If you’re just getting started with figure skating, the most important thing is making sure that you have the proper pair of figure skates and boots. If you’re serious about your craft, then you’ll want to get the best skates money can buy. However, unless you’ve bought figure skates before, it can be challenging to know where to start. In this article, we’re going to give you a few tips on how to find the best figure skates for you.
1 Make Sure You Go with a Reputable Manufacturer
Forget going to a sporting goods store if you want to find high-quality skates and boots. This is all fine if you want to skate around the rink with friends, but not if you’re serious about your game. The best person to recommend a brand or tell you which ones to avoid is probably your coach. Ask them about specific skate brands and what they think of them. One of the brands that you’ll probably hear about is Riedell Skates. Riedell has been in the business since 1945, and Riedell figure skates are recognized as some of the best in the world for competitive skaters. They sell skates and boots for skaters of all levels and are the only brand to be officially endorsed by the Professional Skaters Association. They also offer one of the best warranties in the business, so you’ll know you’re good hands.
2 Don’t Pick Something Cheap
If you want to get quality and make sure that the skates are as safe as possible, then you’ll have to be ready to pay for them. Cheapskates won’t give you the same level of performance, comfort, and durability. In some cases, it would be better to buy older used quality boots than buying new low-quality ones. If you absolutely can’t spend money on top of the line boots, you could consider buying used and only buying the blades.
3 Buying Packages VS Buying Blades and Boots Separately
Skate and boot packages tend to be popular for intermediate and beginning skaters. At these levels, many are just trying to learn and aren’t concerned with performance yet. When picking the boot, however, make sure that the boot is not too stiff. A boot that won’t let you bend your ankles could damage your progress at first. Go for a boot that is stiff enough to give you support, but that will also allow you to break them in and feel more comfortable after a while. If you’re going to buy blades and boots separately; however, it’s essential that you spend your money on the absolute best blades you can afford. These will have a direct impact on your progress and experience. Not to mention that they last much longer and don’t need as much sharpening.
Conclusion
Buying the right figure skates is the first step in your figure skating journey. Make sure that you do everything in your power to choose the right ones for your skating level, and don’t skimp on quality.