@Mike King in re: part2, in addition to Kathie Fry's website that
@neonorchid posted above there is also
http://skateia.org/instructors/ You're absolutely right that old websites are mostly dead.
In re part1:
First off, you should absolutely be looking at high top skates. Low-cut skates are for committed speed; mid-cut skates are kind of a compromise for skaters who want to go quick but don't quite have the conditioning to go low-cut. (FWIW
@surfsnowgirl 's Vitesse are a mid-cut skate.)
Second, it's hard - one has almost zero choice of last shapes except by switching brands, and everything in the beginner-to-intermediate category is lasted like mid-to-high volume rental ski boots. You also can't change cuff angle. Footbeds are only a limited help - they can fill volume but tend to make the boot feel wobblier underfoot.
There are very definite standards: you have to be able to balance and glide on one foot. you have to be able to glide on two feet in a straight line with vertical frames I I
To help find skates in which you can do that,
do use the Mondpoint sizing in preference to US shoe sizing. I also recommend everyone starts in hardshell skates like Rollerblade's Maxxum and Twister series - both the clog and the cuff can be padded to fit better, which is essentially a lost cause in softshell skates. The only real tools available with softshell skates are - frame position and alignment, lacing changes, and padding the sock.
