I see a lot of kids on the ice, 90% of them are in mid level skates. Some below. I have never seen a kid skate and attributed any shortcoming to their skates.
i do see a lot of kids with no ability to get on their outside edges on get any kind of forward shin angle. They have their skates cranked and it’s like from the knee down they are an action figure, the ankle doesn’t move.
my son is almost 13, a good skater, and is in the age where kids are enamored by high end sticks and skates. I could afford it but I won’t buy him top end skates.