First Skate Fitting

I had my first skate fitting today! I was super excited for it, maybe a little too excited because it wasn’t really what I thought it would be. I guess I went in thinking it would be this great horah event, but it was a skate fitting, haha!

The skate shop I went to is inside an ice arena, specifically the one that Meryl Davis and Charlie White trained at...the Detroit Skating Academy! I couldn’t help but think that the same women who fitted me also probably fitted them for their skates! I walked the same floors, soon to be skated the same ice...blah blah blah. Nestled in a fairly large arena is a very small skate shop.

In the 35 minutes that I was in the shop, I believe I tried on at least 6 or 7 boots. Sue helped me put each pair on, which I felt bad about, but I guess it’s her thing. She ties and puts each pair on to help me figure out the best boot for my foot.

In the end I walked out with three potential pairs. My coach had suggested Riedell or the Jackson equivalent of the Motion 255, Edge 229, or Flair. Riedell boots are a lot more expensive and are made for narrower feet, so they were pretty much out of the question for me. The three skates that fit the best were the Jackson Elle (Used 6.5), Jackson Competitor (6B), and the Jackson Freestyle (6B). I felt that the competitor probably had the most support, but they were the most expensive, the freestyle were the most comfortable but had less support. The Jackson Elle fit fairly well, but are scuffed and definitely felt used...because they are.

Time to weigh in on the pros and cons:

Jackson Elle - cheapest option (used), probably a good idea to drop $150 instead of $300-$400 on the first boot. Only single jumps.

Jackson Competitor- most expensive option, will last a couple years, can be heat molded to fit my foot better. Single and doubles. $360

Jackson Freestyle- most comfortable of the choices, will last a couple years, can be heat molded to fit my foot better. Single and beginner doubles. $310

Right now I’m thinking that I will probably try the Jackson Elle on the ice first to get a feel of it. I forgot to mention that all of these boots were super chunky compared to the recreational skates that I am using now. I’m pretty sure any transition to competitive boots is going to suck for me at first. After feeling out the Jackson Elle’s I will reconsider the new boots. Ultimately it’s going to probably be between the Elle and the Freestyle, but if I can manage to drop the $$ on the competitor I will do it since it has the most support. Such a difficult decision to make!! Any suggestions are welcome!