New skating boots - 1st time buying questions

[newskaker5]

OK - so I bought my first official figure skating boots (a nice upgrade from my old as dirt hand-me-down pair from my older sister haha). ANyway - I bought them from skate-buys.com and they look great, but I have a couple questions.

First- they came without any laces!?! Is this normal? I was so upset because I am not sure what laces to buy for figure skates and I cant really try them on for fit w/o laces. I emailed the company and am waiting for a response, but I figured Id ask here while I wait. Do most companies sell laces seperate? What kind of laces are good for figure skates and what length?

The skates I bought are the RIEDELL GOLD MEDALLION 300. It said to buy 1/2 size down so I did. They seem ok - only tight at the big toe on one foot (no tight because the skates are not long enough, but tight in that they seem to squuze the toe from the top, like the height of the front of the boot is too small for my apprently fat big toe) is this normal?

Using sneaker laces, I tried the skates on. They seem to fit pretty well. Arches seem a tiny bit off, like back a 1/4 inch from my arch, but I can put my orthotics in them so that should help. But at the top of my ankle teh boots KILL!!! Even if I dont tighten that much. Is that with all new skates? Its like the material is digging into my skin on the outside of the ankle. Is this the norm till I break them in? Can I fix this?

Also, the leather of the boots seem so tough. I know these are higher end boots and they say they are appropriate from levels beta thru Freestyle 2 which Im beta so I think thats ok. But it seems like with such tough leather I wont be able to lean forward on my ankle (like bend the ankle) at all. Is this a good thing? WIll it take me forever to break in?

I am just curious because I want to make sure this is all normal. If not, I can return them. Thanks for the help in advance!

[Isk8NYC]

They should have come with laces, but they'd be separate in the box, not already laced into the boots. Check under the papers in the box. There should also be a small package of screws, which are needed to finalize the blade alignment. Ask Skate-Buys to send you the laces/screws that are missing. In the meantime, just buy a pair of laces in the right length from the local pro shop. You should always have an extra pair on hand, so two pairs is a good thing.

While you're in the pro shop, pick up some Sno-Seal to seal the soles of your skates before you use them. (You'll need rags and a hair dryer.) Also, ask them to check the blades for sharpening. Many skates come with minimal sharpening from factories. Skate Buys may have sharpened them before shipping. If not, get it done before you use the skates. Dull skates are a great way to get hurt.

Gold Medallions are very good skates and they are heat-moldable. The heat molding will help with the fitting problems you're having. If you search around on this Board, you'll find some heat-molding tips. The easiest method is to have your local pro shop do it for you. Since you didn't buy the skates there, they'll probably charge you for the service.

If, after a few wearings, you're still having problems with blisters or rubbing, the pro shop can "punch them out" for you. This adjustment to the boot makes it fit better. Again, since you didn't buy the skates from the pro shop, they may charge you a service fee.

Don't use the top hooks for the first month or two. You don't need the support and the leather is so new it has very little give. Leaving the top hook undone will give you the ability to bend your knees. Someone else on this board recommends skipping the last lacing hole for the same reason.

Congrats and good luck.

[sue123]

I'm not sure about all your questions, but the laces are weird. I've only ever bought 2 pairs of figure skates, and a couple pairs of hockey skates, but they all came with laces. But I also bought them all from fitters, so maybe it's different online? As for your toe, you may just need to break them in. I'm not sure if they're heat moldable or not, but if they are, get them heat molded and it should help some. If you skate in them for a time and there's still pressure there, you can always get them punched out in that area.

You can get bunga pads to wear on your ankles so it won't bite as much. The leather might just seem harder because it's not what you're used to. You need to skate in them for a while to break them in. I just bought new skates too, and my fitter told me skate in them for 15 mins, then go off and loosen the laces for 5 mins without taking the skates off, and then retie them and go on for another 15 mins.

Skatebuys really said to get 1/2 size smaller? My Riedell's are 1.5 sizes smaller than my streeet shoes. But if they fit, great.

[newskaker5]

Yes - they said only 1/2 size and I know I was reading here and a lot of people said the riedelles they had were anywhere form 1- 1.5 sizes smaller. I was soo glas I only got 1/2 size smaller cause they just fit. Not too tight, but if I ended up with only a 5 vs a 5 1/2 Im be hurting hehe.


Thank you both so much for the responses! Yeah the laces were definatley not in the box anywhere in :( But I am gonna get some pronto.

Question with the heat molding - I know the pro shop can do it, the instructions that came with my skates said to just put them in an overn at 200 F - so does that mean I can actually do it myself at home? Or is that just a bad idea all together? Thanks!

[sue123]

Question with the heat molding - I know the pro shop can do it, the instructions that came with my skates said to just put them in an overn at 200 F - so does that mean I can actually do it myself at home? Or is that just a bad idea all together? Thanks!

I've heard people doing it themselves before, but I'd personally be too scared to do it. But that's just me. My whole thinking was that I paid all this money for it and I don't want to risk cooking it to a crisp. I went to a skate shop when I was trying to make my old skates fit again, and they didn't charge me for doing it, even though I didnt buy the skates from them. But I don't think it can cost too much anyway, since all they do it put them in the oven and then you put them on your foot.

[beachbabe]

its very strange they didn't come with laces. Call them. makre sure there are no screws missing on the blades. definately advocate heat molding. cuts break in time in half. I know of people who did it themselves, but jsut be careful. i'd prolly leave em in there for not very long to be careful not to ruin them. If your not sure better get it done at the pro shop than risk ruining nice boots.

[flippet]

Yes - they said only 1/2 size and I know I was reading here and a lot of people said the riedelles they had were anywhere form 1- 1.5 sizes smaller. I was soo glas I only got 1/2 size smaller cause they just fit. Not too tight, but if I ended up with only a 5 vs a 5 1/2 Im be hurting hehe.


Hm. It's the 'not too tight' thing that worries me. For a not-used-to-good-boots new skater, boots SHOULD feel 'too tight', relatively speaking, right at first. Not 'painfully tight', but definitely the kind of tight that has you questioning whether they 'might' be too tight. But ultimately, this is something that you kind of have to learn with experience. It takes a pair, sometimes two, for you to understand exactly how tight a new skate should fit your personal feet.

Take them to a pro shop to be heat-molded...but before you do anything, ask them if they'd check the fit on you first. If they're relatively experienced, they may be able to spot a not-so-good fit where you wouldn't. On the other hand, these skates may fit you just fine, it's hard to tell. But when you've gone through the life of these boots and are ready for your next pair, you'll have a pretty good idea of whether these were the right size, or if you should have gone down another half size after all.

Good luck! (and yeah, there should be laces in the box...if not, contact the 'store'.

[newskaker5]

Yeah - I figured they should be almost too tight. Thats how these seem. At first I was ready to return them cause i could barely fit my feet in there. Plus the arch of the skate seems too narrow (like the skates were narrow so the arch was in the wrong spot), but once I put my orthotics in them - they are great. Very snug and I defintaley dont have any room for the foot to move around, but not soo tight that my toes are all cramped up. So hopefully they are alright. I will ask my instructor on tuesday to double check but from the looks of them they seem like a good fit

[VegasGirl]

You should be able to wiggle your toes in them or they're too tight. On the other hand, if your foot has room enough to move around then they're too big.

[Isk8NYC]

Question with the heat molding - I know the pro shop can do it, the instructions that came with my skates said to just put them in an overn at 200 F - so does that mean I can actually do it myself at home? Or is that just a bad idea all together? Thanks!

I've never heat-molded, but others on this board have been successful doing it themselves.

I'm curious: Are the heat-molding instructions from Riedell or Skate-Buys?
Someone (DBNY?) was looking for directions some time ago.

[newskaker5]

From riedells - they just say to heat the overn to 200F - place in oven for 5 minutes then on feet for 5 minutes and lace tightly

[Isk8NYC]

When I've had my kids' skates heat-molded, the pro shop has them just sit in the hot skates until they cool to the touch. The fitter doesn't let them walk around or anything - just sit with their feet flat on the floor.

[flippet]

but once I put my orthotics in them - they are great. Very snug and I defintaley dont have any room for the foot to move around, but not soo tight that my toes are all cramped up.

It sounds like the orthotic is taking up whatever 'extra' room there was, so you'll probably have a good fit after all. (If you didn't use the orthotic, they might actually be a smidge too big.) Your toes ought to just brush the end of the boot, but should not be cramped or bent in any way, so it sounds like you're good. :)