Complete Skates vs. Boot and Blade Separately

There are two ways to buy figure skates: a complete skate, with the blade already mounted and sharpened, or a boot and blade bought separately and mounted for you. Find Your Skate covers which one suits you in a sentence. This page is the longer answer — what each route actually includes, what it really costs, and where the line between them falls.

What You're Actually Buying

The difference is not just packaging. A complete skate has had several decisions made and several jobs done for you.

Complete Skate Boot + Blade
Choosing the blade Matched for you Your choice, or your coach's
Blade size Already correct for the boot You match it — see our blade sizing guide
Mounting Done at the factory A separate job for a technician
Blade position Standard placement Can be set to your skating
First sharpening Sharpened before it ships Arrange it yourself
Upgrading later Usually replace the whole skate Replace boot or blade independently

That last row is the one people underestimate. Boots and blades wear out on different schedules — a boot can break down while the blade still has years in it, and a skater can outgrow a blade while the boot still fits. Buying separately lets you replace one without the other.

What Each Route Costs

This is where the comparison gets clearer than most people expect.

Route What you pay
Complete skate Roughly $100 to $520, everything included
Boot Roughly $250 to $1,100
Blade Roughly $140 to $960
Mounting A separate service on top
💡 Worth knowing: Every complete skate we carry costs less than the cheapest boot-and-blade combination we could build — even before mounting. At the beginner end a complete skate is not a compromise on price, it is comfortably the better value. The reason to buy separately is control over the components, not savings.

Where the Line Falls

The two routes are not evenly spread across skill levels. Reading by Jackson Support Rating, which is the widest range we carry:

  • Support 2 to 29 — complete skates only. Nothing is sold boot-only down here. If you are in your first lessons, the decision is already made for you.
  • Support 30 to 49 — both exist. This is the real decision zone, and where this page is worth reading twice.
  • Support 50 and up — boot-only. Once you are working the Axel and beyond, blade choice matters enough that the market stops bundling it.
⚠️ In the 30–49 zone, ask what you'd change. If you cannot name a blade you specifically want and a reason for it, a complete skate gives you a properly matched setup for less money. Buy separately when you have a reason — a coach's recommendation, a discipline that needs particular geometry, or a blade you already own and want to keep.

The Middle Path: Temporary Mount

There is a third option that sits between the two, and almost nobody knows it exists.

A temporary mount is a complete skate whose blade has been fitted with a few screws rather than the full set. It is ready to skate, but the blade can still be repositioned. The skater tries the standard placement on the ice, and if it does not suit them, a technician shifts the blade and mounts it permanently in the right spot.

You get the convenience and the matched components of a package, without locking in a blade position before anyone has seen the skater skate on it.

⚠️ Important: A temporary mount is not finished. Additional screws must be installed before the skates go into regular use — the few screws holding the blade are enough for a test, not for training. Book that step in when you buy.

We carry temporary-mount versions of several Jackson packages in the Evo, Elle and Freestyle lines. See Blade Mounting & Screws for what the process involves, or our mounting service to have the permanent mount done.

Why the Brands Split the Way They Do

The two brands we carry sit in different places on this question, and it is worth knowing why before you read it as a quality difference.

  • Jackson builds across the entire range, from a toddler's first skates to elite competition boots. At the recreational end it sells complete skates because that is what those skaters need; further up the line it sells boots on their own. Every complete skate we carry is a Jackson.
  • EDEA concentrates on the boot. Its range here is boot-only, designed to be paired with a blade chosen for the skater — which is why EDEA appears alongside MK, John Wilson, Jackson and Paramount blades rather than bundled with one.

Neither approach is better. They reflect different parts of the sport, and both routes end with a properly set-up pair of skates.

When to Move From Packages to Separates

Most skaters make this switch once, and there is no need to rush it. Signs it is time:

  • Your coach has started naming specific blades.
  • You are working the Axel or beyond, where blade geometry begins to affect what you can do.
  • Your boot has broken down but the blade is still good, or the reverse.
  • You have moved into a discipline — dance, synchro, pairs — with its own blade requirements.
💡 Tip: You do not have to replace both at once. If your boots are finished but the blades still suit your level, a technician can remount the existing blades onto new boots. See Boot & Blade Combinations for pairings at each level.

Next Steps

Still working out which skate suits you? Start with Find Your Skate. Know your level but not your size? See the Boot Sizing Guide. Buying separately and choosing a blade? Read How to Choose Figure Skating Blades.

Not Sure Which Way to Go?

Tell us what you're skating and what you're working on, and we'll tell you honestly whether a complete skate or a boot and blade makes more sense — including when the cheaper option is the right one.

Ask Us