Testing the Golden Horse Maestro boots

Golden Horse: The Taiwanese brand is ready to dethrone the biggest figure skating brands

Our opinion in a glance

The Golden Horse Maestro boots are made to measure, and unlike some other brands, their boots are very light. Rather popular in Asia, they aim to expand internationally since 2016. Asian skaters are already conquered because some brands do not match the morphology of Asian feet (know the morphology of your foot). Many skaters have deformed their feet due to wearing unsuitable skates and have even injured themselves. GH’s goal is to respect each individual’s morphology to allow athletes to achieve the best possible performance. Sometimes coaches push athletes to wear certain brands, when the boot shape simply can’t fit. With quality in mind, they strive to offer beautifully crafted, customized boots at an unbeatable price.
GH offers 3 types of stiffness adapted to each discipline: ice, inline and quad, and is in 2020 the only brand in the world to do so.

The strong points and the points to be improved

Pluses +Finishing +No time to break the boot +No unpleasant pain (no blisters) +Padded interior +Strong rigidity + Custom-made + Rigidities adapted to the disciplines +Excellent quality soles +The choice of color and customization

Minuses -There is no stock, you have to wait a few weeks to have your custom boots. But they can make bulk order with 100 pairs or more basic/middle level personal use skates for some rinks or clubs.

Technical Data Sheet

Brand: Golden Horse
Model: Maestro
Origin: Taiwan
Year of launch: 2018
Upper: Microfiber with lateral reinforcements – ventilated – anatomical design
Heatmoldable? Yes, but no need.
Stiffness: 90, 95, 97 (roller / inline / ice).
Slipper: microfiber, highly breathable.
Widths available: made to measure.
Sole: Single layer
Available colors: white, black, pink, blue
Sizes: custom made
Recommended use: regular to intensive practice of figure skating and ice skating. Recommended for all types of skaters, from beginners to elite.

The Golden Horse Maestro boots in detail

A bit of history

Golden Horse exists since 1969. They were until then specialized in figure skating (quad) in skate rentals (n°1 in China and well known in the USA with a very good reputation), and are now developing inline skating frame as well. It is the only company in the world to manufacture both its own boots and its own frame. Their inline turntable (Presto) has now been in existence for about 20 years.
Boots made to measure, defying all competition!

A personalized design at a lower cost

Unlike other brands, they design the boot in the workshop directly to the skater’s measurements. Indeed, some brands take the footprint of the foot, but GH offers a fairly efficient and precise measuring system, as long as the instructions are followed correctly.

The process is simple: they take the measurements of the foot in its length and width). They ask if you prefer a rigid or rather flexible tongue, if you prefer a tight or slightly wide fit, and all your foot problems (flat feet, hallux valgus, etc).

The Golden Horse factory

For more transparency, some pictures of the workshop, the boots are handmade.

The external aspect of the Golden Horse Maestro boots

Their look looks a lot like some Italian brands. We can find the famous plastic sole, which is undoubtedly lighter than the leather soles (and not wood, as many skaters think) that are still found on some models. The cuts are clean and simpler than some brands. The pattern is not only aesthetic, but also breathable. It is made of microfiber instead of leather, because it is lighter and vegan. The shape of the boot is a modern cut, where the space at the toes is more important which also allows to reduce the size of the plate a little.

Heel height: Normal High. Not too high, not too small.

Available colors

The boots are available in several colors (pink, blue, ivory, black and new colors, like the pale pink and teal are released in June 2020).

Fastening

The laces: The quality of the laces is good; the laces are fine and round. They are not waxed. The tongue has 2 pieces to attach the laces, one at the bottom, the other at the place of the kick, in order to keep it well in place while skating.

The hooks: The hooks are long and very practical. The laces stay well in place and there is no difficulty to insert them.

Stiffness of the Maestro boots

For the Maestro model, the stiffness is equivalent to the Edea Piano. Here, I asked for a lower reinforcement than the Maestro in 95, but rather a stiffness of 85 (I’m doing all single jumps and some doubles and I am a heavy adult). You can feel the reinforcements on the sides of the foot. The stiffness is important and corresponds to a stiffness higher than the Risport RF3 and very slightly lower than the Royal Elite (in 90).

The stiffness of GH boot is, 30 to 99, but it depends of the discipline (ice, inline or quad).

Comfort of the Golden Horse Maestro boots

The inner lining: The inner lining is highly breathable and padded and is reminiscent of the Edea lining. It is present up to the toes. Thus, the toes are comfortably installed at the bottom of the boot. The tongue is quite rigid, and not too much padded, which allows a better tightening from the start.

Une conception personnalisée à moindre coût

A la différence des autres marques : Golden Horse conçoit ses bottines dans l’atelier directement aux mesures du patineurs. En effet, certaines marques prennent l’empreinte du pied, mais GH propose un système de mesure assez efficace et précis, du moment que les instructions sont bien suivies.

Le procédé est simple : ils prennent les mesures du pied dans sa longueur et dans sa largeur). Ils demandent ensuite si vous préférez une languette rigide ou plutôt souple, si vous préférez une coupe ajustée ou un peu large ainsi que tous vos problèmes de pieds (pieds plats, hallux valgus, etc).

Here are the questions they will ask you if you wish to order them:

• What is the age of the skater?
• What is your level of skating (single, double, triple jumps…)
• Do you prefer a snug fit or some wiggle room?
• Would you like extra space to let the foot grow (for children)?
• Would you like a normal stiffness tongue, or a more rigid one?
• What brand of boots are you currently using?
• Please circle the spots in the picture to show where they feel hurt in their previous boots.

After taking the measurements, for a small supplement of the equivalent of 50 dollars, you can personalize the boot by adding your name on the boot (or your country’s flag, a logo… Etc)! Additional charges may apply, if the skater has a lot of foot problems (but don’t worry, they don’t charge for small job).

Indeed, they realized, that the feet of Europeans were thin and long, while Asian feet were wider. They decided to offer boots made to measure and therefore designed on demand. It is impossible to end up with boots that are too thin or too wide. Mine received the option « hallux valgus » on the left foot. You can also see my first name on the side of both boots.

The panel of the Golden Horse models

There are currently 6 models:

• Magic (basic level, single jumps)
• Glide (basic, middle level, single jumps to axel)
• Loop (middle level, axel to double jumps)
• Classic (high level, double to triple jumps)
• Leader (high level, triple jumps)
• Maestro (high level, triple and quad jumps)
• Rapport qualité/prix

In addition to being customized, the models are available in 4 colors, which is not common with other popular brands which only offer black, white and sometimes beige.

Value for money

The Maestro, which is the elite model, is about 600 dollars.

Absolutely no pain, cramping or unpleasant friction from the first time you step on your feet. The boots fit perfectly, the inner foam hugs the foot and holds it in place. Usually, I needed a good half hour of training for my boots to soften and for me to be, just about well in them (not to mention the many cramps, blisters, etc.), with a very slow break-in time (several months skating 6 hours a week). Now it’s instantaneous.

Skaters using Golden Horse Skates

PrissyOnWheels, Joël Minas, Emily Ginni, Liam Thomas, Sarah France, Monique, Emma Gloudeman, Chocochristene, Aaron Singletary, Care Budreski, Team Shu Shen Du

Links

Golden Horse Instagram @Goldenhorseskates
Golden Horse shop