Edea boot fitters in Eastern N.C.

[Nekobirm]

I'm looking for a skate tech in Eastern North Carolina who can fit me for my Edea Overture boots. I live in Greenville, N.C. Many Thanks!

[Query]

Edea only lists one U.S. retailer from their web page.

Namely the U.S. distributor.

But they sometimes show up at competitions and perhaps at pro shops (??) to do fittings. The person I saw show up, David Rippon, in charge of the distributor, was very expert at modifying Edea boots to fit. You might call them to ask if they are coming anywhere near North Carolina anytime soon.

[tstop4me]

Query:  But they are indeed fitted and sold through local pro shops.  I'm in NJ, so I can't help the OP.  But there are at least 3 retailers in my area that I'm aware of.

[Nekobirm]

Thank you for the information.

[dlbritton]

At one time I know there was a shop in Raleigh that was able to do heat molding of Edea if necessary. I can't recall the name but I was introduced to the tech by David Rippon a few years back. I believe all of the rinks in the Raleigh area are associated with each other so calling one of them might lead you to an authorized fitter.
My rink in Greensboro is authorized to sell Edea but not to mold them.

[tstop4me]

The Skate U.S. website (https://skatesus.com/) lists a David Ripp (not Rippon) as the head hauncho.  They list themselves as the sole US importer and distributor for Edea.  Their website posts their email and phone contact.  It makes sense to get in touch with them to find out the closest techs authorized for sales and fitting adjustments in your area of interest.  It's always good to start with an authorized tech in case your order gets messed up.

If there are no authorized techs within your area of interest, then you might want to get in touch with local figure skating directors for recommendations on unauthorized techs.  E.g., some coaches do fittings and adjustments. But double check with local skaters to verify which are competent and which are not.

[Nekobirm]

Thank you! I will do this on Monday.

[Query]

In fact, I think some of the coaches on this board have helped people order and modify Edea boots.

Given how popular Edea has become, it is a bit unusual that they don't make it easier to find other dealers. Only if you zoom into Canada, do you find another dealer (Jerry's Skating Wear) in Canada on Edea's site.

If you can't find anyone else, "SKS" in North Carolina (https://shopsks.com) might be worth contacting. They seem to be a dealer for Jerry's Skating Wear. But their website doesn't say whether they sell Edea - you would have to email them.

Maybe the safest thing would be to go to David Rippon, or someone he trained, even if you have to travel far. Plus, they have all the Edea ustomization gear, which is a bit different from some other brands' gear, and at his store, you can see all the options, and try the sizes, and if modification is needed, as is very common in the skating world, they are very experienced with Edea skates.

But of course Indiana is a long ways from N.C.

[tstop4me]

Maybe the safest thing would be to go to David Rippon, ...

Perhaps you keep confounding David Ripp, President of Skates U.S. (https://skatesus.com/about-skates-us), with Adam Rippon, the figure skater (https://adamrippon.figureskatersonline.com/)?

[Query]

Perhaps you keep confounding David Ripp, President of Skates U.S. (https://skatesus.com/about-skates-us), with Adam Rippon, the figure skater (https://adamrippon.figureskatersonline.com/)?

Not the people. But I did confound the names. Ugh. I've done that before.

I met and attempted to be fitted by David at a competition (I didn't compete - I went to for the specific purpose of being fitted) some years ago.

He told me my feet were of the wrong shape/size for Edea skates. I was disappointed, but I appreciated his honesty. There are so many people in the skate selling business who are just out for a quick sale, regardless of how well the equipment will work for the customer, that I appreciate honesty.

There was a line of several people ahead of me at the competition who had come to be fit for Edeas, and I had watched him confidently and efficiently modify boots and make each of them happy, so it was clear he knew exactly what he was doing, and had done it many times before. Then he came to me, with my short wide toes and narrow heels (plus I was otherwise halfway between available Edea sizes), and he told me he couldn't modify Edea boots to fit me. (I think the issue is that the modifications he makes are to the upper; the sole can't be reshaped much, but he wasn't specific.) He wasn't the only one there who was honest - all the reps there were all factory reps or very good skate techs, not just garden variety pro shop employee out for a quick sale. I'm not certain how universal that is at skating competitions, but perhaps it is common at competitions that reps from many boot companies go to.

David's company may be larger now, and I don't know for a fact that all of his employees are as expert and honest, but I would have complete faith that he himself wouldn't stick a customer with poorly fit boots. It was one of several experiences I've had that convinced me that it makes sense to go to a real expert for skate boots, rather than to economize. But I know that not everyone can do that.