What skates should we get?

[jetskates]

Hi,

My girlfriend and I have had it with rental skates and want to get our own, after having some bad luck with
used we have just quit skating until we can get some that are brand new.

History:

Me: Several years ago after walking past the rink and mumbling "Someday" I finally just hit the ice and taught
myself how to skate, I can do laps at speeds that will probably someday get me in trouble, I can do foot-over-
foot wide turns, I can spin in place, and am working on going into a tight spin that ends up with you spinning
in place.

I have yet to be able to go backwards but not for a lack of trying my girlfriend and I both know that the rental
skates are holding me back.

Her: When she was in her teens (she is 29 now) she had a trainer and was constantly on the ice she was
about to get into competitions but due to life getting in the way she had to drop skating and eventually
ended up loosing her skates over the years . 

She is still really good on the ice and has been trying to teach me stuff but as I said before rental skates are
holding me back and my feet just will not do what I want them to.

I did some research on ice skates and am pretty sure that I want to get "Riedell 133 TS" for her and
"Riedell 121 RS" skates for me, considering our backgrounds do these sound like what we should
get or do we need something better?

[FigureSpins]

Are you or she heavyset or very tall?  Are you planning to take lessons or just skate recreationally a few times each year?

[Robin]

Are you or she heavyset or very tall?  Are you planning to take lessons or just skate recreationally a few times each year?

Yes, you need to consider this. ^^ For example, my husband is a recreational advanced beginner skater but we had to get him custom skates because he not only has very narrow feet (12B), he's also 6'4" and 230 lbs. His custom boots aren't very stiff but are stronger than the average skate for someone of his ability because of his size. I'm not recommending you get customs of course, but I just used that to illustrate the point that your size and your foot itself must be a factor in determining what boot to get. Yes, Riedell does make some great recreational skates, but before you get your heart set on one model that you've never tried on, check with a local pro shop that carries a few brands because not all brands work for all skaters. The pro shop will also make sure the skates are the right size for you.

[AgnesNitt]

Also, you may find yourself enjoying skating more if you sign up together for group skating lessons at the rink. They probably have them for adults, group lessons aren't just for kids.

[jetskates]

Thanks for the replies...

I am 5'9 and around 180 pounds, I am planning on dropping to 165 by this summer.

She is 5'7 and 115 pounds.

We will probably be skating 2 to 4 times a month and due to $ issues we will be teaching ourselves.

[AgnesNitt]

If you sign up for group lessons, you usually get free public skate passes. So it keep the cost down.

[FigureSpins]

You'll be fine in those skate options, but you should also look at Jackson skates, especially if either of you have wide feet.  Different-brand skates vary size and shape, so it's best to try them on in a pro shop and get measured/fitted.  Make sure they check the width and write down the sizes.

For you, the Jackson Marquis would be comparable to the Reidell 122's, for your gf, the Jackson freestyle would be the equivalent of the 133's.


Teaching yourselves isn't a good idea beyond basic skating skills and even those can result in poor skills and bad habits.  Group lessons are affordable and social, especially for adults.

[Mergen Tatara]

If you have:

a) Narrow Feet - Risport RF4, or any European brands
b) Wide Feet (like me)  - Jackson Marquis, or GAM models
c) In between average Normal Feet - Riedell 133TS