Becoming a skate parent! Need boy's skate recs

[livetoskate]

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to become a skating parent soon. My son is 6 & starting learn to skate group lessons in a few weeks. Any recommendations for beginner boy's skates for wide feet? The Jackson Finesse looks good on their website & is reasonably priced. I'm still wearing ancient custom Klingbeils & wouldn't get him custom boots for at least a few more years. Thanks for any advice!

 

[MacMadame]

I would get my kids entry-level Riedells in the $80-100 range until I was sure they were going to continue. They are much better than rentals without being more than I would have spent on rentals during the time they were taking lessons.

 

[livetoskate]

I would get my kids entry-level Riedells in the $80-100 range until I was sure they were going to continue. They are much better than rentals without being more than I would have spent on rentals during the time they were taking lessons.

Thanks. I started in Riedells ages ago. Unfortunately, the ones they sell on their website are all white. He'll start in rentals -- who knows maybe he'll only last for one session of lessons & want to do something else, but I sure hope not. ?

 

[Debbie S]

Thanks. I started in Riedells ages ago. Unfortunately, the ones they sell on their website are all white. He'll start in rentals -- who knows maybe he'll only last for one session of lessons & want to do something else, but I sure hope not. ?

You could paint/polish them black?

Hope your son has fun!

 

[MacMadame]

Thanks. I started in Riedells ages ago. Unfortunately, the ones they sell on their website are all white. He'll start in rentals -- who knows maybe he'll only last for one session of lessons & want to do something else, but I sure hope not. ?

Heh. I didn't even think of that. My son went for the white ones on purpose. He wanted skates that matched the ice!

 

[livetoskate]

Thanks for the responses! Well, after all, there's video of Nathan Chen as a toddler wearing white skates. We'll see how it goes next month before I buy him skates but I like to do some research in advance. Also little kids outgrow their shoes so quickly. This could get quite expensive over the years.

 

[livetoskate]

Heh. I didn't even think of that. My son went for the white ones on purpose. He wanted skates that matched the ice!

So what happened with your son and skating? Did he become a competitive skater?

 

[overedge]

@livetoskate You could also get some of these in black. Quicker and less messy than polish: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/163300622/ice-skate-boot-covers?click_key=1014ed4c4dbc4f34afdb815a40f9dc6c7ab21d10:163300622&click_sum=acd7649e&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=skate+boot+covers&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&col=1

 

[MacMadame]

So what happened with your son and skating? Did he become a competitive skater?

It's such a sad story. He was taking a semi-private lesson with our next-door neighbor's kid (a girl) during the ice dance session that I and our neighbor attended every week. (As a way to sponsor the coach, also an ice dancer)

Well, the adults started teasing them about how they could grow up to be a pair skating or ice dancing team and compete someday. He thought girls were icky back then and after a while, he couldn't take it so he quit. Dumb adults.

Though, tbh, I don't think he would have stayed with it long-term anyway. He does have the perfect male single's skater body though. So it's too bad.

 

[made_in_canada]

My son started in white skates. He didn’t care. If he did I probably would have found fun boot covers or painted them. He’s only four and has now decided he’d rather have hockey skates like daddy now ?‍ Jackson makes good beginner skates that aren’t too expensive. Really, regardless of the brand the most important thing is they have some support (the child should be able to stand up in them without ankles collapsing in), but it also needs to be possible for the skater to bend their ankles a bit. The most common problems I found with beginner skates when I was coaching was them being tied up too loose, skates being too big, and kids being allowed to walk on concrete without guards

 

[livetoskate]

Thank you all for all the tips!

 

[concorde]

Reidels tend to run narrower that Jackson's. Daughter has a wide foot and wears Jackson's for that reason.

 

[antmanb]

I've never had Jacksons but i have wide feet and I skate comfortably in Riedells in their standard width.

 

[MacMadame]

When my kids were skating, Jacksons didn't exist!

 

[feraina]

I’ve started my two boys, 4&7, in beginners group lessons. They both love it and can’t get enough of it! I’m thinking about getting the older one his own skates, but we live in Germany. Anybody got suggestions for how to get inexpensive boys’ skates here?

 

[livetoskate]

I’ve started my two boys, 4&7, in beginners group lessons. They both love it and can’t get enough of it! I’m thinking about getting the older one his own skates, but we live in Germany. Anybody got suggestions for how to get inexpensive boys’ skates here?

Ask the people working at the rink -- the skating club might have info on people selling used skates. Good luck!

 

[feraina]

Ask the people working at the rink -- the skating club might have info on people selling used skates. Good luck!

Oh good idea!

 

[Sk8profan]

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to become a skating parent soon. My son is 6 & starting learn to skate group lessons in a few weeks. Any recommendations for beginner boy's skates for wide feet? The Jackson Finesse looks good on their website & is reasonably priced. I'm still wearing ancient custom Klingbeils & wouldn't get him custom boots for at least a few more years. Thanks for any advice!

Risport

 

[livetoskate]

Risport

My post was from a while back. I wound up buying Jackson's on ebay for a good deal, new, but they were too big. So my son struggled wearing rental skates. He was ok in the group lessons but wasn't clamoring for more. We'll go skating again soon, as those new skates should fit by now.

 

[carolina]

Hey everyone, I'm so excited to become a skating parent soon. My son is 6 & starting learn to skate group lessons in a few weeks. Any recommendations for beginner boy's skates for wide feet? The Jackson Finesse looks good on their website & is reasonably priced. I'm still wearing ancient custom Klingbeils & wouldn't get him custom boots for at least a few more years. Thanks for any advice!

It's funny to think of it now, but my son wore club rental skates for almost 2 years, not just rentals, but the same pair of already broken down rentals. I had no clue, not being a skater myself. He eventually got a new pair of Riedells and did quite well going forward. The Riedells were a perfect beginner skate for him, and he had a wide foot too. Good luck and welcome to skating.

 

[livetoskate]

It's funny to think of it now, but my son wore club rental skates for almost 2 years, not just rentals, but the same pair of already broken down rentals. I had no clue, not being a skater myself. He eventually got a new pair of Riedells and did quite well going forward. The Riedells were a perfect beginner skate for him, and he had a wide foot too. Good luck and welcome to skating.

Thanks, carolina! I got a good deal on new Jackson Ultimas on ebay. Unfortunately, my son's not that into skating. He doesn't watch it & doesn't care much about going to the rink to practice. At least he's willing to do another round of group lessons. So I don't have the next Nathan Chen.