Breaking in the new, new boots

This boots are the Riedell Motion. They feet stiffer then the previous boots, Riedell Flair, even if their declared stiffness is the same, 70. They also have less padding, so they feel less comfortable.

They were heat molded after my foot at the skate shop. My Yellow superfeet insoles were added in the boot immediately after they were warmed, so they got molded too. This store didn't allow me to stand and flex, they just had me sitting. The skates laces weren't tied very tightly so I didn't feel they were successfully molded, the sides were still kind of straight, not taking after my feet. 

When I went to pick them up with the blades installed, I asked for another heat molding. But I had mentioned before that I'll go skating immediately, and the technician said I couldn't skate for 4 hours after the boots are heated. I've got to skate a little on the rink that's on the same building with the skate shop, but it was for blade alignment purpose, a little, I didn't want to abuse the time of the rink and fitter. Firstly the blades were pretty well align, I was surprised, because with the previous fitter I worked, it wasn't so straight forward... I'll see more about the blade alignment after I break in the boots a little.  Now, the fit... while I felt some tight spots, I wasn't sure if I should I have them "punched out" or they'll relax on their on. I also felt the tongue on the left foot hitting on of the ankle bone.

First skating session: I tied them leaving the last two hooks unlaced and I immediately had to tie them again after I stepped on ice, both to tighten the lower part and to tie one more of the upper hooks. I skated for 10 minutes, swizzles, slaloms and chasses forward and backward, the exercises that I felt helped the most on the previous boots. That all went well. But, I had quite bad pain from the tongue in my ankle bone, overall pain at the ankle, an overall sleepiness of the feet, and... of course some pain in the arch of the right foot. I unlaced and added bunga pads that I bought especially for the occasion of breaking in the boots. I haven't needed them on the previous boots with their thick padding. It helped, but I felt some pressure on the lower edge of the bunga pads... I skated some more and I have to say that I was able to do things that with the other boots I did just on the third session. The other boots, the Flairs, needed to have that foam compressed before I felt some control. As I kept skating the arch pain started and got worse and worse. It was at the inside edge of the arch. 

As I tried the different boots in the store and they've all hurt my right foot, the lady that fitted me looked at the superfeet insole on my foot outside the boot and said that she thinks my arch overhangs over the insole wall and she should grind it a little. That didn't fix it. But, after the insole was added on warmed from the heating oven and they molded with the boot, so that initial pain disappeared. But I felt now as I was skating, that the thin but hard wall of the insole biting me under the whole length of my arch. I think that is due do the grinding it was done :( This is a different pain than the pocking into the arch I had with the previous boots I returned. I survived the skating session and as I unlaced I saw red marks on all the spots were I was hurting, including a red line where the insole bit into my arch. I should have taken a picture! 

Anyway, I put the boots on at home the next day, and it seems that I need the boots punched where the toes insert into the metatarsals and near the ankle bones. I've also took out the superfeet insoles and the pain on the very inside of the arch disappeared... I will need some arch support to help with my pronation, so I'm looking to buy other insoles. I walked around the house with the boots, flexed at the ankle with the top two hooks unlaced, so I'll soften the tongue. For now, I feel some progress in softening, but that's about it...

Second day on ice. Without the superfeet insole and because I pronate, I couldn't get on an outside edge. Other than that I had the pain that I expected, near the pinkie toe and the tongue biting into my ankle. The worse point of this tongue pressure is a point where there is a seam on the tongue.  Not only it hurts, but this seam is at the point where the tongue should crease, and it doesn't really. So I feel I cannot flex as much as on the other foot. I actually realized that one tongue is longer than the other... and that's why those seams are hitting my foot at different points. The one new thing that jumped at me was that I feel that space in that raised toe box (a new feature on Riedell boots). I'm wondering if I'll get used to it. All in all, this second day on ice felt a progress in softening and creating the crease on the tongue at the ankle.

I went back to the skate shop and I had the boot punched near the little toes and at the ankle just on the inside. That felt way better. The technician wasn't worried about the tongue seam not softening. He said it will... meanwhile he showed me a different way to lace the boot, skipping the first hook and coming back at it after I hooked the rest of them. That felt better too. While lacing I showed him the tongue length difference, I cannot use that metal guide on one of the tongues as it hits between where the laces should go. He said he thinks the tongue just sits lower, if it wouldn't straighten as I break in the boots he can model it with a golf ball. Also he offered the Riedell k-fit insoles that have all kind of interchangeable parts to adjust as needed the height of the arch and of the heal, including something special for pronation, but most importantly they don't have the hard edge that was bothering me with the superfeet.

The third day on ice was mostly wasted... I'm skating now at my home rink where we are not allowed to bring in the skating bag, or any bag. The previous days I would have wanted to change some things but I didn't have with me what I needed. Now I prepared, I stuffed in my coat, extra insoles, extra gel pads, even a screwdriver... After just few minutes on ice I've decided to take out the bunga sleeves.  The back of my ankles were hurting from them, the sleeves are new and I'm feeling the edge. They helped with the tongue cutting into my ankle bone but now that was punched. So I had to take the skates off... I added a small gel circle on the ankle where I hurt the most and I'm very happy to report it felt fine. But now, I felt I had space around my ankle... so I decided to forget about the new lacing technique that skipped the first hook and do the regular lacing, still just on the first 3 hooks. I still felt unsecured, so I laced up to the top. Ok... better... but of course harder to bend into the ankle. I felt pain where the boot meets my leg for even the next day... but that's part of breaking the skates in... The one thing that's off, is that one of the tongues is shorter than the other... I hope I'm gonna get used with it, for now, I feel it hitting my foot differently. Next,  I'm happy to report that the new insoles work, well, after I took the little heel wedge that is supposed to help with pronation. That is a really bad idea, it creates a bump in the heel, that's same spot where I was hurting in the boots that I've returned... After I took that out, I felt better, but I feel the arch is lower than my previous insoles,  and I also need to add some kind of lift under my toes, to fill in that space for the higher toe box that Riedell had now on all their boots. I was advised to add something just under the toes, but I don't know what, so until I go again to the skate shop, I decided to add the insoles that came with the boots under the new insoles with arch support. The next adjustment was the blade... It is almost fine. I felt from the beginning that the left blade goes under me as I stroke, not much, but it was confirmed when I tried the forward spin, I enter the spin and center it, then my ankle falls in... I asked the skating shop to do it but they didn't... so I took the screwdriver with me, a skinny one. Only I couldn't unscrew the screws on the heel... So I'll try home with a stronger screwdriver. As you see, I've spent a lot of time off ice, adjusting something. And it may have been a little bit because my ankles hurt when I skate, so I wanted to rest...

I think, while I'll keep making these adjustments, I'll slowly soften the ankles too, they still feel very stiff.  I have hope, but I have no idea how long is gonna take.

New boots... different model

Soo buying boots  again, long story that I'm trying to make short.

I was hung on the model Riedell Flair I've bought and returned as it was defective. I felt intense pain in my soles, but otherwise, I loved that boot... My size was not in stock at the factory, it would have been a wait of 2 months. Also, as I went to another bootfitter than the one that sold me the Flairs, he wondered if the back of the Flair being very curved was not a thing that contributed to my pain in the sole. He recommended another boot, Riedell Stride, the closes cut to my old boots that are not manufactured anymore, the model was 220... I was doubtful about the Stride flex of 50 compared with the Flair's 70 that felt perfect and I didn't want to go softer than that, but I allowed him to order them. And... he called to say that factory didn't have this Stride in my size in stock, they would  be available mid February.

So, at his encouragement, I called around to see if other stores have any of these boots in stock, and not wait months until the factory has them. I found Stride 5.5 medium, Flair 5 medium, and Motion 5.5 medium at the same store, one specialized in hockey...

I tried all the boots with my yellow superfeet insoles that have arch support added. I firstly tried the Flair 5 medium as it was the only one laced, and of course I felt it short on the toes, but the volume was fine, snug, like the 5.5 narrow I had. I looked for the pain in the sole... nothing on left, pain on the right... As I took it off I looked for that bump I saw in the Flairs I returned and I didn't see any.

The Edge, 5.5 medium: As the lady put the laces on it, she said she was happy that those polyester laces are easier to lace. I was thinking... those flimsy things will have to go away... After I was in them, I flexed and they were actually stiffer than the Flair! No pain in the left sole, pain in the right sole. At this point I was thinking my right foot must be sensitive from the old, defective Flair, that bump was into the heel, so hurting the bone... The fit of Edge felt snug, but it hasn't necessarily felt as the old boot 220. As I was flexing into them I realized they were not reinforced all over, some parts were softer, as I pushed into them they made oblique wrinkles... like those very beginner fake leather boots. The word I would use, is that they felt flimsy for my weight and my pushing into them. They wouldn't have lasted long...

The Motion 5.5 medium felt on closer to what I remembered my old 220 as reinforcement. I still felt pain under the right sole but at this point I was sure it was me...I stayed in them and tried to feel if I can live with that pain, if I would have it for a while. 

I took on the  5 Flair again, same pain, and that padding made them more comfy... So I was thinking... maybe the bootfitter could push out the front of this 5 medium Flair, as I asked for the Ice Flies... or I could have waited for the 5.5 narrow to be manufactured. Then I wondered about the stiffness. I felt the Stride was softer then the Motion and The Flair was softer then the Stride... So the Flairs may be softer then my old 220. I've felt support in them now, that they were new, but would them have lasted?

I tried the Motion 5.5 again and I've realized I liked them for being more stiff.

Also, my home rink, that is 15 minutes away from my home, finally opened from today and I have prepaid, non refundable ice until March... I needed some boots, or at least to have the blades aligned on my old 220. They shop offered 10% discount on the Motion, free blade installation, they have the rink near them open so they can align the blade...

So I bought the Motion! 

I'll do a day by day report of the breaking in process.

Finding new boots - another boot fitter

I'm not skating. As you know I've tried new boots that haven't worked out. The blades are back on my old boots but I tried skating and both the boots and the blade alignment felt off. Also, my home rink is still not open so I would still have to drive 30, 40 minutes to go skating. I cannot get the motivation as I'm not even sure I'll be able to skate :(

I've just had a new boot fitting with a very well regarded an highly recommended fitter. He is booked two weeks in advance so I had to wait. He is also an hour driving distance. He also doesn't have too many boots in stock. Where I'm getting at is that finding new boots is gonna be a long long process.

The fitting: he asked what I had before and what my style/ and level of skating was. I had Riedell, the beginner - intermediate level boot model 220 (stiffness probably 50), not produced anymore. They served me right for 10 years. I also mentioned immediately that my right foot is smaller then the left and I wear a thin flat insole under the yellow superfeet and that I pronate on the right foot and I had wedges under the blades frame. Then he measured me and came to 5.5... medium. He didn't measured the width around, just flat. He asked if I had something in mind. I said the Riedell Flair because I like that lower back as I do mostly dance and moves... and he seemed a little hesitant but he said ok and was ready to order those.

Now I've told him whole experience with trying the Flairs before. That the 5.5 medium felt large in front and I ended up in 5.5 narrow, that felt snug in store bot then compressed and I had to add another insole to fill in the volume. And then I hurt in my sole and I discovered some bumps in the sole of the boot. He hasn't seemed alarmed by the extra insoles. He asked to see me feet from lateral. He was looking at the Achilles tendon shape. On the left is quite straight, on the right a little more curved. He said that the Flairs are very curved at back and that may have also contributed to the pain. 

He then recommended the Riedell Stride, model 223, because that would be the closest with the cut of the former 220. and also the lower level boots, this included, hasn't got the raised box toe, that Flair and the other higher level did.  I said I could live without the lower back, but I thought I would need a little more stiffness, as now I know how to press into the ice and also I've gained some weight, like 10 lb during the last 10 years, especially this last year. He said that they would feel stiffer then my old boots because they are new, and because they don't have a notch at the ankle the stiffness will last longer. Ok then... He ordered Stride in 5.5 medium. He said he'll get them probably at the end of this week but part of the blade installation he adds varnish on the sole, so he'll need few days for that, so to expect to go and try them at the end of the following week. I asked to try them before being modified (varnished), he said, that he'll keep them anyway, and of course I don't have to buy them if they don't fit.

At some point, because of the shape of my feet, that he said are pretty regular, he mentioned the Edea's Ice Fly... but as one of my foot is smaller then the other, we would have to order the size for the smaller foot, and try to stretch the boot for the other, longer foot. I was resistant towards Edeas, it seems that people either love them or hate them, and he agreed... 

As I got home, I've checked the Riedell web site, and the Stride boot has raised toe box, so they may be too large, and they also the notch at the ankle, so I'm worried that even if they would feel stiff now, they won't last. Arghhhh, I'm so frustrated. Anyhow, for now, I'm waiting for the Stride at the end of next week...

Returning the new boots

As you know from the very long previous post, the new boots haven't worked out. They had a lower point and then a bump, in the inside side of the sole of the boot, at the heel, that gave me intense pain in the soles of my feet. Both the technician and the boot shop owner saw it and felt it. The boots were clearly defective. The shop was extremely slow to accept that. Even after accepting it, they were hesitant about the return.

I offered to called the factory, the shop seemed happy about that.  I was asked lots of details, including about sizing. They also asked what it was the agreement I've reached with the shop. I said, it was no agreement, the shop suggested a replacement, but I would like skates now, and I know you don't have them in stock, plus I've lost my trust in their capabilities so I would want to go to another boot fitter.  And they said they'll call back, by the next morning. They didn't. I called the shop in the afternoon twice, first they said they had a voice message from the factory but didn't have time to get back to them, then they said the boss is on the phone right then and will call back. Four hours later, their closing time, nothing... 

Next day I waited 2 hours from the shop opening time, no call. I called, and... we had a kind of a fight. I said, look, I need new boots now, I haven't skated for real in 2 weeks, my old skates feel awful now, I cannot skate in them, you took the longest time to figure out the boots are defective, now you give me no support to expedite the return. Please tell me when I can have my money back so I'll arrange for new boots. 

He brought up again that I ordered a different size that he recommended. So, I had to remind him as he genuinely seemed he has forgotten. He measured me 5  1/2 medium that he had in stock and I tried on and felt big, so he recommended 5 1/4 medium, that would have been custom order that would have taken 2 months. I asked to try on again the 5 1/2... nope too big. I pointed in front of the boot and I said, yeah, I know I have a low volume foot. He said let's try something else and brought a 6 narrow that he had in stock, and that felt thigh, both width and even length. He pulled out my insoles from my old boots, and compared with the insoles of the 6, it was a big difference, of course. So HE decided that I would be happy with 5.5 narrow that was in stock at the factory so he ordered them. AND I don't quite understand what that got to do with the pain in the sole of my foot. Now, the boots foam compressed quite a lot, so I was wearing the insole that came with the boot, under the superfeet insole to fill in the space there, as I felt that I couldn't get enough tightness from tying the laces. I felt perfectly happy with this solution but he commented it is not normal to have 2 insoles. Well, 5  1/2 narrow is slightly lower volume (narrower) then the 5 1/4 medium, so if the boot I had 5 1/2 narrow, is not normal, neither would have been the 5 1/4 medium. 

I'm wondering if he thought that my reason for returning is the lack  of tightness not foot pain, and he wanted to refuse it. Did he not believe I was in pain? Maybe not, as he did change the thickness of the insole to see if I report correctly what I feel in the boot. But he said he agreed the inside of the boot was uneven... that is a manufacturing defect, not his fault... On the other hand a bad sizing would be his fault, and maybe he tried to shift the blame to me if it would have come to that. As I read the sizing chart of the manufacturer, those two boot size are very similar, and anyway, I felt fine in the boots. All in all extremely weird and trust eroding.

What I'm resentful for is how long it took him to even look inside the boot. Then, I've realized that if he would have put the surefeet insole in the new boots in the store, I would have hurt right then. I mentioned that and he exploded. He said it is my responsibility to say I wear something custom. I don't know, I thought  you go to a boot fitter, for him to guide you. AND the surefeet insoles were out from my old boot, he compared the new boots stock insoles with the old surefeet ones, then the old boots were put in the box of the new skates, surefeet insoles too... and the box was taken at the counter to charge and pay for the new skates. So he just ignored the insoles when he warmed the boot. Then he ignored them again, when he open the box to take out the blades from my old skates. They are yellow, they jump at you. It seems this boot fitter just doesn't think the insole matter in the fit of the boot, or alignment of the blade. My skating friends reported that the other boot fitter in town asks if you wear insoles, bunga pads, skate barefooted... But I've asked in a facebook group, and the majority of the skaters said not only they weren't asked about insole, but they think is the skater responsibility to bring it up. One of them said, how would they know that you wear insoles if you don't tell them? I would say, by asking me...  The insole wouldn't have mattered if the boot inside would have been straight in the first place. But in this case, it would have shown the manufacturing defect sooner.

He said he'll give me back my money that day. But he said that there is usually a process and that is to send the boots to the manufacturer, wait for them to inspect them and them issuing the store a refund, then the store would issue a refund to me, or replacing the boot. I mean that would have been two more weeks, over the two I've already lost. I'm wondering why the manufactured doesn't trust their authorized dealer to determine a defect? Why would they expect the customer to sponsor all this process? 

I've found on internet 5 1/2 narrow of a similar hybrid boot, a little stiffer, they were returnable if not altered. Until I've got the money refunded that sold out, so another disappointment. I was able to set an appointment for another boot fitting (with a different boot fitter) next Monday. 

Meanwhile, I tried my old boots in the house and decided to not go skating, they feel so different. Maybe I'll find new boots next Monday and I won't have to keep re adjusting. The rink were I was usually skating lately has many days sold out, I would have had to go to the new rink I found... Just too much "adjustings"... 

And so, the time that I haven't skated (as breaking in new boots doesn't count as skating), is... a whole month!

New boots problem

You know now, from the previous post, that the boots ended up not working out...

Tuesday morning at 11 I went to the boot shop and I thought I'll go skating at 1.30. I explained them that I thought that is gonna be geometrically impossible to keep the anatomic shape of the sole by free grinding, I thought they should be returned, I thought they were defective from the factory. They didn't disagree, but they said that the fact that the spot were I was hurting on the left foot is gone is a good sign, let's try. I told them, that the spot merely moved... but I wished for nothing more than the boots to work, I wouldn't want to go trough the breaking in again, but I also didn't want to keep coming back to the shop every day for another week and get plantar fasciitis during the process.

I didn't get to go skating. They ground and ground and ground. The left boot improved, from a  pain of 8 out of 10 , to a 2, 3 out of 10 in an hour. The right foot was way slower, after 3 hours we got to a 5, maybe 4 out of 10. In the process, he messed up with the blade alignment, he added more insoles, that crammed my foot that felt almost like a try to see if I truly tell them what I felt. Anyway, at one point the technician said that there is progress and hopefully we finish until 7, their closing time. I said shyly, that I couldn't really stay more then 3pm, that was an hour away. The technician said he was just joking and he went back to grinding. We went back to 5 out of 10, plus a new pain spot. 

At that point I explained again that my theory was from the beginning that a uniform grinding cannot be done, and the pain spot will just keep moving around and we agreed to call it quits. The technician asked the boss if he would accept it as a manufacturing defect, he hesitated and said that actually the factory has to agree with it. I asked what's next, I need new boots, they said the factory we'll replace these if found defective. I'm like, that's gonna take 2 months, I need new boots! I was in pain, and in rush to leave. I said I'll call the factory, but tell me straight, do you see and feel the bump and he said yes. And then he brought up again that I wasn't in the boots he recommended.

I was late, I actually had to go to a outdoor rink skating birthday party. I asked them to put the blades back to my skates and left the new boots for them to return to the factory.

I will write another post about the returning process... it was more then weird... and even if they agreed it was a manufacturing defect they hinted they won't give me the money back, but replace the boot. Well, that boot was not in stock, I would have had to wait for it to be manufactured. Secondly, sorry, I couldn't work with this fitter anymore, I just didn't trust him, and you'll see why next time. But I did get the money back, and as soon as I had the in my hand I called another boot fitter. It was closed for the next 2 days. He works just 3 days a week. I caught him today and I have appointment for not this coming Monday, but the Monday of the following week.

After I tried my old skates on the outdoor rink and they felt so strange, I couldn't make myself go skating. Hopefully I'll go next week... or I'll wait till I go to the fitter, maybe he has something in stock that fits me and I don't have to keep adjusting and re adjusting to new and old boots.

Monthly skating review: progress and goals adjustment

Happy New Year!

Firstly lets see how my skating went last month. The first half was mostly used to work on the Nutcracke exhibition program. It was a happy time. 

I also kept working on the Pre-Juve MITF to keep them ready for test. Then, as I found out my club's next test session was end of February, I've decided to use this time to change my boots. 

I was unlucky to get defective boots, the inside of the boot was uneven and was hurting the sole of my foot. I've spent the last week of December breaking them in and working with the skate shop to adjust them. There was progress but it needed more work, read here how it went. i=Ultimately, it wasn't doable, they were declared a manufacturing defect. 

So, wasted time... lot's of hurt and nerves later, I was issued a refund and the blades were put back on my old boots. I started writing a post with how each day of breaking in the new boots went, I will finish that post and elaborate on this more.

The first week of January I have not skated with the exception of once, on a outdoor rink that a friend rented for her birthday party. My old, sooo beloved boots, felt quite... awful. So I haven't had any drive to go skating. 

I would like to go to another boot fitter. The old one took way to long to discover the problem, I mean to accept the problem I discovered. The new fitter is closed these days, he will be open Saturday, and only then I can make an appointment for fitting, if he chooses to put me in the same boot, the factory doesn't have it in stock, it is gonna take up to  two months to be manufactured.

I plan to make myself go skating. I mean, I should be able to readjust to the old boots!