{"id":81,"date":"2018-03-16T21:18:47","date_gmt":"2018-03-16T21:18:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/?p=81"},"modified":"2018-03-16T21:26:35","modified_gmt":"2018-03-16T21:26:35","slug":"skates-finding-the-first-pair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/index.php\/2018\/03\/16\/skates-finding-the-first-pair\/","title":{"rendered":"Skates: Finding the first pair"},"content":{"rendered":"
After SkaterGirl had taken several lessons in rental skates, and I felt sure she was going to stick with it, we bought her her very own skates! I had heard good things about the Play It Again Sports in Minnetonka, MN. I think the best thing we got there on that first visit was a professional fitting. Here in Minnesota, resellers like Play It Again deal in a lot of skis and skates. If you live somewhere less frozen, you may have to search a little harder. Ask at your skate school where to go for a good fitting. It doesn\u2019t mean you have to buy them there if they\u2019re too expensive, but at least you can get a really good measurement. And you\u2019ll be acquainted with the pro shop when the time comes eventually for more advanced skates and blades (sold separately! I\u2019m not even kidding!)<\/p>\n
Things I learned about fittings:<\/p>\n
\n
Wear (or bring) the socks Kiddo\u2019s going to skate in<\/li>\n
Take notes<\/li>\n
Don\u2019t feel obligated to buy anything right away. You can always \u201cthink about it.\u201d Unless you find good used skates for a good price, then snap them up immediately!<\/li>\n
Especially for the beginner skates, shopping around and on the internet can really pay off<\/li>\n
At this point, Kiddo does not need the fancy skates sold separately from the blades, unless you have a private coach and they\u2019re telling you differently.<\/li>\n
When buying used skates, expect a few scratches and scuffs on the boots. If you look closely at the accomplished skaters\u2019 boots at the rink, they\u2019re a mess! It\u2019s about the quality of the boot and blade. And magic erasers and sneaker whitener are inexpensive.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
QueenMommy tip: look for a quality used skate with a properly fitted and properly sharpened blade. We stumbled upon a leather pair of Riedells for $20! They were dirty on the outside, like maybe they had been thrown in the bottom of the hall closet and forgotten, but the inside was good and the blades still had life. And most importantly, they fit SkaterGirl. So we bought them, and I took a magic eraser to the boots when we got home. Add a little elbow grease and they looked good as new! Now I always carry a magic eraser in the competition bag.<\/p>\n
Why not adjustable skates?<\/h3>\n
There are these things called adjustable skates. They are inexpensive (for new skates) and they\u2019re kind of cute and seem like a great bargain, as the boot can be adjusted to fit 4 shoe sizes. What a deal! Except\u2026<\/p>\n
Think about it with me: only the boot adjusts; the blade does not lengthen or shorten. So when the boot is at its smallest, the blade sticks out way beyond the boot, making it very difficult to do what is asked during a skating lesson. Likewise, when the boot is fully extended, the blade is too short. I\u2019m not a skater, but it seems like that would add a lot of frustration to an already difficult sport.<\/p>\n
Better Options<\/h3>\n
Here are three (of many) beginner options under $75 from quality brands, Riedell and Jackson. I have heard from skate school pros that something like these would be a fine choice:<\/p>\nRiedell Model 18 Sparkle Jr. Skate Set<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
<\/p>\nJackson Ultima Girls’ SoftSkate 181<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRiedell 10 Opal Figure Skate<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
I\u2019ve been happy that we\u2019ve had good luck finding white skates for SkaterGirl. You may not think you\u2019ve got competitions and ice shows and teams and whatever else in your future, but\u2026 it happens before you know it. And you\u2019ll probably want and\/or need white figure skates for girls and black figure skates for boys.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d love to hear your first skates stories and questions in the comments!<\/p>\n
Next up: Caring for your skates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After SkaterGirl had taken several lessons in rental skates, and I felt sure she was going to stick with it, we bought her her very own skates! I had heard good things about the Play It Again Sports in Minnetonka, MN. I think the best thing we got there on that first visit was a … <\/p>\n
![\"Kids](\"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/adjustable-skate-300x300.jpg\")
<\/h3>\n![\"Riedell](\"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Riedell-beginner-skate2-300x300.jpg\")
![\"Jackson](\"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/jackson-beginner-skate2-270x300.png\")
![\"Riedell](\"http:\/\/queenmom.me\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Riedell-beginner-skate3-300x300.jpg\")