, then switch to a different blade sooner rather than later to minimize the number of moves you need to relearn.

[Freeskatekate]

Did you go to Kinzie's Closet?

You can stick with the current blade and it might make your transition easier and then change to Coronation Ace at some point along the road as it were -

But at some point having a Coronation Ace is a good idea - good blade -

Kinzies is quite far from Atlanta sadly and it seems like they don't have a physical store front, they are an online retailer. But I was able to order through a pro shop in another rink that was relatively close to me, they only offer Jackson and Edea but I went with Jackson because I have a very wide foot and narrow heel and the fitter was really pushing the Freestyle. It seems to fit great, very comfortable. At what point would you recommend a blade change? I'm assuming these boots will last for awhile...

[Freeskatekate]

You'll be fine starting off on the Aspire blade. I used the stock blade that came on my Jackson Freestyles through beginning to learn my axel. I upgraded more because I needed new boots anyway. I was ready for a new blade at that point, too, but did fine on the stock blade for a while.

Okay thanks, I'll give it a try, hopefully it's good!

[Freeskatekate]

In your first post, you wrote "but I would like to work on spins".  The Aspire XP blade has a relatively flat (large radius) spin rocker, which will make scratch spins more difficult.  The MK Pro and the Coronation Ace have more pronounced (smaller radius) spin rockers, which will make scratch spins easier.

Note that the Aspire XP has an 8' radius main rocker, while the MK Pro and the Coronation Ace both have 7' radius main rockers.  The 8' main rocker has an easier glide.  If you learn all your basics with it and then later switch to a 7' rocker, you will find that you will need to develop more forceful stroking to compensate.

It's too bad that Jackson forces you to buy the Freestyle boot pre-mounted with their choice of blade.  It's annoying to pay for something and not use it.  Perhaps a reasonable compromise is to use the Aspire XP initially to determine whether the boot is the proper one for you; i.e., you don't want to buy an MK Pro or Coronation Ace right away and then find out the boot is not suitable ... the blade might not be the right size to transfer to a different boot.  If the boot is OK, then switch to a different blade sooner rather than later to minimize the number of moves you need to relearn.

Would it be weird to switch out the blades that came premounted? It seems like maybe the freestyle boot is in the lower end range of boots because it comes with the blade already so wasn't sure if it would look silly to have a nicer blade on a lower level boot. I feel like it  fits me quite well, it feels very comfortable and I have a very wide foot and narrow heel. But yes, I want to focus on spinning and footwork primarily, I'm even eyeing asking the ice dance coach for some lessons in the future, I'm no jumper. Thank you for explaining the rocker differences, I didn't realize it made such an impact.

[tstop4me]

Would it be weird to switch out the blades that came premounted? It seems like maybe the freestyle boot is in the lower end range of boots because it comes with the blade already so wasn't sure if it would look silly to have a nicer blade on a lower level boot. I feel like it  fits me quite well, it feels very comfortable and I have a very wide foot and narrow heel. But yes, I want to focus on spinning and footwork primarily, I'm even eyeing asking the ice dance coach for some lessons in the future, I'm no jumper. Thank you for explaining the rocker differences, I didn't realize it made such an impact.

Up until ~late 2014/early 2015, the Freestyle was available as a boot only, as the entry model in the Jackson Competitive line.  It then got downgraded to the Recreational line, available as a kit with a pre-mounted blade only.  So it wouldn't be weird per se; simply a loss of some bucks paying for a blade that you swap out before its service life is over.  That's your call.

Personally, I think this is Jackson's marketing strategy to sell more Ultima blades.  Many beginning skaters get confused choosing the proper blade, so it's easier to pick a pre-mounted kit.  Once you start with Ultima, the expectation is that you will stay with Ultima; especially since the selection of intermediate blades with an 8' rocker is very limited.

I much prefer the Riedell marketing strategy for a similar level of boot:  you have a choice of (a) buying a kit (boot plus pre-mounted blade) if you do not wish to make a decision on choosing a blade or (b) buying the boot only [at a lower cost than the kit] and choosing your own blade.

[Freeskatekate]

Up until ~late 2014/early 2015, the Freestyle was available as a boot only, as the entry model in the Jackson Competitive line.  It then got downgraded to the Recreational line, available as a kit with a pre-mounted blade only.  So it wouldn't be weird per se; simply a loss of some bucks paying for a blade that you swap out before its service life is over.  That's your call.

Personally, I think this is Jackson's marketing strategy to sell more Ultima blades.  Many beginning skaters get confused choosing the proper blade, so it's easier to pick a pre-mounted kit.  Once you start with Ultima, the expectation is that you will stay with Ultima; especially since the selection of intermediate blades with an 8' rocker is very limited.

I much prefer the Riedell marketing strategy for a similar level of boot:  you have a choice of (a) buying a kit (boot plus pre-mounted blade) if you do not wish to make a decision on choosing a blade or (b) buying the boot only [at a lower cost than the kit] and choosing your own blade.

Ah, I see, thank you so much for the explanation. As a relative beginner, how long should my Freestyle boots last? I skate 4x per week, about 1.5-2 hours each time. I'm just weighing whether to get new blades now and stick them on the Freestyles or just keep the Aspire XP for now and switch blades when I'm ready for new boots. If the boots will only last me a few months, I'll just stick with the Aspire but if they last me several years, I think I'll switch blades now. 

[tstop4me]

Ah, I see, thank you so much for the explanation. As a relative beginner, how long should my Freestyle boots last? I skate 4x per week, about 1.5-2 hours each time. I'm just weighing whether to get new blades now and stick them on the Freestyles or just keep the Aspire XP for now and switch blades when I'm ready for new boots. If the boots will only last me a few months, I'll just stick with the Aspire but if they last me several years, I think I'll switch blades now.

I don't think anyone can give you an estimated service life.  The Freestyle Fusion is relatively new on the market.  The previous versions were traditional leather; the current one is synthetic.  Also depends on when you start practicing jumps, and how intensely.  Jackson will be in big trouble if the service life under your skating schedule is only months, however; I would be satisfied with ~2 yrs, but I wouldn't expect much more.

For comparison, I have the previous generation leather Jackson Elite Suede (an advanced boot rated for doubles).  I concentrate on edge work and spins, no jumping at all.  I skate 7.5 hrs/wk, about 49 wks/yr.  I've worn them for ~3.5 yrs, and they're still in good shape.

[Query]

The main criteria for how long a boot lasts is how well it fits. (Ill fitting boots have more room inside to crease and fold, which causes them to break down early.) At that level of use, It could be several months, assuming even a moderately good fit. Fit perfectly, it might be several years, or more. I've seen rental boots that were much too large or too loosely tied break down in well under an hour. That's one of many reasons to find a first class fitter. Also, high level (very stiff) boots, used by people who really don't need them, last a lot longer - but unless they fit perfectly, they can be very uncomfortable. Sometimes they can be uncomfortable even if they fit perfectly.

Of course ultralight boots often last 2 to 3 times shorter than normal weight boots - like many things ultralight. But some people think they are worth it.

And of course, at the highest levels of the sport, even the best fitting boots often only last a few months, but it doesn't sound like you are there yet. Even if you don't do triples or quads, it seems like the better you skate (e.g., deep edges, deep bends, strong jumps), the more easily you will break down your boots. (That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to skate as well as you can!)

I had a pair of well made (but fairly heavy) leather boots last about a dozen years (I still use them, because they are finally comfortable, but they have honestly broken down and wouldn't be much good for jumps), but I was over-booted, and for the most part I didn't try jumps over 1/2 rotation.

Another factor is that you can often get almost a factor of two increase in life if you get the boots rebuilt by the manufacturer after they start to break down. Prices vary, but that might be somewhere in the neighborhood of $60-$80 - I'm not sure for Jackson.

There are lots of other factors to boot life. E.g., you can reduce lifetime a lot by caring for them badly - e.g., storing them in a poorly ventilated bag, box, or trunk. It is important to air them out. If you sweat a lot you may even want to wipe the boots dry, inside and out. And you should always wipe the blades dry - and remember that while they are still cold, water may condense on them out of the air, so you may even want to wipe them dry again after you get home, though I don't - but I leave them uncovered, and take them indoors, where the humidity isn't too high. Again, if you leave them in a hot car, or in a car that gets very humid, or that gets very, very cold, boots can get messed up in many ways over time. I suspect boot lifetime depends a lot on how much you sweat, so can be a very individual thing.

Here's the thing: Boots and blades seem expensive, because you pay for them in one shot. But if you are paying for lessons (especially if you graduate to private lessons, which you will almost certainly be encouraged to do), paying for ice sessions, paying to have the blades sharpened, paying the costs of driving (total costs of driving are typically over $0.50 [USD] / mile) to and from the rink and pro shop, and for some people, paying for special clothing and make-up, and maybe even for special foods, medical costs, and other physical training costs, then good boots and blades are actually a relatively small part of that cost - and they matter a lot, so you may not want to economize too much. (Go ahead and figure out all the costs yourself.) Taking all this into account, as well as ultimate comfort, it is also well worth driving 5 or 6 hours if you must to get to the best fitter you can find.

Anyway, you absolutely can use your current blades, and switch blades on the same boots later.

BTW Aspires may soon be limiting you - ask a coach. If they are still in good shape, they might be good enough for now.

[Freeskatekate]

I don't think anyone can give you an estimated service life.  The Freestyle Fusion is relatively new on the market.  The previous versions were traditional leather; the current one is synthetic.  Also depends on when you start practicing jumps, and how intensely.  Jackson will be in big trouble if the service life under your skating schedule is only months, however; I would be satisfied with ~2 yrs, but I wouldn't expect much more.

For comparison, I have the previous generation leather Jackson Elite Suede (an advanced boot rated for doubles).  I concentrate on edge work and spins, no jumping at all.  I skate 7.5 hrs/wk, about 49 wks/yr.  I've worn them for ~3.5 yrs, and they're still in good shape.

Thanks, I don't plan on jumping a lot so hoping they last me 1.5-2 years with just focusing on edgework and spinning. I'll look into switching out the Aspire XP.

[Freeskatekate]

The main criteria for how long a boot lasts is how well it fits. (Ill fitting boots have more room inside to crease and fold, which causes them to break down early.) At that level of use, It could be several months, assuming even a moderately good fit. Fit perfectly, it might be several years, or more. I've seen rental boots that were much too large or too loosely tied break down in well under an hour. That's one of many reasons to find a first class fitter. Also, high level (very stiff) boots, used by people who really don't need them, last a lot longer - but unless they fit perfectly, they can be very uncomfortable. Sometimes they can be uncomfortable even if they fit perfectly.

Of course ultralight boots often last 2 to 3 times shorter than normal weight boots - like many things ultralight. But some people think they are worth it.

And of course, at the highest levels of the sport, even the best fitting boots often only last a few months, but it doesn't sound like you are there yet. Even if you don't do triples or quads, it seems like the better you skate (e.g., deep edges, deep bends, strong jumps), the more easily you will break down your boots. (That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to skate as well as you can!)

I had a pair of well made (but fairly heavy) leather boots last about a dozen years (I still use them, because they are finally comfortable, but they have honestly broken down and wouldn't be much good for jumps), but I was over-booted, and for the most part I didn't try jumps over 1/2 rotation.

Another factor is that you can often get almost a factor of two increase in life if you get the boots rebuilt by the manufacturer after they start to break down. Prices vary, but that might be somewhere in the neighborhood of $60-$80 - I'm not sure for Jackson.

There are lots of other factors to boot life. E.g., you can reduce lifetime a lot by caring for them badly - e.g., storing them in a poorly ventilated bag, box, or trunk. It is important to air them out. If you sweat a lot you may even want to wipe the boots dry, inside and out. And you should always wipe the blades dry - and remember that while they are still cold, water may condense on them out of the air, so you may even want to wipe them dry again after you get home, though I don't - but I leave them uncovered, and take them indoors, where the humidity isn't too high. Again, if you leave them in a hot car, or in a car that gets very humid, or that gets very, very cold, boots can get messed up in many ways over time. I suspect boot lifetime depends a lot on how much you sweat, so can be a very individual thing.

Here's the thing: Boots and blades seem expensive, because you pay for them in one shot. But if you are paying for lessons (especially if you graduate to private lessons, which you will almost certainly be encouraged to do), paying for ice sessions, paying to have the blades sharpened, paying the costs of driving (total costs of driving are typically over $0.50 [USD] / mile) to and from the rink and pro shop, and for some people, paying for special clothing and make-up, and maybe even for special foods, medical costs, and other physical training costs, then good boots and blades are actually a relatively small part of that cost - and they matter a lot, so you may not want to economize too much. (Go ahead and figure out all the costs yourself.) Taking all this into account, as well as ultimate comfort, it is also well worth driving 5 or 6 hours if you must to get to the best fitter you can find.

Anyway, you absolutely can use your current blades, and switch blades on the same boots later.

BTW Aspires may soon be limiting you - ask a coach. If they are still in good shape, they might be good enough for now.

Thanks for the concise explanation. Seems like the boots are a good fit, the size and width feels great, no wiggle room but still quite comfortable. I have heat molded them and that's probably helped with the fit even more. Only been a few days but so far I've had no issues of foot pain or rubbing anywhere. I'm hoping since I'm not going to be jumping much that they'll last at least 1.5 years. They don't seem like a huge investment, I specifically went with the lower range model of Jackson at this point in my skating, once these boots are done, I'll invest in something in the higher range of Jackson since they seem to be good for people with wider feet/narrow heel and regular to higher arches. I don't mind spending the $$ as long as it's a sensible investment. I'm going to look into different blades, I'll ask the fitter what he recommends and if he thinks coronation or something similar might work well for me. But just curious, aside from the size of the rocker in the Aspire, what else makes them beginner level blades? Also, is it possible to overblade as an adult?

[Query]

It is SO wonderful that the boots are comfortable and fit well. Great!

> But just curious, aside from the size of the rocker in the Aspire, what else makes them beginner level blades?

Let me speak only of freestyle blades - ice dance and synchro blades are different, so if that is your goal, you may want quite different blades.

I haven't used Aspire blades myself, and am not an expert on these things, so you need advice from someone else, but, as a general rule, high level freestyle blades make it easier to reach the toe pick, with minimal foot/body motion, and harder to avoid it. There are a bunch of fancy options on toepick shape and non-uniform runner thickness, that some people love. Higher level blades are stronger, hold an edge better and are usually heavier, although the heavier rule changes if you choose an expensive lightweight option like Jackson Ultima Matrix, Paramount, or MK or "Revolution" blades. I don't know if Aspire are the same approximate thickness as higher level blades - quite possibly not. Jackson Ultima's top level Matrix runners are a stainless steel, as is true of some other brands and models, which is more rust resistant than non-stainless steels.

>Also, is it possible to overblade as an adult?

Yes. High end freestyle blades are heavier, to take the shock, and it is harder to avoid the toe picks. But with practice, you can at least partly get over the toe pick issue. But transitioning from more or less beginner blades to high level freestyle blades might take some time.

Most skaters adapt to whatever they buy. So, there are very different opinions out there on what blades are best.

At one point I went from very cheap beginner blades to Wilson Coronation Ace - a reasonably easy transition. However, I don't think that Aspire blades count as complete beginner blades, which have an almost flat rocker in the center, and are more curved at the ends, and which make it fairly hard to reach the toe pick. It is also possible - you need someone else's help here, that the "spin rocker" (up front curvature, length and shape) of the Aspire blades better matches that of other Jackson skates than that of MK or Wilson blades.

Maybe someone else here can better say what transition would be easiest from the Aspires.

And, as I said, you could just transfer the old blades for now, unless your coach thinks it is holding you back.

[tstop4me]

But just curious, aside from the size of the rocker in the Aspire, what else makes them beginner level blades? Also, is it possible to overblade as an adult?

(a) In addition to the design details, higher level blades are generally fabricated from better-grade steel that has longer edge retention and requires fewer sharpenings.  My pro shop charges $25/sharpening; so an initially more expensive blade could actually cost less in the long run if it requires fewer sharpenings.  Note:  even if the alloy composition of the steel is the same, the final mechanical properties are highly dependent on mechanical and thermal processing, which affects the cost.  (b)  If you're considering intermediate blades such as the Wilson Coronation Ace, MK Pro, or comparable, there's no issue with overblading.  For a beginner, I would not recommend the advanced Wilson Gold Seal, or comparable.  It's overall profile and pick placement leads to a relatively high heel lift [the amount you can raise the heel of the blade before the drag pick (bottom pick) touches the ice].  With blades with a relatively low heel lift, if you rock forward on the blade, the drag pick will touch the ice before you lose control.  With blades with a relatively high heel lift, you can actually rock forward sufficiently for the blade to scoot under you, causing loss of control.  So you want to be a reasonably experienced skater before switching to such a blade.

[Query]

BTW, the original poster not a beginner. She has completed Basic 1 - 6.

I'm not sure that "heel lift", if you mean how far the tail or heel position on the back of the blade moves up as you pivot, matters in of itself. But if you flicker between the manufacturer pictures of the Gold Seal and Cornation Ace blades, you will see that the it requires a much smaller angle change (or the foot) on the Gold Seal to rock from the tangent point underneath the front stanchion (which might, for example, be somewhere near the ball of your foot) to touch the back-most toe pick (the "drag pick") to the ice. It's a little hard to tell from those pictures, because the pictures aren't scaled the same - I THINK (but am not completely certain) that the distance from the front mounting plate to the heel mounting plate is the same on both blades. That means you get a huge difference in skate behaviour with a very small foot movement when using the Gold Seal blades - and that requires a skater with better fine motor control. The main reason, in terms of blade shape, is that the toe pick on the Gold Seal is further ahead of the front of the forward mounting plate. Most skate techs choose to mount the front of the forward mounting plate at the front of your boot's outsole. So, placing the Gold Seal drag further in front of the outsole, also places it further in front of your toes. It's like a pole vaulter placing the pole a little farther in front of him/her. Physically, that means you need more strength to vault off the ice on the Gold Seal, but also that if you have enough strength, the angle will let you vault higher.

So, in summary, the Gold Seal blade requires finer motor control, and more strength, but if you have that strength, you will vault further off the ice. A lower level skater may not yet have the the fine motor control, and may not yet have the strength.

Does that make sense?

I realize that the blade shapes are actually quite similar. It is remarkable how such small changes in blade shape can so profoundly affect the way the blades feel and perform, but there is a lot of agreement that tiny changes in blade shape do make a huge difference.

That difference also affects the mechanical stresses on the blade - i.e., the greater strength needed to jump off the Gold Seal means the blade needs to be stronger. That might be reflected in the steel composition, in the way it is tempered and hardened, perhaps the thickness of the runner and mounting plates, and in the strength of the binding between the runner and the frame of the blade.

So it sort of makes sense that figure skating blade makers charge more for higher end freestyle blades. That said, when I have spoken to people who work in steel fabrication, they have estimated that the cost of making even high end blades is well under $5. So it is possible that blade price is more a matter of charging as much as the market will bear than of reflecting actual manufacturing cost. There are only a few people with the necessary knowledge and skill to get things right. Besides, I'm not sure the people I've talked to are estimating costs right: Because of the high cost, I'm guessing that the number of people who buy Gold Seal blades is fairly small, so economies of scale are limited.

[Query]

I left a few things out:

1. In order to take advantage of the further forwards toe pick placement of the Gold Seal blade, and vault more efficiently off the ice, higher end skaters jump while they are moving faster over the ice. (If they didn't, they would need even more strength to jump. Besides, it looks good to move fast, and it looks good to cover a longer space over the ice.) But a lower level skater might not be able to move that fast, especially while jumping.

2. This isn't universally true, but a higher end skater may be more likely to have fully customized pair of boots - which means that the end of the boot and outsole are very close to the ends of their toes. If you have stock boots, the manufacturer will probably create a longer outsole, so the boot will fit people with a wider variety of foot shapes. (Yes, you could size the boot so that the length is just barely longer than your foot - but there are other aspects to sizing, including widths, placement of the arch, placement of the part of the boot that bends upwards - so that might not be optimal on a non-custom boot, unless you reshape the insole and boot in ways that most people don't.) That means that on a typical stock boots, a blade like the Gold Seal which places the toe pick, with the usual mounting position, further ahead of the front of the outsole, is even further ahead of the toes than it would be on fully custom boots. So, with the stock boots that a lower level skater probably has, and average foot anatomy (if there is such a thing), Gold Seal blades, and other blades that place the toe pick further ahead of the toes, would be over-blading in that sense. But, to be clear, there are so many differences in foot and body anatomy, and boot shape, that this won't be true for everyone.

3. I have ignored the position and shape of the sweet spot(s) - the point(s) where the long-wise curvature (rocker) changes. Most figure skaters ride and turn on the blade fairly close to a sweet spot, and it probably makes sense to have Really good, world class, skate tech often alters this to match the anatomy and skating style of the skater. But most moderately good skate techs just try to maintain the rocker profile, so this may be irrelevant if you have one of them. (3rd rate skate techs, which are in the majority, progressively change rocker profiles at random.) It looks to me from those pictures like the position of the sweet spots (I believe there are two on most Wilson blades, but one on MK and Ultima blades) on Gold Seal blades is a little different than on the Coronation Ace. I'm not sure if that ideally requires a more advanced skater to take advantage of this, or even if it is a good thing. It's even possible that Wilson blades have two in order to accommodate different foot anatomies and skating styles, and that having two sweet spots is a compromise.

3. Jackson Ultima blades have a more curved spin rocker. I THINK This leads to a toe pick that is less far in front of the toes. So that should be mean Ultima blades are like less high end blades. BUT, it's more complicated than that - because they might compensate for this by creating a longer toe pick. I personally found it more difficult to adapt to Ultima blades at first, and think they may actually require somewhat better skaters. That said, almost all the high level skaters, and quite possibly all the Olympic medalists at the most recent Winter Olympics, use MK and Wilson blades. (Though that may be a matter of sponsorship and blades given away to skaters and coaches, things MK and Wilson are well known for.) Note that as with sweet spot position, the best skate techs often modify spin rocker radius, so too this may be irrelevant if you have one of them.

4. I haven't considered how high the blade places your foot above the ice, in part because that appears to be very similar, based on the pictures, for Gold Seal and Coronation Ace.

5. I haven't considered here how blade shape interacts with how easy it is to do and control turns.

Regardless, the end result of all this, most coaches would probably say that you should stay away from the Gold Seal, and other super-high-end blades for now. Despite the higher cost, they probably (but not definitely) won't be better for you now, just as a high end sports car may not be ideal or cost effective for ordinary driving. Something more like the Coronation Ace, or perhaps MK Pro, might be better for you. Of course, Riedell Eclipse and Jackson Ultima blades might be somewhat cheaper - I'm not sure what the equivalent is. And, though they aren't cheap, good stainless steel blades like Jackson Ultima Matrix blades, or Paramount or some of the Riedell blades will probably last longer, and require fewer sharpenings, at least in my personal experience. (If you are advancing fast enough, blade longevity may not matter as much.)

I think most figure skaters take the advice of their coaches on what blades to buy. While it is true that coaches don't always pick best for their students, it is probably a good idea to consult with your coach on this. I don't know if you are using a private coach - but even a group lesson coach that you have been taking lessons with might have some idea.

In other words, perhaps you should ignore everything said here and just ask your coach.

[Nate]

My daughter has feet shaped like yours.  High arches and instep, wide toes, narrow heels.  She wears Risport, and is on her fifth pair.  She is. Eight years old.  Riddell discredit her right, she got blisters in them, and actually broke one of the boots.  Jackson's are a total no go for her, she rejects the boots immediately when her foot goes in.
So it's really important that you get professionally fitted, and try on as many brands as you can.  But give Risport a try.  If you like the fit, probably the Electra Light or RF3 models would be appropriate, depending on how much stiffness you need, and your budget.
Coronation Ace is the perfect blade for you.  I do think it's important to have a good freestyle blade for the beginning of freestyle, so you have a good toe pick.  It's important to learn the beginning skills correctly.
Good luck!

Just thought I'd throw it out there.

Even within brands, different skate models can be quite different in terms of fit.  From experience, this is very true of Risport boots.

[Freeskatekate]

It is SO wonderful that the boots are comfortable and fit well. Great!

> But just curious, aside from the size of the rocker in the Aspire, what else makes them beginner level blades?

Let me speak only of freestyle blades - ice dance and synchro blades are different, so if that is your goal, you may want quite different blades.

I haven't used Aspire blades myself, and am not an expert on these things, so you need advice from someone else, but, as a general rule, high level freestyle blades make it easier to reach the toe pick, with minimal foot/body motion, and harder to avoid it. There are a bunch of fancy options on toepick shape and non-uniform runner thickness, that some people love. Higher level blades are stronger, hold an edge better and are usually heavier, although the heavier rule changes if you choose an expensive lightweight option like Jackson Ultima Matrix, Paramount, or MK or "Revolution" blades. I don't know if Aspire are the same approximate thickness as higher level blades - quite possibly not. Jackson Ultima's top level Matrix runners are a stainless steel, as is true of some other brands and models, which is more rust resistant than non-stainless steels.

>Also, is it possible to overblade as an adult?

Yes. High end freestyle blades are heavier, to take the shock, and it is harder to avoid the toe picks. But with practice, you can at least partly get over the toe pick issue. But transitioning from more or less beginner blades to high level freestyle blades might take some time.

Most skaters adapt to whatever they buy. So, there are very different opinions out there on what blades are best.

At one point I went from very cheap beginner blades to Wilson Coronation Ace - a reasonably easy transition. However, I don't think that Aspire blades count as complete beginner blades, which have an almost flat rocker in the center, and are more curved at the ends, and which make it fairly hard to reach the toe pick. It is also possible - you need someone else's help here, that the "spin rocker" (up front curvature, length and shape) of the Aspire blades better matches that of other Jackson skates than that of MK or Wilson blades.

Maybe someone else here can better say what transition would be easiest from the Aspires.

And, as I said, you could just transfer the old blades for now, unless your coach thinks it is holding you back.

I spoke way too soon, the boots are actually too roomy and my toes are shifting around and my big toe is doing all the work and badly irritating my Tibialis Anterior muscle. Kind of that weird shin pain you get from walking in flip flops for too long. Podiatrist has recommended going custom so I'm deciding between SP Teri and Harlick. Shame the Freestyles don't work, even with the insoles, kicking myself that I didn't go to a better fitter and he ordered them based on my sneaker size.