Boot and Blade combinations

[sk8great]

At what level do you think a skater needs to buy a boot and a blade separately? Also, at what level are paramount blades recommended? Thanks!

What boot and blade do you have?

I have a Jackson Marquis that has an Ultima Mirage blade! 

[sarahspins]

It really depends on the skater and their feet - if you don't fit a stock boot then obviously that changes things, because you'd need to buy boots and blades separately from the beginning.  For most skaters, once they reach low freestyle levels is when looking at separate boots/blades makes more sense, because you can customize the skates better to the needs of the skater (before that, assuming you fit a stock skate, there are boot/blade combos are more than adequate, and depending on the model many are fine for freestyle levels too).

Paramounts are not just high end blades - they have new carbon steel copies of the Professional and Coronation Ace blades, which are very common freestyle blades, and paramount's pricing at $199 is right in line with MK or Wilson (Ultima Legacy is a little less)... any skater working on single jumps (and beyond) would be fine with them.

ETA, I skate on Jackson Elite Supreme and Paramount 440C (Phantom profile) blades.  I could probably get away with less blade, but not less boot.

[hopskipjump]

425 ts Riedell skates with ultima supreme blades. 

I think once you start axel you needs to upgrade to boot/blade combinations.

Of course if you are not budgeting, no reason to hold back.

[AgnesNitt]

425 ts Riedell skates with ultima supreme blades. 

I think once you start axel you needs to upgrade to boot/blade combinations.

Of course if you are not budgeting, no reason to hold back.

Do you perhaps want to put in a caution about not overbooting?

[hopskipjump]

Do you perhaps want to put in a caution about not overbooting?

I did note that before going to combos there should be an axel in the works.  The boot she is in, is not that stiff.  We were going to go to the higher boot, but with her injury recovery, we decided to stay in the more flexible boot.  There was no real break in period for the boot, the adjustment was the blade. She had the LS when it first came out but did not like the low back.  There wasn't a secure feeling with jumps.

My skater is prepre and in ISI is open silver.

[Sk8tmum]

We moved to boot and blade when we started working on dances and skills that required good edges on the blades; the lower level Riedells just didn't have a good enough blade on the "stock" boots (at that point, it may have changed) to get good edges, and Riedell are the boots that fit her feet. 

It all depends on the coach; some want "good" blades early, some don't see it as a priority, and it also depends on the plans of the skater: if a skater is a "prospect" as a competitive skater/moving on a faster trajectory, our coaches move him/her into better blades early as opposed to a skater who is likely to be slower in progression.

I have actually seen very nice axels and doubles on boot and blade combos ... Freestyles with stock blades at one point were regularly in play on skaters landing up to a 2F, especially small girls who didn't need a heavier boot.  Now that there has been a huge swing from Jackson to Riedell locally, I'm seeing boot/blade earlier as Riedell doesn't seem to have a boot/blade equivalent to the Freestyle boot/blade in terms of toepick (if that makes sense).