Custom Skate Boot Makers - Canada?

[ONskater74]

Would anyone know of a boot maker, preferably in Ontario, whom they might recommend?
I started out skating in old used, very comfortable, skates, that fell apart. Now in Jacksons, but it seems my feet have enlarged with all the skating I've been doing, more muscular or something, and they are kind of tight widthwise. I tried getting custom boots made by a guy in Oshawa but he didn't go up to my size.  My Jacksons are man's size 12. Length is fine, width is too narrow. Leather is also crazy stiff and way too much padding. My old skates had zero padding... really good feel for the edges on the ice.
Money is no object if I can get boots that fit. Links/phone #'s appreciated. Thanks.

[sarahspins]

Jackson does customs - have you contacted them for details?

[FigureSpins]

Would anyone know of a boot maker, preferably in Ontario, whom they might recommend?
I started out skating in old used, very comfortable, skates, that fell apart. Now in Jacksons, but it seems my feet have enlarged with all the skating I've been doing, more muscular or something, and they are kind of tight widthwise. I tried getting custom boots made by a guy in Oshawa but he didn't go up to my size.  My Jacksons are man's size 12. Length is fine, width is too narrow. Leather is also crazy stiff and way too much padding. My old skates had zero padding... really good feel for the edges on the ice.
Money is no object if I can get boots that fit. Links/phone #'s appreciated. Thanks.

A good pro shop can stretch skates for width.  Have you changed your footwear?

[Sk8tmum]

Would anyone know of a boot maker, preferably in Ontario, whom they might recommend?
I started out skating in old used, very comfortable, skates, that fell apart. Now in Jacksons, but it seems my feet have enlarged with all the skating I've been doing, more muscular or something, and they are kind of tight widthwise. I tried getting custom boots made by a guy in Oshawa but he didn't go up to my size.  My Jacksons are man's size 12. Length is fine, width is too narrow. Leather is also crazy stiff and way too much padding. My old skates had zero padding... really good feel for the edges on the ice.
Money is no object if I can get boots that fit. Links/phone #'s appreciated. Thanks.

There are two places you can get custom boots FITTED that are within your reach.  One is the SkatingBoutique in Toronto; they are excellent.  They can fit any size you want. For full custom, you are likely looking at Harlick - which they do a great job fitting - or, they can also get you semi-custom Riedell, Jackson, etc. However, they are also able to get your size in any boot you want ... they carry everything, and you may well just need a stock boot.

Now, the other place I was going to recommend IS the guy in Oshawa.  He goes up to any size you want - the customs he does are Klingbeils, which you can certainly get in up to ANY size.  No, he wouldn't have any there to try on. And, if you are actually buying custom, then, he does whatever level of padding or stiffness that you want.  He takes molds; takes down your details; and the people in NYC build them for your specific purpose - he doesn't make them himself. He's been fitting Klings for years, and is in fact the only Canadian distributor for them.

My bigger concern is that, with some of the points you are making about skates (i.e. padding, etc) is that you could likely use some very good customer service for buying skates. Padding is irrelevant to feeling edges; so is stiffness.  You also need some blade advice.  The Skating Boutique is exceptional in their customer service. 

BTW: Jackson doesn't sell direct to retail. You need to go through a distributor.

[SynchKat]

I would suggest making a trip to Toronto to go to the Skating Boutique.  They are super knowledgable and have lots of skates there you can try on. 

Good, new skates will be stiff, it takes time to break them in.  I noticed too that Jacksons have quite a bit of padding.  I was not a huge fan of Jackson boots. 

The Skating Boutique will fit you with skates that are appropriate to your level of skating and for what you want to use the for.  They will also advise you as to what late would be best too.  Love the Boutique, in fact I have to head there soon for some skate tape.

[ONskater74]

Klingbeil does not make boots my size. That was the problem... I went to the guy, did the measure/mould... he began to look worried....called the states...no, we don;t go that big. 
The skates I have are finally breaking in...after about 50 hours of skating. My issue is all the padding, why so much? I wish I could just buy boots like the first set I had, I want them for doing figures, not jumping, and the massive padding seems pointless. Probably if I yanked out all the thick padding they would be wide enough. For now I am fine, but longterm I need something else that doesn;t pinch. I told the Oshawa guy that I don;t care about cost, anything, as long as they fit, and I walked away emptyhanded.

How do you get to the skating boutique? I've never heard of it that I can recall. I did call one store in Toronto when I was in emergency mode after my skates puked, and they had NOTHING in my size in any brand. I called a dozen shops and not a single pair of men;s figure skates bigger than size 10-11. Finally took a chance on ordering sight unseen from some discount place in Vancouver, these are what I have now. I punched them out to fit and they've been fine, til now when my feet seem to be "muscling up" or something and I have to leave them looser over the ball of the foot or it is impossible to skate normally.

[ONskater74]

Oh, when my old skates puked and I was in a panic and couldn;t find anything anywhere I did call Jackson. Talked to a guy and explained my situation...  "Sorry, but we don't really do a lot in that size range", click.

[Sk8tmum]

Klingbeil does not make boots my size. That was the problem... I went to the guy, did the measure/mould... he began to look worried....called the states...no, we don;t go that big. 
The skates I have are finally breaking in...after about 50 hours of skating. My issue is all the padding, why so much? I wish I could just buy boots like the first set I had, I want them for doing figures, not jumping, and the massive padding seems pointless. Probably if I yanked out all the thick padding they would be wide enough. For now I am fine, but longterm I need something else that doesn;t pinch. I told the Oshawa guy that I don;t care about cost, anything, as long as they fit, and I walked away emptyhanded.

How do you get to the skating boutique? I've never heard of it that I can recall. I did call one store in Toronto when I was in emergency mode after my skates puked, and they had NOTHING in my size in any brand. I called a dozen shops and not a single pair of men;s figure skates bigger than size 10-11. Finally took a chance on ordering sight unseen from some discount place in Vancouver, these are what I have now. I punched them out to fit and they've been fine, til now when my feet seem to be "muscling up" or something and I have to leave them looser over the ball of the foot or it is impossible to skate normally.

Okay, that is very odd with Kling; I've seen more than one pair of custom size 12 or bigger Klings. Maybe they confused it with full custom?  I can see them not making stock Klings in that size ... but, full custom ... they do ANYTHING. Or at least they used to ... maybe new owners=new lines. Anyways, Harlick definitely goes up that big ... I've recently seen a pair of size 13's on a guy.

The Skating Boutique is the largest skating store in Ontario; maybe even in Canada. The website is www.skatingboutique.com.  They are at Yonge and Steeles in Toronto.  You can't expect them to carry in stock what you want - men's skates are a small market, and big is even smaller; but, they will certainly order it in for you, and there will be no problem with them doing it at all.  It may take them 2 or 3 days to get them in (maybe a bit more if it's a really weird thing) - but they will get them in for you.  Ask for Jason (the owner)  - he will take care of you.

Jackson boots in men's go up to Size 13.  So, that's not a problem at all - you just need the distributor to call them, as they don't deal direct with retail.

If you buy your boots not online, you can get them properly fitted and heatmolded.  That will make a huge difference. 

[SynchKat]

I do synchro with a woman who is 6'3" and is a size 10 or 11 in ladies.  She basically gets whatever skates they can offer her. 

But as Sk8mum said the Boutique will order in skates for you to try.  I work call and explain your situation and that you are from out of town and maybe they can order some in so they are waiting for you to try them when you get there. 

And newer skates do tend to have more padding.  It just seems to be the way they make skates now.

[ONskater74]

Thanks sk8mum,
I will see what there is to see.
As a guy I have gotten consistently rude and crappy service in every figure skate store, even the place that does the sharpening treats me like sh1t. It would be nice to find a place that cares.

[Sk8tmum]

Thanks sk8mum,
I will see what there is to see.
As a guy I have gotten consistently rude and crappy service in every figure skate store, even the place that does the sharpening treats me like sh1t. It would be nice to find a place that cares.

Jason values skaters. And he wants skaters in the right boots and blades. He, and all of his staff, are ex-skaters. And they certainly treat guy skaters very well;  there are a bunch of male skaters in his staff.  He will go over and beyond any reasonable expectation you have for service. Never heard anyone say a bad word about him or his crew; it is, however, best to avoid one of the busy "rush" times so calling ahead and letting them know when you're coming and what you're looking for is a good (very good) idea.  Ask him for his advice on what you need; it may be very different from what you think you need.  The only "poor fits" I've heard of out of that store are where the skater goes in and tells them what s/he wants and then won't listen to any opposing ideas. 

If you want a place that treats you equally well for sharpening, then, try Jake's Skate Sharpening. He's in north Toronto; he's been sharpening skates for 30+ years, and his dad before him.  He's the guru of grinding ... it's neat to go in there, as you never know who you will run into - everyone from Jeff Buttle to an intro level rec skater.  He's the best ... and he puts the same quality into the grind for an Olympic level skater as for a rec skater.  He'll also talk to you about what you are doing, how the grind is working, etc.  Just call ahead to let him know you're coming - he likes to expect people, but, no, he doesn't expect you to make appointments days in advance.

http://www.jakesskatesharpening.com/

[SynchKat]

I concur, Jake is he best and he is an adult male figure skater as well.  I have also met people there who make the trek to him from your neck of the woods.  He will not dismiss you.

[ONskater74]

Okay, sent an email off to the skating boutique.

In my search, before I bought my present skates, I went into the local jackson dealer and he tried ordering me skates, jackson had none left.... This began my cross-Canada hunt that ended up in Vancouver warehouse with a pair of jackson Marquis in size 12.  So when someone says, the dealer has to order them, I am cautious. The dealer calls and there are none to order...
For me to make the trip to Toronto means renting a car, booking the day off, etc, I'm not into wild-goose chases, and one trip has to do it. Real life is like that...

[Sk8tmum]

Okay, sent an email off to the skating boutique.

In my search, before I bought my present skates, I went into the local jackson dealer and he tried ordering me skates, jackson had none left.... This began my cross-Canada hunt that ended up in Vancouver warehouse with a pair of jackson Marquis in size 12.  So when someone says, the dealer has to order them, I am cautious. The dealer calls and there are none to order...
For me to make the trip to Toronto means renting a car, booking the day off, etc, I'm not into wild-goose chases, and one trip has to do it. Real life is like that...

You should be realistic about the availability of large male figure skates.  No, they may not be ready "right away" and it is very very unlikely that they will be in stock. However, if the Skating Boutique or any other distributor calls, they will get them to them.  It may take a couple of weeks - or you may be lucky and the manufacturer will have them in stock.  The manufacturers do not keep a wide range of the very small production run that is the reality of large male skates.  I believe the last time we were in the hunt for large male Riedells, the turnaround was going to be a couple of weeks - as they had to make them. 

It's not a wild goose chase by any means.  The fitter has to see your feet, measure you, discuss your needs. Then, they will make a boot recommendation, and order them in - if they're not in stock, and, frankly, it's unlikely that they will be.  A place like the Skating Boutique gets very fast delivery, as they are the largest distributor in the region. If they can't get it for you - it's extremely unlikely anybody will be able to.

Right now you are in a very low level boot. It's quite light for someone of your height and weight.  But, you find it too stiff.  So, that's evidence that you're not in the "right" boot for you.  Taking the time to work with someone who will fit you properly and then get what you need is important, and it will pay off for you.

Skating boutique is open on Saturday and Sunday, by the way.

[sarahspins]

So when someone says, the dealer has to order them, I am cautious. The dealer calls and there are none to order...

I guess there are a couple of details here that we may be missing... what type/level of skates are you looking for, and is your search limited by budget?  I only ask because you mention you have Marquis.. those are really recreational skates, the lowest level men's boot made by Jackson.  I would assume based on the title of your post that you're looking to spend more to get the right boots, otherwise you would't have mentioned custom, but your posts are kind of confusing because you have the cheapest "figure skate" Jackson makes... so I am not surprised that you're not happy with them.  My son has a pair and there's no comparison between those and my top level Elite Supreme, but then again there isn't supposed to be - the Marquis are cheaper for a reason.  Even between the Marquis and the Freestyle there are some notable differences - the linings are different, the padding is a little different, and the boots seem much better quality.

I am with Sk8tmum - I don't think your search will be impossible, and I don't necessarily think that you would necessarily have to go with custom boots to be happy.  I've had to get my last two pairs of skates made for me after ordering.  They weren't custom, but they were modified stock boots... most places aren't going to stock your size just like they aren't likely to carry the split width that I require, so they will have to be made special and that will take time.  Any boot maker (like SP Teri, Harlick, Klingbeil, and even Jackson) will usually make up a pair once they are ordered if they don't have them in stock.  A shop checking to see if they are in stock usually refers to lower level rec skates with PVC soles, where they are only offered in one width, those are usually made in china, and stock is limited to what is on hand in a distributor's warehouse.  All leather boots can be made up one pair at a time by the boot maker.

I think you absolutely need to find a good fitter to both identify your skate needs but also get you a good fit in whatever you end up with - if you end up having to travel to do so, it's probably worth it in the end, otherwise you may end up with another pair of skates that either doesn't fit quite right or isn't really what you wanted.

[blue111moon]

I know for a fact that Klingbeil makes any size from very tiny to supersized.  The only issue is price.  Adult Klingbeils are $749 US - and that's without the blades.  I would expect that the other custom bootmakers run around the same price range.

If you don't want to spend that much, then, yes, you're going to have a tough time finding quality stock boots in your size.  There just isn't that much of a market for the manufacturers to bother producing them.

[Sk8tmum]

I know for a fact that Klingbeil makes any size from very tiny to supersized.  The only issue is price.  Adult Klingbeils are $749 US - and that's without the blades.  I would expect that the other custom bootmakers run around the same price range.

If you don't want to spend that much, then, yes, you're going to have a tough time finding quality stock boots in your size.  There just isn't that much of a market for the manufacturers to bother producing them.

OTT:  I looked at Kling's new site last night ... they show topping out in full custom at size 11; and it looks like they've changed their product lines quite a bit ... it doesn't look like the old days of Bill building whatever you want!  Glad we switched my guy out of them ... size 11 sure wouldn't make it anymore ... and they are charging for the options ... sigh.

[ONskater74]

Bluemoon, You may "know for a fact" they do make them, but I know "for a fact" they do not. I went to their guy in Oshawa and they were not able to, at any price.

Re: the "low end" Marquis. Yes I know. They are the only thing in all of Canada at time of purchase. I just posted above that the dealer tried to order me some custom jacksons and the response was negative.

In other words, they don;t give a damn. Maybe I'm bitter, but after endless fruitless searching, and numerous wasted trips, I'm tired of stores that claim the world but are just miniature walmarts.

Money is no object. I had my cheque book in hand when I went to the Klingbeil guy, any price, as long as they fit.   I'm a recreational skater, looking for an all-purpose skate. I spend at least 50% of my time working on school figures. I don;t mind waiting for skates to come from the builder, not a problem. What I really find annoying are sales clerks who assure me on the phone that they can get me anything I need. So a set up an app't. book train tickets, get to my app't, wait an hour, finally get measured blah, blah, and then they tell me there is nothing they can do, and I just blew a day, a couple hundred bucks on fares, and ended up back where I started.

I've worked professionally doing in-field sales/customer service for the same firm for over 8 years, I make my living at this. If I behaved like these "sales" people I would be fired, would not last a month. If I lost even one of my current accounts there would be serious telephone calls from HO, face to face meetings with managers, etc.  Anyhow, getting off topic and ranting here...

[sk8dsmom]

I know for a fact that Jackson upon request will make semi-custom (if that's the right term?) as they have the separate components and just build as required in Canada (a lot of stock made boots are produced overseas).
You will need to go a Jackson dealer (as many people have said, Figure Skating Boutique is the best to go -we have gone there off and on over the years just due to where we are located) to get measured properly.  It will probably take upwards of 6 weeks or more.

I know a family with a teenager (male) who needs an extremely wide width and well as large size which is not stock made. 
I understand the last pair was over $1K and they expect to be $1.5K or more.

My DS needed new skates in the summer and he's got the opposite issue, small size but also on the wide side and competitive.
To get the Jackson Elite in the smooth leather (vs suede) and in the size he was in , would have taken 6 weeks plus $100 - $150 -we couldn't wait so we had to stick with the Premiere for now, and hoping he'll be ready for size 4 for his next pair as he will really need the support from the Elite by then. 

Oh.. and another thing, if you were looking for replacement skates in the late spring to summer, Jackson's were out of stock in many stores as Jackson's large shipment in the summer was delayed (or at least that's what our guy told us) due to being stuck in customs (late July I think it was) as my DS's Premieres ended up being almost 4 - 5 weeks to come in as there were none of his size available.

[Isk8NYC]

Sent the OP a personal message.

[blue111moon]

Bluemoon, You may "know for a fact" they do make them, but I know "for a fact" they do not. I went to their guy in Oshawa and they were not able to, at any price.

So the gentleman with the size 12.5 feet that I sat next to in the Klingbeil shop was a figment of my imagination?    Of course, he was dealing directly with Don Klingbeil, not an out-of-the-country sales rep, so maybe that was the difference?

If money is no object, why not call Klingbeil (or SP Teri or Harlick) directly and just fly to them for fitting and cut out the middlemen, since they seem to be the ones you're having issues with? 

[ONskater74]

The "out of country" sales rep went and called directly to Klingbeil. I was sitting right there.
They told him they can't make boots that size. I really don't know how their sizing would change in only a matter of months, as it was early 2012 I went for a fitting.
In the business world there is no "maybe we can, maybe we can't" depending on who you talk to. A No answer is a No answer. Period.  If a company is unable to hire and retain competent and knowledgeable representatives, then I wonder how they hire production staff?
Time for big-boy pants all around.

[retired]

Interesting discussion since I also know all the people talked about in this thread.

My big boy skater friend wears SPTeri. Always has.  Through Figure Skating Boutique.     I know he went to Klings, to the guy in Oshawa, we all did for a while, but he wasn't happy with what was offered for whatever personal reasons and went back to Spiteris.   

I wear a completely custom Jackson btw, not altered stock, but custom that is on a par with the Rose's I used to have.     (sigh, oh, Mr. Rose.... miss you)

[Sk8tmum]

The "out of country" sales rep went and called directly to Klingbeil. I was sitting right there.
They told him they can't make boots that size. I really don't know how their sizing would change in only a matter of months, as it was early 2012 I went for a fitting.
In the business world there is no "maybe we can, maybe we can't" depending on who you talk to. A No answer is a No answer. Period.  If a company is unable to hire and retain competent and knowledgeable representatives, then I wonder how they hire production staff?
Time for big-boy pants all around.

Klingbeil was sold to new owners in 2011; they have moved location and are changing their production processes and lines. It appears that they have changed their product offerings. They were a privately owned family run company, known for exceptional custom boots, and are now part of a larger company.  All of their boots were made by hand on very old machines; they have been retooling. This is likely the explanation to the change of product lines.

The gentleman in Oshawa is not a hired and paid for representative. He is a licensed distributor who fits Klingbeils out of his own shop.  He has been affiliated with Kling for many years, and is very good at fitting them.

[Sk8tmum]

I wear a completely custom Jackson btw, not altered stock, but custom that is on a par with the Rose's I used to have.     (sigh, oh, Mr. Rose.... miss you)

HI CANADA !!!! Anyways ... completely OTT:  Mr. Knebli.  Sigh.