Are Jackson Excel skates good enough for a beginner?

They are okay for absolute basics, but many skaters outgrow them quickly; consider Mystique or Artiste if you plan to progress.

What is the difference between Jackson Excel and Mystique?

Mystique has a higher support rating (15 vs. 5) and a better blade, making it more suitable for learning jumps and spins.

Can an adult use Jackson Excel skates?

Adults generally need more support due to weight; Excel may break down quickly for adult beginners.

Jackson Ultima

New Jackson Ultima Excel Women's/Girls Figure Skate, 11yo

5/5 (1)

$139.99$179.95-22%

In Stock

The Jackson Ultima Excel is a recreational figure skate designed for beginners in learn-to-skate programs, recreational ice skating, and basic figure skating. Features include a reinforced vinyl upper with a padded rolled collar, foam-backed tongue, and a factory-sharpened Ultima Mark II stainless steel blade attached to a PVC sole. Sold in women's/girls size 11 medium width, these skates provide light support suitable for young skaters, though reviews note they may break down quickly with progression and recommend stiffer models for heavier or advancing skaters.

Color: White
Material: Reinforced vinyl upper, PVC sole, stainless steel blade
Gender: female
Category: Sporting Goods > Athletics > Figure Skating & Hockey > Ice Skates

Color

White

Size

View on merchant site JSON

GTIN: 061178207929
MPN: JACKSONULTIMA-061178207929-NEWOVERSTOCK

Specifications

New Jackson Ultima Excel figure skates for women/girls, size 11 medium width, ideal for learn to skate and recreational ice skating.

Light support design; Reinforced vinyl upper; Soft rolled collar; Padded lining; Flex notch for natural ankle movement; Foam backed tongue; Factory sharpened Ultima Mark II stainless steel blade; PVC sole with screws.

Color: White · white
Material: Reinforced vinyl upper, PVC sole, stainless steel blade
Secondary: stainless-steel
Gender: female
Age Group: kids
Condition: new
Category: Sporting Goods > Athletics > Figure Skating & Hockey > Ice Skates

Additional Attributes

Brand new, open box item
Light support for learn to skate programs or recreational ice skating and figure skating
Supportive design provides comfort and secure fit
Reinforced vinyl upper with soft rolled collar and padded lining
Flex notch allows natural ankle movement
Foam backed tongue
Factory sharpened Ultima Mark II stainless steel blade
PVC sole with screws
Children's (kid's) Size 11 Medium Width
White figure skates

Image Analysis

9 images

01high: A pair of white figure skates shown from front and rear angles on a white studio background, featuring brown heels and silver blades with toe picks.
OCR: MARK II
white skate boot upper (matte finish)beige padded collarwhite tongue with gold triangular logowhite lacesround metal eyeletsmetal lace hooksstitching seams on bootbrown stacked heelbrown outsolesilver skate bladetoe pick on bladeblade engraving MARK IIpair shown with front and rear viewsstudio white backgroundsoft even studio lighting
02high: Printed Jackson Ultima size chart showing skate sizes and foot length columns with a childrens panel in light purple and a womens panel in light blue, plus bulleted fitting tips and a please note section.
OCR: Jackson Ultima Size Chart. Skate Size. Foot Length. Here are a few tips to assist in selecting the correct size: Take measurements in the socks that will be used while skating. Stand on a sheet of paper. Have someone else place a mark at your longest toe and at your heel. The pen should be straight up and down to determine the proper length. Remove the foot and measure the distance between both marks in inches; repeat with your second foot. Using the longer measurement of your two feet, select the most appropriate size. If between sizes, select the larger size. All skates are provided in Medium Width only. Please Note: Do not use shoe size as a reference, skate sizes are different than shoe sizes. Skates generally have a snug fit to ensure the foot does not move while skating; this type of fit may not suit everyone. Kids may need one size larger to allow for growth.
title Jackson Ultima Size Charttable with two columns Skate Size and Foot Lengthcolumn header Skate Sizecolumn header Foot Lengthchildren's sizes panelwomens sizes panellight purple background behind childrens panellight blue background behind womens paneltable grid linesnumerical size entriesmeasurement values shown in inchesbulleted instructional listPlease Note bulleted listblack sans serif body textwhite page backgroundround bullet markers
03high: Studio product photograph of a white figure skate showing laces, tongue badge, brown heel housing, and a silver blade marked MARK II with annotation lines pointing to features.
OCR: Vinyl coated upper with synthetic lining. Flex notch for added flexibility. MARK II
white vinyl coated uppersynthetic lining beigewhite lacesmetal eyelets in two columnstongue with gold logo badgebrown heel and sole housingbrown welt trim at sole edgesilver figure skate bladetoe pick on bladeblade engraving MARK IIstitching detail at toe seamblue annotation linesblue annotation dots with yellow centerswhite studio backgroundsoft shadow under skate
04high: Close-up studio image of a white shoe or boot upper showing a beige padded rolled collar, foam-backed tongue, reinforced lace hooks, white laces, and visible stitching with graphic annotation markers.
OCR: Padded rolled collar for comfort. Foam backed, vinyl/mesh comfort tongue. Reinforced hooks
padded rolled collarbeige fleece liningfoam backed tonguevinyl mesh texture on tongue edgereinforced lace hookswhite round shoelacewhite synthetic uppervertical stitch seamblue annotation lineblue circle annotation with yellow centerstudio white backgroundclose-up product shot
05high: Close-up studio image of a white figure skate showing the brown PVC sole, metal mounting plate with screws, and a silver steel blade with serrated toe pick; annotated with callouts and markers.
OCR: Ultima Mark II blade attached with screws & factory sharpened. Stylized PVC sole for easy care
white figure skate bootbrown stylized PVC solesilver steel skate bladeserrated toe pickmetal blade mounting platemetal mounting screwswhite laces and eyeletssmooth leather-like upperstudio white backgroundblue circular annotation markersblue callout linesproduct annotation text in image
06high: Single white figure skate photographed on a white studio background showing laces, metal blade with toe pick, brown heel and gold logo on the tongue.
OCR: JACKSON. Excel
smooth white leather upperbeige suede or fabric collar liningwhite flat lacesmetal eyeletsmetal lace hooksstitched toe seambrown molded heel blockbrown sole rimpolished stainless steel bladetoe pick with teethblade mounting screwsblade cutout profilegold triangular logo on tonguegold script text on tonguehigh-top ankle shaperounded toe shapewhite studio backgroundeven studio lighting
07high: Top-down studio view of a white lace-up figure skate boot showing padded beige collar, black interior, gold logo on the tongue, and silver metal tabs at toe and heel.
Flat lay
white upperrounded toecenter seam on toelace-up closure with white lacesmetal eyeletspadded beige collarblack interior lininggold logo on tonguestitched seamssilver metal tab at heelsilver metal tab at toetop-down studio shot on white background
08high: Rear view close-up of a white skate boot showing beige plush lining, stitched back seams, brown heel and a metal skate blade with mounting screws.
white smooth boot upperdouble vertical stitched seam on backbeige plush inner liningbrown stacked heelmetal skate bladeblade mounting screws visiblerear view compositionstudio white backgroundclose-up product shot
09high: Front studio view of a white high-top figure skate boot showing laces, stitched toe, gold logo and text on the tongue, brown sole edge and a metal skate blade.
OCR: JACKSON. Excel
smooth white boot upper finishwhite stitched center toe seamwhite lacesmetal lace hookspadded tonguegold triangular logo markgold 'JACKSON' wordmarkgold 'Excel' script textbrown outsole/sole edgemetal figure skate bladefront studio shothigh-top boot silhouettevisible stitching around toe and quarters

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Documents & Data

Customer Reviews

1 reviews · out of 5

Quick and easy

★★★★★Stephanie

Couldn’t believe how simple the process was.

Reddit Insights

6 threads · r/iceskating, r/FigureSkating

The Jackson Excel is seen as a decent starter skate for very basic lessons, but many recommend upgrading to stiffer models (Mystique/Artiste) for even slight progression to avoid quick breakdown.

mixed sentiment100% match

While some users find the Excel adequate for first steps, there is recurring advice that it's too soft for anything beyond the most basic skating, especially for older or heavier beginners. The sentiment leans slightly negative due to strong upgrade recommendations.

Themes

Support/stiffness level for beginnersnegative

Comparison with higher Jackson models (Mystique, Artiste, Elle)negative

Suitability for different ages/sizesmixed

Use Cases

First-time beginner skating lessons (Learn to Skate Basic 1-2)
Recreational skating / occasional public sessions

Watch Out For

highExcel breaks down quickly for anyone heavier or progressing beyond very basic skills.

mediumFactory sharpening may be inadequate; many recommend getting them sharpened before first use.

Community Q&A

Are Jackson Excel skates good enough for a beginner?: They are okay for absolute basics, but many skaters outgrow them quickly; consider Mystique or Artiste if you plan to progress.
What is the difference between Jackson Excel and Mystique?: Mystique has a higher support rating (15 vs. 5) and a better blade, making it more suitable for learning jumps and spins.
Can an adult use Jackson Excel skates?: Adults generally need more support due to weight; Excel may break down quickly for adult beginners.

Compared To

vs Jackson Mystique

Mystique is slightly stiffer (15 vs. 5 support rating) and commonly recommended over Excel for beginners who plan to advance even a little.

vs Jackson Artiste

Artiste is notably stiffer than both Excel and Mystique; recommended for heavier or more committed beginners.

Source Threads

Advice on Jackson Excel vs. other models for a beginner
From the thread: 'The Excel is basically the lowest end Jackson. It's fine for learning to stand up and march, but if you're planning on taking lessons for more than a month, you're going to want something stiffer like the Mystique or Artiste.'
r/iceskatingView thread →
First figure skate purchase: Excel vs. Mystique vs. Artiste
OP is choosing between Excel and Mystique. Comment: 'I'd go with Mystique over Excel any day. The Excel is very soft and won't last if you're serious about learning. Even for a child, the Mystique will give better support.'
r/FigureSkatingView thread →
Are Jackson Ultima softskates good for beginners?
Discussion on softskates (Excel is often in this category). 'They're okay for tots who weigh nothing, but for older kids or adults, you need more support. The Excel won't last a season if you're doing anything beyond public skate.'
r/FigureSkatingView thread →
Are Jackson Mystique skates good? (with Excel comparison)
Response: 'Mystique is a solid beginner skate. Excel is a step down—basically a recreational skate. If your child is 11 and starting lessons, Mystique is the minimum I'd recommend.'
r/FigureSkatingView thread →
Jackson skates: Excel quality for beginner child
OP asks about Excel for their daughter. Reply: 'They're fine for the first few weeks, but you'll be replacing them soon. They crease easily and don't hold the ankle. I'd save the money and go straight to Artiste.'
r/iceskatingView thread →
Question about Jackson Excel quality
User reports: 'The vinyl started cracking after a few months and the blade isn't great. For an 11-year-old, it might be okay if they're just messing around, but not for lessons.'
r/iceskatingView thread →