Slipping Heel

[Black Sheep]

I skate in SP-Teri boots and Phantom blades. It's been the best blade-boot combo ever for me, but lately I've been having a problem with my heel slipping in and out of my right boot while I'm skating in securely-tied boots. That's never happened to me before.

Any ideas on how to correct this? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? ;) 8-)

[Black Sheep]

I just got a reply from the SP-Teri company about this. They told me I should send the boots back so they could tighten the heel. No, nope, no way. I have no time or money to send my skates across the country and do without for so long.

Maybe I should wear thicker socks.....

[Black Sheep]

I figure if my skate doesn't go flying off my foot across the rink, I should be fine....

[mikawendy]

I had that problem when I was in Riedell boots (I have a C width foot but an AA width heel).

I'm now in Jackson but nearly bought Teris because they're very similar and also fit my foot shape. Are your boots heat mouldable? (I know the Jacksons are, but I'm not sure about the Teris.) If so, you might want to have them warmed in the oven, then I think they can clamp the ankles slightly while the boots are still warm to make them conform a little more to your heel and grip better. You'd probably want to check with the pro who sold you the boots so that you don't accidentally void any warranties. If your pro hasn't done something like this before, PM me and I'll give you the e-mail address of the shop I go to--they might be willing to give your pro advice.

What I do, too, is after my boots have dried inside after a skate, I lace them up to the top to keep tension on the sides when I'm not using them. I don't know if this has any effect or I just think it does.

I still have a little slippage while I skate because I'm not yet able to lace up to the top hook. My MIF coach clued me in on how to lace them better so that I have less tongue slippage and looseness--after you lace up to the highest hook that you want to go to, make a surgeon's knot (the first step of tying a knot in shoelaces, but stop before the "bunny ears" step), then lace back around that hook and any others before finishing tying the laces. This uses up extra lace and also keeps the laces from getting too loose.

Have you tried wearing bunga sleeves to make your ankles bigger in the boot?

Good luck. I usually stay on the ice till the end of the session but have had to get off early b/c of loose heels and then not had time to retie and get back on before the zam comes out...

[Black Sheep]

Originally posted by mikawendy
Have you tried wearing bunga sleeves to make your ankles bigger in the boot?

Good idea! I'll give it a whirl (as it were). It will be nice to actually use something I've just been carrying around in my skate bag for months. Thanks! 8-)

[icenut84]

Originally posted by Black Sheep
I figure if my skate doesn't go flying off my foot across the rink, I should be fine....

You won't be fine, lol. My first pair of skates were like this too, with slipping heels (though I think mine were a little worse as it was a lot of the time it happened). It gave me bumps on my heels and sometimes made my heels bleed, and they hurt to skate in, especially when landing jumps (singles) and pushing off. You're doing doubles aren't you? If so, you should definitely get this fixed, especially if the foot that's moving is your landing foot. Don't leave it, talk to your coach or a good pro, see what they say. Your heels should be snug, not moving. (Having said all that, my heels have now moved a couple of times in my current skates too, so I also need to get that checked out!)

[Michigansk8er]

I've had this problem with nearly every boot I've owned. It's only my right boot, but that's a big problem since it's my landing foot. Harlick gave up and told me they could not fit my foot (and this was custom boots). I also tried Klingbeil and Graf. What I did to help was stuff lambswool inside a bunga sleeve to run vertically behind my ankle bones. It helped until I finally found a pair of boots to fit (I have custom SPTeris now). Good luck. It's very frustrating.

[mousey]

the back of my heels rub on my skates sometimes. i just ignore it, but now im getting a really hard piece of skin there.

[96.23??]

I have the same problem, I wear a bunga sleeve around my heel, I position it so that half is under my heel and the other half is covering my heel so that the sleeve won't slip while skating. I also have inserts to put in my skates that are just for the heel, they rise the heel up a little so that it becomes a little more snug fitting.

[skaternum]

I think in the long run, you're better off sending you skates to get them properly tightened. All you're going to do by wearing thick socks and jamming a bunch of stuff down in the boot is to make it stretch more in the long run. What's a couple of weeks when you're talking about the entire life of a boot?

[Moto Guzzi]

I had this problem with a pair of boots once. They were custom Harlicks that I'd had for several years. I shipped them back to Harlick, and they shipped them back to me a week later and the boots never bothered me again. The bump I had developed on one heel before shipping the boots off went away a month or so after my boots were fixed.

I agree with the others who said you should send them back. The repair isn't a difficult one so it doesn't take that long to do. The only charge I paid was to have them shipped; Harlick didn't charge anything for the repair.

[Elsy2]

I also vote for sending them back. Just sent daughter's skates to Harlick. I sent them Priority Mail with $800 insurance, and it cost me about $15 or so.

The other thing we tried with this problem was a Bunga Achilles Tendon Pad. All the gel padding is at over the heel area and up the achilles tendon. The padding was just in the area we needed.

We also used to use one or two layers of Dr. Scholl molefoam and lay it into the back of the boot. We'd trim to fit. The molefoam had to be replaced every month as it would squash down over time. It left some adhesive residue in the boot.

I hated all these "fixes" and was so happy to finally get boots that fitted....daughter's bumps on the back of her heels have regressed to almost normal too.

[Black Sheep]

I tried the right boot on again last night. This time I tried pushing my heel towards the back for a better fit before I tied up the laces. With those little ankle bumps on the sides hugging my ankles, the boot fit just fine.

[blurrysarah]

I have this problem too actually, my risports felt very tight around the heel until I broke them in, and now the left heel rises in the boot no matter how hard I lace it. It is especially off putting when prepping for a loop jump, as the heel rises and rubs against the boot. I'm assuming my feet are slightly different sizes, because the right one fits like a glove. I explained this to my coach and she also said it may be why I tip forward on a camel spin attempt. I'm going to go buy some thick inner soles and put one in the left skate, see how that works.

[NickiT]

It does sound like your boot has stretched a bit around your heel. Other than wearing thicker socks and making sure you tie your laces super tight, I don't really know what else to suggest. I hope you find a solution soon though.

Nicki

[Canskater]

Wow ... I had exactly that problem with SP Terri's I had before ... terrible slippage on the right heel.

When I finally couldn't take it any more, I went to a boot fitter who was well recommended and who was reputed to be excellent. To make a long story short, the slippage on the right foot occurred because there is quite a difference in size between the right foot and the left ....

It might be that you have the same problem and might want to consider customs next time.

-- sheilagh

[Justine_R]

Have you tried putting some foam or something inside the skate?
It might help and im guesing it would be ever so comfertable.

[Black Sheep]

When I skate this Monday morning, I'm going to try tying my skates with my heel backed in first. If that doesn't work, I hope my local giant skate shop can help....:roll:

[tazsk8s]

Just curious, how old are your boots? I started noticing my heel slipping on my 5+ year old custom SP Teri's earlier this fall, this was my sign that it was time for new ones. It took four weeks plus one day from when I got measured which I didn't think was bad at all. Just got them this week and so far, so good. Forgot how stiff new boots are, though - Junior got quite the chuckle watching my pathetic attempts at crossovers the first day!

[Black Sheep]

Originally posted by tazsk8s
Just curious, how old are your boots?

About 7 months old. I'm not ready to give up on them. They are awesome boots, really! 8-)

[tazsk8s]

Originally posted by Black Sheep
About 7 months old. I'm not ready to give up on them. They are awesome boots, really! 8-)

No, I definitely wouldn't either!

[Justine_R]

No dont give them up!they sound really great boots!

[skateflo]

This topic seems to come up every year - it is a very common problem for many skaters and includes many boots, stock and custom. Some people have identified several of the precipitating problems: as boots break in, the leather gives especially on one foot that might get more stress (landing foot,) improperly fitted boots, etc.

My boot fitter told me several things I will pass on too. It is really very important at all times to tap the foot to the back of the boot before lacing, make sure the tongue is centered and you are not pitching your foot to the side as you lace up, snuggist lacing occurs at the instep, double the lace on the first set of hooks to keep the tension strong at the bend. If slippage still happens, start with a piece of cereal box thickness cardboard and put only under the heel (this raises the heel up against the sides of the boot where the sides go in to hold the foot in place.)

I have found that when I don't lace properly I have to get off the ice after stroking a couple of laps to retie my right boot - and tapping my foot firmly to the rear, relacing paying attention to position and tension works almost every time. I have to wonder if one foot perhaps swells more than the other with normal daytime activities and then when I start skating, the fluid goes down due to increased circulation (muscles pumping/blood supply removal of fluid)and then the boot feels loose.

When all the suggested remedies that people mentioned do not work, then it is time to check with a good boot fitter and perhaps send back to maker. I had my heel rebuilt once and it was so tight that I couldn't skate in my boots at all!