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...
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