Custom boots are agony!

[Lanie]

So I sucked it up and paid $600 for new boots - thanks for the advice, everyone. Went to a local-ish fitter who was fabulous. Had surgery, so I couldn't drive the hour and a half to go pick them up so they mailed them to me (I'd gone down there with my blades, got them heat molded, got custom insoles, etc). Same problems I had with my custom Harlicks but those were measured by the folks at Harlick!

Unfortunately. They are agony. I've had them on about five minutes and I feel like my left foot is gonna fall off. Normal, I hope? Due to having my appendix out last week I can't skate for awhile anyway (my son is so upset we can't go skating now that I have my skates, he's so sad, cause every day he asks when he can go skating with me and start his classes again!).

They are two different sizes, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2. I'm thinking the left is too small. They're Jacksons, light, and on the right foot feel okay. Maybe just have the left one stretched out a bit at my rink once I can get to it?

 

[overedge]

They may feel better once you have skated in them and loosened them up a bit that way. But if not, then, yes, try getting the tighter one stretched out at the rink.

 

[Willin]

@Lanie
I would see if you can try skating very gently on them for a week or two along with getting them stretched out - usually, if they're not broken in in a month for a <2-3hrs/week skater people go back to get the boots checked (although with heat molding it really should only take 1-2 weeks). Not doing any jumps or turns - just holding onto a wall and shuffling your feet/bending your knees if you need to. Breaking in skates should hurt, but mainly from blisters (for which I recommend mole skin and BandAid's blister bandages). Insoles may also be hard or rigid at first and make the bottom of your feet hurt, but that should go away with time. All in all, the skates hurt a bit to break in.

If that doesn't work, I would double check with the manufacturing with an independent skate tech - even with the best skate makers, occasionally things end up a bit weird. I would also say, if the foot pain is around the same 0/10 (or worse) than the appendicitis, don't even try to skate on them - just get them double checked.

If you can't salvage your current pair, I'd see if I could go to another skate manufacturer that will really be there the whole process. If you have normal, healthy feet most brands will be okay, but if you're like me and have quirks of anatomy, it's best to get really custom skates. What I liked about my skate company (a small one) is that the people who make the skates actually are the ones that measure your feet. That means when I go in, they can physically see and touch my foot as opposed to reading notes. They noticed I had bursas on my ankles from the rubbing of my old pair, so they cut the tongue and sides differently along with punching out a wider area around the ankles(fixed that problem). They also noticed that my huge ankle tendons would require very minimal support in the ankles, so they put in the least they could. Even after I got my skates made, they did a check to see how I laced/tied my skates to adjust the tongue size and lace length (I like the foot loose). I've never had any issue with them besides getting used to the dance blades/boot.

 

[GarrAargHrumph]

If at all possible, I'd go back to the localish fitter and have him adjust them.

 

[Tavi]

So I sucked it up and paid $600 for new boots - thanks for the advice, everyone. Went to a local-ish fitter who was fabulous. Had surgery, so I couldn't drive the hour and a half to go pick them up so they mailed them to me (I'd gone down there with my blades, got them heat molded, got custom insoles, etc). Same problems I had with my custom Harlicks but those were measured by the folks at Harlick!

Unfortunately. They are agony. I've had them on about five minutes and I feel like my left foot is gonna fall off. Normal, I hope? Due to having my appendix out last week I can't skate for awhile anyway (my son is so upset we can't go skating now that I have my skates, he's so sad, cause every day he asks when he can go skating with me and start his classes again!).

They are two different sizes, 2 1/4 and 2 1/2. I'm thinking the left is too small. They're Jacksons, light, and on the right foot feel okay. Maybe just have the left one stretched out a bit at my rink once I can get to it?

If you only had the surgery recently, is it possible that you are retaining water or have some swelling in your feet / legs?

 

[Lanie]

I don't think so - they were feeling tight especially on the left foot when I got them fitted last month. Stretching helped on the right, but not the left. I'm going to bring it to our pro shop this weekend to have the left stretched a bit after I try skating on them, as I think I can at least skate.

 

[Lanie]

Skated on them today. Was in agony. Toe box is squishing down on my toes, and my feet went numb after about 30 minutes.

I think they are too small. They're an E width! Ugh. Am going to keep trying though.

 

[skatemommy]

If they feel too small, you can take out the insole for 1/2 size extra. Else I would send them back. Customs are not supposed to hurt. Damn shame. My first pair I purchased on my own,(talk about sticker shock! Poor old mom and dad...) Harlick asked me what features I wanted. Like a dummy, I said whatever you have on file, not thinking I would get triple bond elk leather. They are still stiff. And no I am not doing triple jumps anymore.

 

[skatemommy]

 

[Lizard8]

About 10 or so years ago I had bought my second pair of Graf Edmonton specials. They were around $600.00 back then. For some reason that pair gave me horrible blisters especially in my insole. I kept going back to one of the skate shops in town where I bought them and we tried everything. That instep blister got so deep and painful that while at work as a RN in Emerg, my manager sent me to the burn unit to get advice on what to put on the blister, etc. The skate shop called me and told me that the Graf rep would be at the shop that day. I went in, the Graf guy looked at everything and replaced the boots for free! The new boots solved the problem. (The blister took about 6 weeks to heal).
Yes I was very lucky as this doesn't happen alot but keep going back to where you got your skates and don't give up. They shouldn't be that miserable. Good luck!!

 

[hanca]

About ten years ago I had my feet measured and got a pair of custom made Klingbeil boots. When they arrived, they felt too small. I immediately sent them back because if it is custom made, they should fit. They were the one measuring me, so they couldn't blame me for measuring myself incorrectly. I got the boots back about a month later (it takes a while sending boots so far away) and they fit like a glove. They were the same boots, I made a tiny mark to recognise them, but they must have been stretched, because suddenly they fit really well. It was lovely, no break in period. Don't suffer in silence if they are custom made. You paid for them to fit!

 

[treesprite]

I saw from the other thread that you are still having a big problem.

Did you try the suggestions people have given? For my old skates (got new yesterday) , I took out the insoles which gave me at least 1/4 size bigger in both length and width (I put just the back half of thin cheapo sneaker insoles in to cover the heal screws). I had the toe boxes punched out using a long puncher instead of a round one, overlapping to cover a bigger area; this can be done on the inner and outer sides of the boot, though the tech may have more difficulty punching the outer side (pinky toe area). I stretched the boots probably every few months, and re-punching them a few times, because leather has a tendency to try to go back to its original shape (some tech told me that some skaters stretch their boots even more often than I was doing it). All of that made the boots at least a full width wider.

I think if you can do all that, the boots will be tolerable. Paying for re-stretching/re-punching frequently will way cheaper than a new pair of boots.

 

[Lanie]

The problem is I need the insoles due to my crazy high arches. Sigh. Also they won't come out! I asked our skate dude to call me and left me his number so I can punch them out. I tried lacing them looser today and it helped quite a bit, but it still feels like the left foot is squished--especially in the toebox, down onto my toes, you know? Our skate guy is great so he can hopefully help. They are considerably wider than my old boots, at least, but part of me feels they're 1/4 size too small? I don't know. He's also great and does it for me for free because he knows my issues!

I did manage a few really lovely centered sit and camels today!!!!

Thanks @treesprite, I'm glad I know someone who can commiserate.

 

[treesprite]

The toe box is not high enough. People tend not to consider the vertical height inside of skate boots. My big toe is kind of fat, with a bit of an upward curve at the end, so no matter the width of the boots, my toe would have pressure on it from the top. Also, bunions require more height inside the toe box, not simply more width. The skate guy ordered my boots to accommodate this problem (although there is still some stitching or tongue part pressing down, which needs to be fixed). See if your person has a way to stretch the height of the toe box; he will probably say there isn't, but it's worth asking, believe me.

Congrats on the spins. Sounds like in spite of the discomfort, you are at least adjusting to using the new boots.