Boot Cleaning

[skippyjoy_207]

Does polish do a good job of covering scuffs? Brightening the white leather? Is there a product that works exceptionally well?

[TashaKat]

I always used Harlick boot pigment though to help keep them clean (and to hide the dirt for tests, competitions etc) I wore OTB tights.

I used Sno-Seal on the soles every now and then.

[Mrs Redboots]

I've found a dedicated leather polish (Renapur (http://www.renapur.com/)) works better than a white shoe polish. And I very nearly always wear boot covers for practice, and always wear over-boot tights for competition.

[Casey]

I've found a dedicated leather polish (Renapur (http://www.renapur.com/)) works better than a white shoe polish. And I very nearly always wear boot covers for practice, and always wear over-boot tights for competition.
Poor Mrs. Redboots - you don't just have to worry about one skate hitting the other, but three!!

I was just thinking about this recently, and realized you not only have to trust a dance or pairs partner to not hurt you, but also not to hurt your skates! Now that's a heck of a lot of trust! ;)

[Mrs Redboots]

I was just thinking about this recently, and realized you not only have to trust a dance or pairs partner to not hurt you, but also not to hurt your skates! Now that's a heck of a lot of trust! ;)One of the Laws of Ice Dancing is that black marks on your white (or beige) skates are a result of his carelessness. White marks on his black skates, however, are a result of his not having his feet in the right place!

[TashaKat]

I was just thinking about this recently, and realized you not only have to trust a dance or pairs partner to not hurt you, but also not to hurt your skates! Now that's a heck of a lot of trust! ;)

You can say that again! I had a toepick mark (full length) on my beautiful new Harlicks :( I'm not QUITE sure how he managed to prang me where he did but my poor skates look battered before I'd even managed to fall over in them :(

Do you have a copy of the Ice Dance rules Annabel? I can't find mine, they are so funny ... and so true :D

[skippyjoy_207]

Thanks! I played the video for one of the products on the Renapur® site, and I think I'm going to buy the Basalm.

[*IceDancer1419*]

hahaha yes I completely agree with Mrs. REdboots on the scuff mark thing! ;)

I already have a few dings in my boots... one in particular, from my partner's toepick. OF COURSE it was his fault. I mean... how could it be MY fault?!?! :rolleyes: :P

Anyways... and if you fall, just blame it on the partner. :P regardless of whose fault it was ;)

Yup. Them dance boots get pretty scuffed up! ;) My coach says it gives them character... she looks at her boots and remembers where she got every single scuff. I have only a few, but I know where those came from. Regardless, I usually wear OTB tights for practice, adn often for comp. too.

[samba]

I have had my skates for nearly 1 year now and havent had to clean them once, you guessed it, I skate solo. However Mrs Redboots did remind me quite rightly that I really should polish them occasionally to keep the leather supple, still havent done it yet Annabel, :oops: I promise I will tonight.

Cheers
Grace

[Kelli]

My skate shop (Cooke's, highly lauded in the thread about shipping skates) told me to use rubbing alcohol to get the scuffs out and then repolish (with their own brand of polish, but I imagine any skate polish would be fine). Worked like a charm.

[stardust skies]

They gave me the rubbing alcohol trick too. Works GREAT, never would have thought of it. And I don't know what being a singles skater has to do with not having to clean skates. Mine are absolutely COVERED in nicks, cuts, scuffs, and everything else. They look ridiculous, really. But Cooke's polish is great.

[Mrs Redboots]

Oh well, toe-pick nicks in your skates are one thing - but a huge long toe-rake scratch all across your leg??? With a ginormous bruise underneath, all the colours... healing now, and, of course, itching like anything!

[Diana]

Hi!
My boots are white but they had a different texture, and if i use some white paint it will be very ugly :roll:
here's a picture:
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1112/patim091zk.th.jpg (http://img181.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patim091zk.jpg)

if i clean them with white paint it will be with spots: white with that texture and only white :( i usually clean them with products to clean the glasses, but that didn't remove the scratches.
does anyone have this kind of boot or does anyone know how can i clean them?

[*IceDancer1419*]

Oh well, toe-pick nicks in your skates are one thing - but a huge long toe-rake scratch all across your leg??? With a ginormous bruise underneath, all the colours... healing now, and, of course, itching like anything!

I gave my partner a permanent scar on his shin... heh. :roll:

Toepicks. Gotta love 'em :P

I have yet to be completely killed by my partner... but then, we haven't been skating together *that* long. I'm sure I'll get a nice little scar some time. ;)

[luna_skater]

Hi!
My boots are white but they had a different texture, and if i use some white paint it will be very ugly :roll:
here's a picture:
http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/1112/patim091zk.th.jpg (http://img181.imageshack.us/my.php?image=patim091zk.jpg)

if i clean them with white paint it will be with spots: white with that texture and only white :( i usually clean them with products to clean the glasses, but that didn't remove the scratches.
does anyone have this kind of boot or does anyone know how can i clean them?

Have you tried any leather cleaners?

[Diana]

2 weeks ago i serach for that at the supermarket but i didn't find, i'll search again for it. thanks for your help :)

[stardust skies]

Oh well, toe-pick nicks in your skates are one thing - but a huge long toe-rake scratch all across your leg??? With a ginormous bruise underneath, all the colours... healing now, and, of course, itching like anything!

Ouch :( I should rethink my temptation to go into ice dancing after I'm done with my singles skating, huh? If I scratch my leg, I want it to be my fault!!! Haha. I hope you heal soon!

[blue111moon]

If you want to remove black scuff marks (not digs into the leather), try Jubilee Kitchen wax. It takes the marks off and doesn't trip the leather. Plus the wax does some waterproofing and helps keep new marks from forming.

It's olso cheap, comes in a big bottle, smells decent and takes fingerprints off refridgerator doors and cabinets. :P

[luna_skater]

2 weeks ago i serach for that at the supermarket but i didn't find, i'll search again for it. thanks for your help :)

Try a shoe-repair shop, if there's one in your area. They will definitely have it!

[Isk8NYC]

I usually use Saddle Soap for cleaning, but someone on this website recommended using a Mr. Clean Eraser sponge. It really works well, but I'd just use it occasionally. It works so well, it can't be good for the leather.

You have to polish afterwards because it takes off the polish.

[Casey]

Ouch :( I should rethink my temptation to go into ice dancing after I'm done with my singles skating, huh? If I scratch my leg, I want it to be my fault!!! Haha. I hope you heal soon!
I know what you mean! I recently watched the pairs skating from the 1994 Olympics, and after seeing just how close the toepick kept coming to the other person's head at high speed or difficult to hold positions, suddenly my temptation to skate pairs started dwindling. I mean, it looks impressive, but geez! The accident along the way!!

[BelleOnIce]

HI there, I have the same skates as you Diana with the special "skin" like effect! Before mine got ruined by some BAD paint job (I needed tan boots for an ice show and they told us to use terrible stuff!!) I used a kind of cream cleanser cleaner (cif) on them as it didnt remove any of the texture! Not what alot of people would use but it kept them clean?
Im really sad that the paint job has runied them as I loved having them as I was individual as not many others had them!
Hope this is of help!

[icedancer2]

They gave me the rubbing alcohol trick too. Works GREAT, never would have thought of it. And I don't know what being a singles skater has to do with not having to clean skates. Mine are absolutely COVERED in nicks, cuts, scuffs, and everything else. They look ridiculous, really. But Cooke's polish is great.

I use Cooke's polish, too - it is fantastic and the only polish I've ever seen that can make your skates look brand new!!

I use nail polish remover for the scuffs -- this works, but probably dries them out at bit.

[skippyjoy_207]

Where can I get Cooke's polish?

[Diana]

HI there, I have the same skates as you Diana with the special "skin" like effect! Before mine got ruined by some BAD paint job (I needed tan boots for an ice show and they told us to use terrible stuff!!) I used a kind of cream cleanser cleaner (cif) on them as it didnt remove any of the texture! Not what alot of people would use but it kept them clean?
Im really sad that the paint job has runied them as I loved having them as I was individual as not many others had them!
Hope this is of help!

I know that product, i'll buy it an try it ;) i love that "skin" too but when we scratch it, there's no turning back :( that's the only problem of it. I never say this kind of skates, now i only see EDEA skates... but i prefer RISPORT ones.

[samba]

I have had my skates for nearly 1 year now and havent had to clean them once, you guessed it, I skate solo. However Mrs Redboots did remind me quite rightly that I really should polish them occasionally to keep the leather supple, still havent done it yet Annabel, :oops: I promise I will tonight.

Cheers
Grace

To-day I was made to swallow these words, after a disasterous dance competition, my dance coach took me right back to basics, after pointing out how badly I wide-step, she said "dirty boots tidy footwork" and as my boots are clean as a whistle - what can I say.

My next project is to get the inside of my boots as scuffed as possible.

Cheers
Grace

[Mrs Redboots]

Of course, I had to remember to polish my own boots, too, which I did yesterday morning! I love the smell of Renapur, it's all beeswax & lavender.