Got my Jackson Freestyle skates!

[sampaguita]

My Jackson Freestyle skates arrived today. I've got so much help from members of this forum, so I thought I would update you on how the purchase turned out.

I don't regret buying the Jackson Freestyle, instead of the Riedell 255. The arch support seem okay, the boot wasn't compressing my foot (unlike the Classiques - must be the padding). Although my Riedell was prettier than the Freestyle, the Freestyle fits me better. The blade is shorter than Riedell's (almost like dance blades, I think), so that might need some adjustment, but I hope it won't be too hard. Thank you Query, sarahspins, Skittl1321, Sk8tmum and everyone else who helped me with this Jackson vs. Riedell decision!

The way it fits now is great. The padding is enough to keep my foot secure, despite the exterior of the boot looking too wide. Interestingly, my left foot which I thought was a 5B fit the 5C with no problem. My right foot, which should measure 4.5 D, needs tighter lacing, but not too tight that the boot gets squished. In fact, since there are no pressure points, I am looking at skipping heat molding.

I have more post-purchase questions though. I would appreciate your help!

1. This good fit makes me worried though: if the fit is good now, does it mean that it will get more loose when I break it in? Is there a way to prevent that (e.g., should I go with the heat molding)?

2. There were only 4 screws attached to the skate, and there was a bag of screws included in the box. How does this whole mounting thing work? Do I step on the ice and test the alignment before giving it to the pro shop, or should I just give it to the pro shop and have them align the skates?

[Skittl1321]

Glad they fit nicely.  My premiers loosened a bit in the heel as I broke them in, but no where else.

You want to skate a little bit before putting more screws in (only small jumps), to make sure the blades are aligned right, but you shouldn't fill all the holes with.screws. you want some empty to use when you change blades.

Glad you like what you got. Boots are so tough to get right.

[hopskipjump]

Test the alignment with your coach, dd has 8 screws in her skate, there are some empty holes as well.  You probably don't want to judge alignment on your own, the coach can see things you won't be able to see unless your rink has a full length mirror wall (some do).  I know dd thought hers were great, but her coach could see that it wasn't.  Do they need to be waterproofed?  Usually ours are done before blades are put on.

[sarahspins]

if the fit is good now, does it mean that it will get more loose when I break it in?

Probably not - you will find as your boots are broken in that you will be lacing them a little snugger (mostly due to the tongues breaking in) but the boot should not become loose overall.  As the padding in the heel naturally compresses over time you may notice that area loosening up a little (you also might not.. it really depends on how snugly it fits now), but Jackson as of a couple of years ago started putting moldable material in the heel counter so that area can be snugged up if necessary.

[nicklaszlo]

if the fit is good now, does it mean that it will get more loose when I break it in?

That happened to me with Jackson Freestyles.

[sampaguita]

I'm confused with what to do about the waterproofing. I emailed Jackson, and they said the soles have been chemically treated, but need to be periodically waxed to keep it waterproof. Does that mean I should use them for a while and then waterproof it, or should I waterproof it before using it?

It costs a lot to have boots waterproofed by a professional (about $40). Is it high-risk to DIY? If it's not, I'd rather do it using Sno-seal. But the way I understand it is that the boot has to be waterproofed before the blades are mounted permanently. Is it okay to remove the blades, apply Sno-seal, and then have them remounted?

[Isk8NYC]

Don't waste time trying to waterproof new skates because they usually have a light coat of varnish or polyurethane on them.  The wax just can't penetrate that layer unless you go overboard and remove the finish.  (Not kidding: I know a fitter who does that so he can waterproof the skates.  Makes no sense to me.)  

There's no reason to go crazy about this - just waterproof what you can reach since your skates have a plastic waterproofing layer across the bottom.  It's really only the edges and the heels that will need serious waterproofing.

Use the skates for a while and when you see dark, wet spots on the soles after skating, that's when it will be time to waterproof.  SnoSeal is easy to use - you just need a hairdryer and rags.  Do not remove the blades because it will strip the screws a bit everytime you do so.  

Good skate sets (like the Freestyle) come with a temporary mounting of the blades - just four screws in each.  Skate on the skates for a few hours.  Have your coach or the pro shop check the alignment at that point.  If everything's okay, have the pro shop put in the permanent screws.

[sampaguita]

Thank you Isk8NYC! The sole seems to be okay, it's the cork-leather heel that gets me worried. Doesn't seem to have a coating (unlike the sole, which is obviously coated).

[sarahspins]

Jacksons are sealed with something on the bottom (not sure what, but it's very waterproof - it's the lighter tan layer you see looking at the bottom of the boot.. it almost seems like it must be some sort of urethane finish), and they do have a wax finish from the factory on the rest of the exposed leather (and cork), but my experience is that it really needs to be redone with sno-seal to be effective... you will see the leather get darker once you snow seal them the first time.

You can buy snow-seal for fairly cheap and do it yourself.. a hair dryer is sufficient to heat it up enough to soak into the leather.  It's not something I'd count as risky for a DIY job since you don't really have to remove the blades