Review on 💙 Jackson Ultima GS180 SoftSkate Women's Ice Skates in Vibrant Blue, Fleece Lining, Enhanced with Pink & Purple accents - Ultimate Comfort & Style by Joseph Harkins

Jackson makes great skates for multiple levels. These are great skates for ADULT beginners, which doesn't necessarily mean you've never skated before. I'm a 62 year old woman who hasn't skated in 30 years and got her back on the ice and taking lessons. I've had these skates for 3 years and maybe 50 hours on ice and I love them.1. A low profile shoe (sitting lower to the ground) is better for balance, but not for really deep side-to-side turns because the deeper you go, the more the shoe touches the ice. An elevated (advanced) skate is better for this.2. The toe is single, not transverse, and the first isn't as low as on more advanced skates. This is good for beginners so you don't keep tripping over the pickaxe. But again, a higher toe is not appropriate for jumping, a raised toe is found on more advanced skates.3. The outsole is made of PVC, which is great for minimal maintenance (no need to worry about it getting wet), but the PVC and outsole aren't designed to withstand every kind of skidding spike. The ankles and soles of the feet are sufficient for ½ hops or no-rotation hops, hare jumps only, ballet jumps, etc.4. The ankle has good support - above level 15 (which is pretty low), but not enough support for jumping (see #3).5. There is a slight flex groove at the ankle for good forward lean6. The blade is fully attached from the bottom (with rivets, not screws) so you can't adjust the blade. If you're a skater who knows you're going to customize your blade, then these skates aren't for you. I recommend several things. First off, these aren't walking shoes, so don't think about fluffy socks for them. Socks that don't reach the calf constantly slip down and also cause irritation in the ankle area. Socks with texture and thickness will cause hot spots and/or blisters. Knee-length nylon support socks or skater socks work well. Also, since the boot is quite stiff at the ankle, try not to lace the top two hooks for the first 10 hours of riding, then lace a hook for another 5 hours, and then to the end.