what skates should I buy my mom?

[VAsk8r]

My mom has been taking group lessons for awhile. She's been using some old skates she found at a thrift store a long time ago, and she loves them. But they're that softer leather style, and multiple coaches have said she'd do better if she had something more supportive.

I'd like to get her new skates for Christmas. This isn't going to be much of a surprise because she's going to have to get her feet measured, but I'll probably have to order the skates online once I know what to get her.

She recently passed alpha and is working on forward crossovers, backward swizzles and wiggles, backward pumps, one-foot glides and two-foot turns. She's 59, and she's a very nervous skater because she broke her wrist skating with me a few years ago. I'm not sure if she will ever begin jumps.

She's about 5'5 and very thin. She wears a size 7.5 (sometimes an , and I'd guess her feet are on the narrow side. I'm hoping she can wear a stock boot. (Otherwise, this might have to be her Christmas and birthday present!)

I had been thinking about Jackson Classiques because those were my first non-recreational skates, but if she's not going to start jumping anytime soon, I wonder if they are too much. I think new skates are going to be a big adjustment for her. I was thinking perhaps Riedell 121's or Jackson Artistes.

[jjane45]

Not an expert, but seems like any beginner level boots that fit should work, depending on how narrow her feet are.

[AgnesNitt]

And get her some wrist guards.
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/wrist-guards.html

[skatermom42]

I was going to suggest wrist guards too! They are invaluable, not just for protecting the wrists but also for making one feel less nervous skating. If you're going to get her foot measured, I'd suggest taking her to a proper skate store that deals in multiple brands, to have someone figure out what brand will best suit her foot. They'll also help you choose the right level boot. If you want it to be a surprise, you could wrap up the wrist guards with a home-made gift certificate for a skate-fitting/purchasing date.

[sarahspins]

If she needs a narrow boot I'd consider the Elle or Freestyle boot/blade combos for her since they come in an A width.  The Freestyle is the same stiffness as the Classique, with the Elle being a softer boot.

If she can wear a B width then the Classique should be fine though.

[aussieskater]

If she needs a narrow boot I'd consider the Elle or Freestyle boot/blade combos for her since they come in an A width.

I'm not sure the Elle comes in an A except maybe by special order - I think stock Freestyle is A-B-C, while Elle is B-C-D?  I don't know what it is about them, but the Elles do look like really pretty boots!

What a lovely idea for a gift for your mum, VAsk8r.

[sarahspins]

Oh, I think you're right.. for some reason I thought the Elle came in an A too, but I guess not.

[VAsk8r]

And get her some wrist guards.
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/wrist-guards.html

She has wrist guards. Those were a present last Christmas. In fact, I think I read your blog post before I got them, and that was before I was a member here!

I forget that the Freestyles are the same stiffness as the Classiques. I don't think that was the case when I got Classiques about four years ago. Does that mean the only difference between them is the blade?

[AgnesNitt]

I think the Classiques (and the mystiques) have plastic soles (it's hard to tell from the picture on the Jackson site).
There's more difference than just the stiffness, the Freestyles have a nicer finish to them on the topline.

But what your mom's doing, why not just get her some Mystiques? At her level they'll last her a couple of years and the stiffness won't be too intimidating. She's skating in really soft leather, anything with modern stiffness will be discouraging. I know when I was her age and starting, the stiffness in boots was just terrifying.

[VAsk8r]

D'oh, of course there's the plastic soles and the different inside. I have my old Classiques and two pairs of Freestyles in my closet...I should remember this  .

I wasn't sure about the Mystiques because they're marked as "recreational only" on the Kinzie's Closet ratings, rather than ISI/USFS test levels. I've heard coaches discourage the rounded toepicks for kids learning crossovers, but there are still plenty who have them and they seem to do fine, so I'm not sure why.

At any rate, the Mystiques seem to only be available in a C width.

What about the Jackson Glacier series?

[FigureSpins]

D'oh, of course there's the plastic soles and the different inside. I have my old Classiques and two pairs of Freestyles in my closet...I should remember this  .

I wasn't sure about the Mystiques because they're marked as "recreational only" on the Kinzie's Closet ratings, rather than ISI/USFS test levels. I've heard coaches discourage the rounded toepicks for kids learning crossovers, but there are still plenty who have them and they seem to do fine, so I'm not sure why.

At any rate, the Mystiques seem to only be available in a C width.

What about the Jackson Glacier series?

Glaciers don't last very long.  Even without jumping, they start creasing and bending.  Little support.

[jjane45]

I am sure Jackson Classiques qualify as real figure skates, my fitter was able to move the blades and all. Classiques may be a bit too stiff.

[Willowway]

If she can wear a B width (you didn't say her feet were very thin) then I can recommend the Elle. I started Learn to Skate at 63, am now 65, have had a ton of boot problems and changes but these are just fine for me. I like them, didn't have a problem breaking them in and if they break down a little sooner rather than later, well, I'll deal with that when it arrives. I've had some MUCH more expensive boots that caused so many problems (and pain) that I nearly stopped skating altogether but I have no complaints with this boot.  I did change, from day one, to a different blade (Ultima Legacy, not matrix, that I lucked into in terms of the price - I really like them) than the one that comes with the boot so I can't comment on the standard blade.  The support is excellent but they're not overly stiff; padding quite sufficient (at least for me).

[VAsk8r]

Update: my mom bought new skates last week. Riedell 110's. I think she saw them in her rink's pro shop and couldn't resist.

They are lower level/cheaper than I would have gotten her, but she says, "If breaking in new skates is always this hard, it should be considered an extreme sport." She thinks they are more than stiff enough.

Now I need to come up with something else to get her.

[AgnesNitt]

Shameless self promotion.
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/merry-christmas-to-your-skater.html

[VAsk8r]

Shameless self promotion.
http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2011/11/merry-christmas-to-your-skater.html

That was a helpful self promotion. I might try the matching towel/gloves/soakers idea. I got her a pair of walkabouts awhile back, but I could only find them in this odd orange/black stripe combination and I notice she never uses them. Or perhaps if I get her a nice warm skating jacket, she'll stop dragging her bulky winter coat to the rink in July. 

[isakswings]

Yes, you could get her a nice Mondor jacket for Christmas and maybe some other accessories to go with it? If she doesn't have a skating bag already, you could get her a duffel bag in her favorite color to lug all of her skating gear in. Happy shopping!