Debut Fusion Standard (Women’s/Misses)

I’m a plus size adult skater. These are my current boots, I’ve been in them for about 8 months now. I ordered a rapid custom in order to get a E width boot, production itself was very quick at around 5 weeks. I’ve had issues with my arches cramping, so I switched the insoles to custom superfeet black, and have added more foam underneath in order to fix the fit due to how the interior of the boot has broken down. I have been told by my skate tech that I should be expecting to need new boots again around April, which would have these at a 10 month lifespan.

These boots take quite a while to break in, as do most Jackson boots, and it can be quite painful during that time to skate long sessions. I had recurring blisters that even with a punch out did not go away until about 5 months in, skating around 10 hours a week.

At month 7 I started experiencing pressure pain on my left ankle from the tongue on the boots, and I think it’s due to the padding getting compressed over time and therefore less effective. I have been using a silicone sleeve on my ankle to solve this problem.

The interior lining does wear through over time and leads to the padding breaking down, particularly in the heel. I’ve also noticed the padding along the sides near my arches not fitting as snug recently due to padding wearing down.

The tongues on both boots get creased very quickly and easily. This can lead to less support over time, but is also helpful for knee bend and flexibility.

These are great boots for single jumps, and feel very supportive, while still allowing for good knee bend and edge work. They look very sleek, and I love the grey heel. The hooks are well attached, and the duraguard cover does it’s job; although the plastic does stain.

All in all these have served me very well for this part of my skating journey, I truthfully hoped they would last longer given the price though. I know many people in this boot as it really is a fantastic choice if you’re working through single jumps.

Even with the issues I’ve had I still recommend this boot!

NOTE: This review is for the older/original model of Jackson Debut that first came out in 2017 (does not have the new fusion sole)

Background:
As of May 2019, I am a petite 30 year old adult figure skater who actively competes at the adult bronze level. I skated in these boots from October 2017-May 2019.

Overview:
I had my Jackson Debut’s for about a year and a half. Size 4.5 wide (wide sizing only applied to toe box, not the heel). I purchased them around the time I had first landed my loop jump. I since have all of my singles consistent and am working on Axel. Overall they were a decent boot and I adored their look, but they ultimately caused me some foot issues which has since led me to switch to another brand.

Positives:

Beautiful
They are absolutely beautiful boots with a very classic look. They even have a little bit of added bling on the back which adds a nice touch. (LOVE)

Longevity
It’s a great boot for learning single jumps all the way through the lonnnggg process of landing Axel, probably even beginning doubles

Durable/Stiff
These boots are extremely sturdy and durable. I had mine for a year and a half (doing all single jumps and basic axel prep) and had no sign of the boot breaking down or not being stiff enough for landing jumps.

Practical
They are also very reasonable priced, which is a big, big plus. I would definitely still be using them if they hadn’t caused me so many foot issues. (Read below)

Negatives:
Disclaimer: I purchased my Debuts when the style first came out. And I believe I may have experienced some issues with my boots that may have been resolved in the never release of this boot (Debut Fusion). I also have oddly shaped feet… large bunions on both of my big toes.

Issue #1: Inner fabric wearing
Within several months of owning the boots, they began wearing on the inner fabric where the tongue meets top sides (see photos to see how it progressed after a 1.5 years). This never caused any pain and I wasn’t aware of it when skating but it definitely was an eye sore. Boots should not wear like this, especially this early.

Issue #2: Heel pain!
From the the first week or so that I had these boots, I developed excruciating heel pain in my landing foot when landing jumps. I discovered Bunga gel heel sleeves which eliminating the pain completely, but I had to wear these EVERY time I asked or else it literally wasn’t bearable.

Issue #3: Many boot punch outs needed
This may just be my oddly shaped feet. I already had decently large bunions on both of my big toes, but these boots have made them worse. I needed regular boot punch outs to deal with this issue. I also occasionally had to get the ankle bone area of the boot punched out as well due to rubbing.

Issue #4: Bone spurs
I developed bone spurs on the back of my ankles and top of my left foot after a year of skating in these boots. If I laced too tightly it would rub against the top of my foot and cause pain/lace bite.

Issue #5: Ankle rubbing
I went a good year and a few months without any rubbing at the top of the ankle, but for the last few months of owning these boots I need to wear Bunga pads around my ankle to around rubbing.

Conclusion:
I would recommend these boots to someone who has relatively “normal” feet (no bunions, etc) and is interesting in competing and truly advancing within the sport. These boots carried me through 2 competitive seasons (which gained me multiple gold medals!) and passed pre-bronze & bronze freestyle and silver MIF in these boots. For the price, they are a great boot to at least give them a try (before considering customs or more expensive brands) without breaking the bank!