Skating Form Problem.... Help!

[justindublin]

Okay guys i have a problem and its really starting to do my nut at this stage.
When skating i keep noticeing that altho (i think) my skates are tight for some reason my feet keep going into this triangle like shape.

I know it sounds strange but this will prob explain a bit more: http://mercury.walagata.com/w/justindublin/Skating.JPG

Any ideas anyone? Or just a case of getting new skates?

Thanks Guys!

[EastonSkater]

Maybe the sides of boot isn't stiff enough anymore, or you got very flexible ankles. I've seen some of my friends wearing sports shoes, and since an early age, they didn't have proper support in their shoes since an early age, and ended up developing a tilted profile just like in your picture. So if your feet aren't like this normally when you walk, then probably there's not enough ankle support in the skates, or you might need to get the boot people to make the sides narrower with a little heat treatment, or maybe you just need to skate a bit more to develop more strength in the ankles there.

[frvanilla]

Generally a lean toward your insides edges when you are skating would have to do with not enough ankle support, loose laces, and improper sizing.

Let me assume that the skates are the right size for you, have you done up your laces tight enough on the insteps and ankles (not the top of your skates)? You shouldn't be able to fit a finger into when you pull the laces. Improper fitting skates, even if done up correctly, tend to results in leaning into your inside edges.

I think it would be helpful to know what kind of skates you have. I find recreational vinyl skates and some hockey skates are more prone to this problem of lacking ankle support. If your skates have no creases on the sides or have not broken down with age yet, it is very likely that it's the lacing problem. If your skates are old then probably not much support left in your skates.

Also, when you walk with your skates on the floor, do you find your ankles leaning inward or on flats?

[stardust skies]

You probably have flat feet and what you are describing, in medical terms, is called pronation. It's really bad for your joints long-term and you can't keep skating like that. Two remedies to this would be to go to an orthopedist to have him make you orthotics (padded insoles to compensate for your lack of arch and provide support where there should be some naturally but isn't), making sure he's familiar with figure skates and that there will still be enough room in your skates afterwards, otherwise you may have to buy a new pair. Second remedy is to go to a knowledgeable fitter and have him move the blades to the inside of your boots a little bit more to compensate for your pronation and force you to hold your feet up straight. I'd go with solution number one though, and I would suggest getting a separate pair for your street shoes as well, as flat feet are really bad on the back, knee, and hip joints, all important for skating. Some people use the same orthotics for skates and shoes and keep switching them, but I think that's a bad idea if only because you run the risk of always forgetting them, plus they'll be sweaty from your skates to go into your shoes and that's gross, plus they'll wear out quicker.

Either way, don't ignore this problem, it's pretty serious, pretty common, and easily fixed. Insurance covers most of the expenses in orthotics, too.

[justindublin]

The skates i'm using at the moment are Sherwood Hockeys.
I'm thinking of buying some new skates in the next month or so, i was thinking about Nike becuase they have a huge selection and a small price.
CCM was second on the list but i'm split. Any ideas?
Remember i'm on a budget.....

As for my current problem, The only way i'v found to fix my blade angle is by tighting my skates to a crazy amount. It actually hurts to walk in them but once on the ice it's slightlt better..... Still uncomfortable tho.

[miraclegro]

If you are pronating, you can go to a local cobbler shop and get these heel pieces, or arch pieces that can be rubber cemented into your skates...

Or drug store that has some orthodic type things you can try...

That is, if you are on a budget and trying to play around with making it work. Orthodics through a podiatrist may be the best way, but i know about the budget thing!