Looking for figure skate boots for beginner

[CandleMom]

My 12-yr-old has only been skating for about 6 months. It's becoming a bit of a pain having to switch between toe stops and toe plugs to go from freestyle to figures. Anyone know of a good place to find good gently-used boots, about size 8?

[Live2sk888]

Ebay is a great source of used boots and skates. If you are looking for boots, don't forget to search under the ice skates section as well, because the boots are the same and there are ususally more artistic style boots listed under ice skates than roller.

[CandleMom]

Any suggestions on name brand, or things to look for?

[ncsk8rgirl]

Riedell, Harlick, SP-Teri, Edea are all good brands

[MWehmeier]

Originally Posted by CandleMom

Any suggestions on name brand, or things to look for?

I've started posting "finds of the day or week" from ebay online here. I've seen tons of great equiptment on their site going for less than 50% off. As long as you know your stuff... it's pays to shop around.

Mary Lu

[Live2sk888]

http://cgi.ebay.com/590-Edea-Angel-P...QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a nice pair on Ebay, it appears to be very stiff and would probably work well for figures.

[MWehmeier]

Originally Posted by Live2sk888

http://cgi.ebay.com/590-Edea-Angel-P...QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a nice pair on Ebay, it appears to be very stiff and would probably work well for figures.

Rebecca,

Those are a great value, I'm going to put those up on my Ebay Deal of the Day.

Mary Lu

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by CandleMom

My 12-yr-old has only been skating for about 6 months. It's becoming a bit of a pain having to switch between toe stops and toe plugs to go from freestyle to figures. Anyone know of a good place to find good gently-used boots, about size 8?

is your skater a male of female and is that a size 8 ladies or mens? good luck.

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by rwsz

is your skater a male of female and is that a size 8 ladies or mens? good luck.

I will have a pair of Ladies Riedell #336 size 8 available soon.... I have had them for a month and only skated 3 sessions in them. They are a "beautiful, and very comfortable boot".

I remember Rick telling me "make sure I get a proper fit", but, I was just to trusting when my feet were measured!!! I figured the rink owner knew what he was doing !?!?!?!??? "Suprise" !!! my feet slip and slide all around in the boots. So I have ordered another pair and they "should" be in very soon. The 336 are considered a dance boot not a figure boot so I don't know if they would be what you are looking for. I thought I would just put the information here for you.!

[bobnva]

Originally Posted by NaNaDo

I remember Rick telling me "make sure I get a proper fit", but, I was just to trusting when my feet were measured!!! I figured the rink owner knew what he was doing !?!?!?!??? "Suprise" !!! my feet slip and slide all around in the boots. So I have ordered another pair and they "should" be in very soon. The 336 are considered a dance boot not a figure boot so I don't know if they would be what you are looking for. I thought I would just put the information here for you.!

Same thing happened to my wife. She ordered a size 7 after being measured by the roller rink owner. They were to big and sloppy. We went to the ice rink and he measured her at a 6. Said she could even go with a 5 1/2. She ordered those and they fit and skate great.

We gave her old pair to a skater we knew who worked very hard and is a great skater, but her family is short on funds.

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by bobnva

Same thing happened to my wife. She ordered a size 7 after being measured by the roller rink owner. They were to big and sloppy. We went to the ice rink and he measured her at a 6. Said she could even go with a 5 1/2. She ordered those and they fit and skate great.

We gave her old pair to a skater we knew who worked very hard and is a great skater, but her family is short on funds.

Hi Bob.... yes! I have already been told by another "rep" that the boots I have just ordered will probably be too big also!!!! So if that happens.... looks like I will be out another $450.00~

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by NaNaDo

I will have a pair of Ladies Riedell #336 size 8 available soon.... I have had them for a month and only skated 3 sessions in them. They are a "beautiful, and very comfortable boot".

I remember Rick telling me "make sure I get a proper fit", but, I was just to trusting when my feet were measured!!! I figured the rink owner knew what he was doing !?!?!?!??? "Suprise" !!! my feet slip and slide all around in the boots. So I have ordered another pair and they "should" be in very soon. The 336 are considered a dance boot not a figure boot so I don't know if they would be what you are looking for. I thought I would just put the information here for you.!

gee and you loved those boots, what size did you order this time and what is your shoe size??? normally you get 1/2 to 1 size less your foot and they fit perfect. but i have known female skaters get even 1 1/2 which seems like a lot to me. call riedell yourself and ask them, you get there phone number online at their website i think. depending on the skater they can be used for freestyle but not figures.

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by rwsz

gee and you loved those boots, what size did you order this time and what is your shoe size??? normally you get 1/2 to 1 size less your foot and they fit perfect. but i have known female skaters get even 1 1/2 which seems like a lot to me. call riedell yourself and ask them, you get there phone number online at their website i think. depending on the skater they can be used for freestyle but not figures.

Hi Rick... I am just "sick" over this and the problems it has caused and yes I loved them AND still do.... they are a "terrific boot".

I have since learned that Riedell's run the same as you average shoe size. And for the snug "competitive fit" you should go 1/2 size smaller! Which is, obviously, how rinks fitted us years ago.

I wear a size 7 and sometimes a 7 1/2 shoe, the rink owner measured me and said I wore a size 8 skate boot and that is what he ordered. Rick, my toes only come to the stitching at the base of the tongue!!! I ordered a 7 1/2 this time but have been told I will probably still have problems with slipping in these too????

I did call that phone # last week and that is how I have found out that I will still have an improper fit with the boots that are coming! If the boot manufacturer's are letting rinks sell their products then they really should make sure that the sales people at the rinks know how to fit skaters properly!!! Sometimes it's hard to tell how they will be until you start skating in them, that is when I found I was slip / sliding around in them! And now the rink owner is upset with me because I should have said something before they were mounted ... The 336's are a "special order" item and can not be returned or exchanged. So I am just hoping for the best right now....

And if I hear "one more person" suggest wearing thick socks or two pair of socks or thicker insoles .... someone is going to get a smack!!!! When ya spend almost $500.00 for boots ya shouldn't have to compensate for improper fit!!!

[rwsz]

Originally Posted by NaNaDo

Hi Rick... I am just "sick" over this and the problems it has caused and yes I loved them AND still do.... they are a "terrific boot".

I have since learned that Riedell's run the same as you average shoe size. And for the snug "competitive fit" you should go 1/2 size smaller! Which is, obviously, how rinks fitted us years ago.

I wear a size 7 and sometimes a 7 1/2 shoe, the rink owner measured me and said I wore a size 8 skate boot and that is what he ordered. Rick, my toes only come to the stitching at the base of the tongue!!! I ordered a 7 1/2 this time but have been told I will probably still have problems with slipping in these too????

I did call that phone # last week and that is how I have found out that I will still have an improper fit with the boots that are coming! If the boot manufacturer's are letting rinks sell their products then they really should make sure that the sales people at the rinks know how to fit skaters properly!!! Sometimes it's hard to tell how they will be until you start skating in them, that is when I found I was slip / sliding around in them! And now the rink owner is upset with me because I should have said something before they were mounted ... The 336's are a "special order" item and can not be returned or exchanged. So I am just hoping for the best right now....

And if I hear "one more person" suggest wearing thick socks or two pair of socks or thicker insoles .... someone is going to get a smack!!!! When ya spend almost $500.00 for boots ya shouldn't have to compensate for improper fit!!!

right for the ladies the skate should fit snug with nylons or little bootie socks or bare feet if they wear them that way. i always got them 1/2 to 1 size smaller and with the newer model boots i sometimes think 1/2 size or the exact size lol because the toes are so narrow and tight. so you ordered what size this time and you are stuck with those too???? if you got 297s you can return them. riedell use to have a measuring tool for rinks to use to insure proper sizing.

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by rwsz

right for the ladies the skate should fit snug with nylons or little bootie socks or bare feet if they wear them that way. i always got them 1/2 to 1 size smaller and with the newer model boots i sometimes think 1/2 size or the exact size lol because the toes are so narrow and tight. so you ordered what size this time and you are stuck with those too???? if you got 297s you can return them. riedell use to have a measuring tool for rinks to use to insure proper sizing.

yes Rick.... nylons.... I had nylons on the day my feet were measured because I have always worn nylons for skating! I did not want 297's I want the #336...

measuring tool? ... yes he used the measuring tool !!! I guess I should have paid better attention!!!!

I ordered a 7 1/2 this time. Yes, I think I will be stuck with them too if they don't fit. I had been told they are special order item and not exchangable! I have not gone into the office to ask since I have found out how upset the owner is with me! And I doubt I will ever go into that office again!

[cindysk8s]

Regina -

Sorry to hear about your boot troubles! Allen has gotten to the point with ordering boots that he takes a tracing of the feet (with certain measurments) and then sends it directly to the company. That way the company can decide on the correct size based on the foot tracing and measurements.

My new Harlicks fit perfectly and Harlick discovered that since I ordered boots many moons ago that my feet grew and spread. I'm now an C/B width - the heel and ball of my foot of noticalbly different widths.

Hope it all works out for you!!!!

Cindy

[MWehmeier]

Originally Posted by NaNaDo

Hi Rick... I am just "sick" over this and the problems it has caused and yes I loved them AND still do.... they are a "terrific boot".

I have since learned that Riedell's run the same as you average shoe size. And for the snug "competitive fit" you should go 1/2 size smaller! Which is, obviously, how rinks fitted us years ago.

I wear a size 7 and sometimes a 7 1/2 shoe, the rink owner measured me and said I wore a size 8 skate boot and that is what he ordered. Rick, my toes only come to the stitching at the base of the tongue!!! I ordered a 7 1/2 this time but have been told I will probably still have problems with slipping in these too????

I did call that phone # last week and that is how I have found out that I will still have an improper fit with the boots that are coming! If the boot manufacturer's are letting rinks sell their products then they really should make sure that the sales people at the rinks know how to fit skaters properly!!! Sometimes it's hard to tell how they will be until you start skating in them, that is when I found I was slip / sliding around in them! And now the rink owner is upset with me because I should have said something before they were mounted ... The 336's are a "special order" item and can not be returned or exchanged. So I am just hoping for the best right now....

And if I hear "one more person" suggest wearing thick socks or two pair of socks or thicker insoles .... someone is going to get a smack!!!! When ya spend almost $500.00 for boots ya shouldn't have to compensate for improper fit!!!

Regina,

If the boot doesn't fit, you can do more damage to your feet than you might think. Personally I wouldn't give a darn if the rink owner is upset or not-- it's your money, your feet and your health at stake here. You are not a kid that will happen to "grown into" a new boot if it's a tad too big. Calmly and coolly remind them of that. If they're getting their nose bent out of shape so be it. Explain you wanted to be sure what you were being told was right. (Trust but verify-- sortaspeak.) Riedell should and will work with them on this issue, but they may have to go directly to the company vs. the distributor.

I am probably the hardest person to fit for a boot... and know from experience that boot fitting each and every brand (and sometimes model) of skating boot is as much an art form as it is precision measurement. If it's a custom it can also be the person making the boot on that specific day. When I was learning about fitting we were told that skaters feet sometimes spread a considerable amount of difference between the sitting and standing position. This is can be because of weight, child bearing causing the arch to stretch, or just having arch problems. This alone can seriously affect a skater's fit. Ask me... I'm a classic case of it and on top of all of it I pronate seriously because of knee problems and must have some type of orthodic support.

As for the owner being upset-- confront the issue with them in person as a reasonable person with a reasonable problem. Without emotion tell them the boots have 1-2-3 and list out the problems. Suggest both of you contact Riedell directly to fix the situation-- if they aren't reasonable, or do not get it. Go to Riedell directly-- but whatever you do... DO NOT mount the boot.

Oh FYI Regina-- I wear a 9-9 1/2 wide shoe my boots run from an 8.5-9 C boot depending upon the company and the model, and that's sending them a casting box to let them determine the fit.

Hope this helps.

Mary Lu

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by MWehmeier

Regina,

If the boot doesn't fit, you can do more damage to your feet than you might think. Personally I wouldn't give a darn if the rink owner is upset or not-- it's your money, your feet and your health at stake here. You are not a kid that will happen to "grown into" a new boot if it's a tad too big. Calmly and coolly remind them of that. If they're getting their nose bent out of shape so be it. Explain you wanted to be sure what you were being told was right. (Trust but verify-- sortaspeak.) Riedell should and will work with them on this issue, but they may have to go directly to the company vs. the distributor.

I am probably the hardest person to fit for a boot... and know from experience that boot fitting each and every brand (and sometimes model) of skating boot is as much an art form as it is precision measurement. If it's a custom it can also be the person making the boot on that specific day. When I was learning about fitting we were told that skaters feet sometimes spread a considerable amount of difference between the sitting and standing position. This is can be because of weight, child bearing causing the arch to stretch, or just having arch problems. This alone can seriously affect a skater's fit. Ask me... I'm a classic case of it and on top of all of it I pronate seriously because of knee problems and must have some type of orthodic support.

As for the owner being upset-- confront the issue with them in person as a reasonable person with a reasonable problem. Without emotion tell them the boots have 1-2-3 and list out the problems. Suggest both of you contact Riedell directly to fix the situation-- if they aren't reasonable, or do not get it. Go to Riedell directly-- but whatever you do... DO NOT mount the boot.

Oh FYI Regina-- I wear a 9-9 1/2 wide shoe my boots run from an 8.5-9 C boot depending upon the company and the model, and that's sending them a casting box to let them determine the fit.

Hope this helps.

Mary Lu

Hello again Mary Lu,
Thanks so much for the response. Whew!!! where to start, .... because I did get rather emotional and "irate" I did not go into the office to handle this. My husband, who is terrific and very calm when discussing problems did the talking with the rink owner! And did express the fact that I was not a 10 year old that would eventually "grow into these boots" and yes, .... now I know not to get them mounted until I am sure they fit. The rink owner has made it quite clear to my husband how upset he is with me that I did not notice the misfit until after they were mounted.

... I don't know why he got so upset anyway... he got his money from the sale and now will get it again. Because I will not take these boots that are coming in as "replacements".... I "will pay for them" because I don't want him saying anymore stupid things about me or this situation!

Mary Lu, like I said I was just to trusting! I figured he was a second generation rink owner and knew what he was doing!

I do believe he does work directly with Riedell rather than a distributor and my husband told me tonight he thinks this rink owner said that he can exchange this pair (when they come in) if they don't fit... hopefully that will be the case. I just don't know if I can talk with this owner about it anymore, my temper is at a boiling point because of what he said to my husband! Our Son is a Police Officer in the Twp. that the rink is in and I sure would hate for him to have to arrest me because I lost my temper and started shrieking obsenities at this rink owner so I am intentionally avoiding the office just to "keep the peace". I know I must "be pleasant and polite" and say the hello's required, but, that's as far as it will go from now on! We enjoy skating the sessions to much to screw that up for ourselves!

[NaNaDo]

Originally Posted by cindysk8s

Regina -

Sorry to hear about your boot troubles! Allen has gotten to the point with ordering boots that he takes a tracing of the feet (with certain measurments) and then sends it directly to the company. That way the company can decide on the correct size based on the foot tracing and measurements.

My new Harlicks fit perfectly and Harlick discovered that since I ordered boots many moons ago that my feet grew and spread. I'm now an C/B width - the heel and ball of my foot of noticalbly different widths.

Hope it all works out for you!!!!

Cindy

Hello "Sweet Cindy"... how you doing? I am feeling a bit bad having discussed this problem here, so many people that hang out at this Forum know where we are from and who owns the rink. But this whole mess has made me so angry that I couldn't help myself today!!! Kenny just said tonight that he wished we hadn't already ordered this set of replacement boots. He said we should have come down there to do it! Then no one at our rink would have gotten upset with us.

I do love everything else about the boots though. Cindy, anyone can make a mistake... the person measuring the foot, the person wearing the boot, that is not the whole issue here ... it's the way it has been handeled that has me the most upset! I hate being 60 years old and treated like I was a 10 year old!

The response I wrote to Mary Lu explains some of how we feel and how we need to handle this to "keep the peace" ... and then ... "life goes on" and eventually I will get happier again. Thanks for your concerns I guess you will be at the Presidents Day Invitational this weekend... Best Wishes and have a great skate!

Hope we will see you some Sunday evening soon!

[angoraknitter]

Wow...toes not even touching the lacing point! Oh my, and I hate to say I think you're right the 7 1/2 won't fit either.

When I first got back to skating not quite a year ago, I bought a size 5 1/2 riedell 220 set up. I'd been sqeezing my foot into a 15 year old sz 4 1/2 Gold star and thought a size up would fit much better. But after a few months I knew I needed to go back down to a 5...it is a science.

My mom has an old size 7 riedell 220 that's at least 30years old. Her toes don't quite touch to the end, but they're too tight...so I'm trying to convince her to just get a new wider boot, not a larger size.

Anyhow, I think if this were me...I would have called Reidell directly and tried to work something out since the rink owner appears to be washing his hands of the pardicament. He's the one that measured your feet...so he is equally accountable for the mishap. Did you try the boots on before they were mounted?

At any rate, I wouldn't buy a second boot though him, can you still cancel the order? Call Reidell ASAP...at least make sure they're going to send you second boot that's going to work.

(((HUGS)))