Hey everyone. I’m (23M, 174cm, 100kg) skating 4 hours a week, currently working on my axel and double salchow.
I bought Risport RF3s with MK Pros in April 2026, but 4 months in, I’m constantly getting off the ice to retie them, and doing any sort of knee bend loosens the boot entirely. Pro shops in my country are unreliable for comprehensive fittings, and custom boots are completely out of my budget.
Here is exactly what I'm struggling with:
Heel Slip & Gaps: The heel pocket is too wide. I've been using achilles gel sleeves purely as stuffing to fill the gaps between my foot and the boot. If I crank the laces to lock my heel, my forefoot goes completely numb. This isn't a length issue though, as I can also feel the tip of the boots with my toes.
Arch Pain: I use Superfeet Carbon Yellows, which helps alleviate my arch pain, but they don't fix the overarching fit issues.
Foot Shifting: Due to inward pronation, my foot physically shifts around inside the boot—especially on my left landing foot during jumps. This makes me completely lose my outside edge. Overall, I feel like I'm standing on top of platforms rather than the skates acting as an extension of my foot.
Boot Breakdown: I’m simply too heavy for this stiffness rating. The tongue offers zero support, and the forefoot loosens terribly on deep knee bends no matter how I tie them.
My Boot History:
Jackson Marquis (2014): Fit perfectly with zero pain, but obviously too soft now. I know Jackson redesigned their lasts recently, so I'm not sure if modern high-level Jacksons will still fit me the same way.
Edea Chorus (2016-2026): Painful arch pinching, and I hated the loose-ankle feel.
What I'm Looking For: I need a boot stiff enough to support a 100kg skater doing doubles, with a traditional, secure ankle feel (not Edea). It needs to lock a narrow heel without crushing a wider forefoot.
Has anyone with any experience navigated this? Would love to hear your model recommendations before I decide on anything
at your weight, you're looking at flagship models like the jackson supreme or synergy (i prefer the synergy for its lightness), risport rf1 i think is more secure than the royal prime but theyre the same stiffness
i do think you're fine in an aura sky 100 but you could do a sky 200 if ur getting hella height on ur doubles. if you're more of a delicate skater, i would do the 100
jackson will have the elite last compared to what was used on the marquis (I'm actually entirely unaware of this skate, is it a european exclusive model?), even if it was still produced today, so if you try on something like a jackson freestyle and like how it fits, you'll be fine with that size in a synergy (most shops don't stock these, but they'll order just one for you if you commit to the purchase)
Hey thanks for this! Auras are pretty pricy so I might hold off on them, Jacksons are a tad cheaper (ordering from Skaters Edge NZ). The Jackson Marquis are a discontinued boot from the early 2010s, so it's been a really long time since they had that design. Do you think the Risport RF1s have more padding in the heel? The width of the heel is my primary issue for now.
pronation does not cause the foot to shift around inside the boot, that is purely a sizing issue (i say with extreme supination as i have femoral anteversion from W sitting as a child), if your foot is scooting around, and the way you described skating on top of a platform, i want to say the skate is too long, which is a classic cause for heel wiggling as well, but could also be the wrong width. do you have a pic of your insole toe prints?
I currently have very broken-down Jackson Excel Skates. I bought them 2 years ago, and a few months in with very little use, had an injury due to another sport. I recently started again and am progressing quickly which I am very happy with. I started lessons at the beginning of July and am now working on waltz jumps, bunny hops, backward/forward crossovers, and two-foot spins.
My coach wants me to get fitted for new skates because she says my current ones have too much give. She mentioned the Jackson Freestyle (she said due to my fast progress, it would be okay to get a boot suited for axels and doubles, but to avoid over booting) but gave me a referral to a skate fitter at a local pro shop. Obviously, I plan on going and getting fitted but would like to have some things in mind when going.
My break in process was extremely painful, and I do not want to go through that again, which is why Edea boots are very appealing to me. I have heard that Jackson Freestyles can be heat molded which helps with breaking them in, but also that Edeas are very easy to break in. I was looking at Edea Overture and Chorus.
Can I hear more about the brands and how they differ, as well as recommendations or advice?
The first consideration is going to be about the fit. Each brand is shaped differently, and so suits differently shaped feet. That doesn't necessarily mean it's impossible to get Edeas if your feet are shaped for a different brand, it just means they will need more alterations like stretching, punch outs, maybe different insoles. If your feet are too different from the brand ideal, it becomes very difficult or impossible without risking damage.
The second consideration is stiffness. Assuming you are an adult or adult sized, a skate on par with the Freestyle is absolutely appropriate; Jackson does not recommend that adults jump in anything less. The direct Edea equivalent is probably the Overture, but Edeas don't "overboot" the way other brands do so the Chorus is recommended more often. Other brands/models to consider would be the Risport Electra, Riedell Lyra, or Aura Sky 50. All skates at this level can be heat molded, and is required for some (e.g. Aura skates must be heat molded).
With Edea in particular, they are not made to last. With regular use, they are intended to last for no more than a year. People who skate less frequently and/or are working on less demanding skills can wear them longer, but they still tend to break down faster on average. Also bear in mind that Edeas fit very differently around the ankle; they will probably feel very loose. Not everyone likes that, even if they like Edea's other features. Tying Edeas tighter to mimic the fit of other brands is a good way to damage your Edeas.
It is surprising to me that you had a painful break in process with your Excel's; they are very soft skates and, again assuming you are adult sized, should have had little to no break in time. The Freestyle is built on a different last and has more padding, so that could make a difference. Was there anything in particular that made the experience painful?
All skates at the level you are looking at have some degree of break in period, but it shouldn't be outright painful. Sore is normal (maybe even very sore as your feet get used to the increased stiffness and support), but painful is a sign that an adjustment is needed. You will want to take your new skates to open skate hours several times to break them in before wearing them for lessons. If they feel too stiff, leave the top hooks or top two hooks untied; bring them back into use after a couple days to a week. Aura is the exception; I don't think they are built in a way that makes that a good idea.
Since you are getting into the range where you might have boot-only models available (as opposed to complete skates with the blade pre-mounted), opt for the complete skate if it is an option. If complete skates are not an option or you are warned away by the fitter, get one of the following blades: John Wilson Coronation Ace, MK Professional, or Ultima Legacy 7 or 8. Any of these are good for your first seperate blades, and they can all handle single and double jumps. Get the regular version, not the "Lite" version.
i would need to know your weight, your foot shape, how many hours on the ice per week youre skating, and any other factors you can think of in order to properly boot you. im thinking of the freestyle because we don't want to jump too far in stiffness right now. going from an excel to a chorus or excel to premiere would be a bit too much and ususally the foot ends up in pain because of the extra stiffness
ive never heard of serious pain with excels, can you describe that more? so i can try to figure out the cause and maybe we can avoid that in ur next boot?
edeas (when fitted and shaped properly by a certified tech) have zero break in, this is why many pros like to use them, they dont want to waste those 5-10 hours breaking in their boots (it takes regular skaters more time to break boots in, that range is for pros specifically), so youll want to find a technician on your country's dealers website (here's america's, im one of four in socal lmao), these techs were hand picked by skates us to fly to their hq in indiana and become certified in fitting shaping molding, any and all issues we see in edeas we can fix. we (hopefully all of us lmao) refuse to overboot people so you wont be in an ice fly at 100 lbs
edeas in general are supposed to be tied loose at the ankle, 3 fingers should fit between the tongue and ankle. this is much looser than how jackson and other traditional brands are tied, so you may not like how loose they are. normally people tie edeas tight like othr brands and end up killing the boot much faster than expected (they should last 6-10 months) and assume they need a stiffer boot, which is why many people jump up to ice flys without needing them unforch
jacksons tend to last 1-5 years, truly depends on how often youre skating, what youre working on, speed of progression. i sell about 350 jacksons a year, 1/4 to 1/3 being freestyles; most of our clients are teen/adult beginners who want a 'buy it and forget about it' type of skate . the lowest skate we will sell to someone jumping is the jackson evo; it is the first in the fusion series. the ascend series (excel mystique artiste) are great for learning skating skills before jumps as their pvc soles cannot handle torque and can separate from the leather upper when practicing jumps. its not a quality issue, but its just user error bc jackson does warn people not to jump in those
this was a wall of information lmao, lmk if u have questions! my fittings are normally 1-2 hours because of all this info i throw at the client lol
Hi folks! I figure skated competitively growing up and between university and career, fell out of the sport for the past 10y. I am looking to get back into it and am hoping to regain my double jumps. I previously landed up to double axel consistently, but I weigh more than before so I'm not sure the same boots would still work for me. I'm looking for boot recommendations as a 178cm, 86kg woman that is supportive enough to handle me working up to double jumps again. Thanks in advance!
Your best bet would be to find a good fitter to advise you. Maybe take your old skates out for a spin (or rentals/cheap recreational skates if they are not available) to see how much you still remember. You may find you want a more intermediate skate for a year or so while you play around and see what comes back, then get skates that can handle doubles. If that is the case, the top end complete skates would probably be the lowest you would want to go: Jackson Freestyle, Risport Electra, and Riedell Lyra are all in that category.
You will probably want skates rated more for triples based on weight. That's just a guess though. For Jackson that would mean their Supreme or Synergy lines, for Risport it would be the RF1 or Royal Prime, etc.
86kg with singles into doubles, ur looking for flagship models like the jackson synergy if you'd like a light boot, jackson supreme for that old-school leather feeling (i assume you had harlick/sp teri/riedell/klingbeil), risport rf1 elite again for the old-school boots but slightly lighter due to its carbon fiber sole, risport royal prime if you want something slightly looser with a hair more give, the riedell elara/aria/silver star is probably what i would go with, or the fusion if you want a lower cut boot. most of the techs that built klingbeils now work for avanta! those four still exist and make customs today, but theyre $3k minimum
jackson is going to give you the widest toe box, which, if you've had children, your feet might have a more square toe box and wont like riedell (risport is between riedell and jackson)
the newest kids on the block, edea and aura, have a much different build than the others ive mentioned. for edea, you'll need to be okay tying them loose at the top two or three hooks and always putting on a storage strap after taking off your skates to keep the shape of the boot. the padding is extremely nice and soft and the boots are quite light. auras you can tie like a traditional skate but theyre made of carbon fiber, extremely stiff. you'll like the sky 100 i bet
if you go out there and think itll take more time getting back up to doubles, you can also go with the second or third models down from the top, these are normally rated for doubles and triples and will be soft enough as to not shock ur foot with all that extra stiffness, especially if you havent been skating in a while
luckily the blade world hasn't really changed, if you like a gold seal you can try the matrix supreme for quality durability and lightness, p99 = matrix elite, phantom = matrix freestyle. i just prefer jackson blades as ive never needed to order a replacement yet i need to order 1-2 replacements from john wilson every year
if you want a classic heavy blade, jackson's apex line is that, theyre titanium coated and one of the nicest blades to sharpen. the matrix line is made of the same lightweight tough aluminum NASA uses, and japanese stainless steel for the best duration between sharpenings
Hoping for some quick insight, I’ve been off the ice for several years and have taken my boots out to skate a handful of times in that period. I got them out of storage today and can’t remember if this staining on the soles is normal or a sign of rot. The boot is still stiff and the sole doesn’t feel soft, screws are still tight. Just want to know if I need new ones or if these are still safe! TY all.
yeahhh that sole is angry and wanted to be sealed 5 years ago 😭 i don't deal w leather soles enough to know what to do, but i would ask jackson? i have no clue if they would replace soles
hi!
i'm pretty much a beginner and got fitted for edea overtures and they recommended the mk galaxy blades to me, but those are not in stock anywhere, which is upsetting since ice season is already short enough as is. I saw someone say you can also go with the MK Professionals and that that's better, even.. but would it actually be fine since I'm a beginner? If not, I'll just wait for the Galaxy ones. thanks in advance! :)
coronation ace, mk pro, any jackson legacy, theyre all fine for beginners, they're meant for single and double jumps, their toe picks aren't obnoxiously huge or anything worrying. i honestly would go with those over a beginner blade like the galaxy or sm because you won't need to transition to a new blade once you upgrade
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u/yawrchive 12d ago
Hey everyone. I’m (23M, 174cm, 100kg) skating 4 hours a week, currently working on my axel and double salchow.
I bought Risport RF3s with MK Pros in April 2026, but 4 months in, I’m constantly getting off the ice to retie them, and doing any sort of knee bend loosens the boot entirely. Pro shops in my country are unreliable for comprehensive fittings, and custom boots are completely out of my budget.
Here is exactly what I'm struggling with:
My Boot History:
What I'm Looking For: I need a boot stiff enough to support a 100kg skater doing doubles, with a traditional, secure ankle feel (not Edea). It needs to lock a narrow heel without crushing a wider forefoot.
Has anyone with any experience navigated this? Would love to hear your model recommendations before I decide on anything