Need Advice on Breaking In New Skates

[roxystarskater]

Today I got a brand new pair of skates but I feel like a beginner because I can't do any jumps or spins in them. I can't even do regular crossovers in them. They slide but they don't glide. Any advice?

[Award]

Today I got a brand new pair of skates but I feel like a beginner because I can't do any jumps or spins in them. I can't even do regular crossovers in them. They slide but they don't glide. Any advice?

You'll probably have to skate around in them more, or a lot more until they feel better. About the sliding, check the blades using the finger nail scrape test. Very lightly scrape, or run the back of the thumb nail across the side edges of the blades. If the nail shaves off lightly, then that's good. If nothing shaves off at all, then chances are you need to get the blades sharpened.

[samba]

I'm with Award, its just skate, skate, skate and if you are sliding sideways then yes they need sharpening, but do make sure you protect your feet in the early days by padding out the sore areas to prevent blisters etc.

[NickiT]

As others have said, the only real way to break in new skates is to skate in them and remember not to lace right to the top to begin with.

Nicki

[techskater]

Don't lace any higher than the third hook until they are broken in.

Did you get them sharpened when they were mounted? If not, get rid of the nasty factory sharpening.

You are going to want to retie them every 10-15 minutes until they are broken in.

Stroke a lot in them.

Good luck

[sk8_4fun]

I stopped lacing mine to the top and it really does work, My skates are alot more bearable and I don't have any blisters.

Good Luck!

[itfigures]

Hmm, I've never tried not lacing them at the top!
What I have always been told is that when you are at home or somewherer safe, take out you boots and walk arround in them. (With the blade protectors of corse) Practice leaning from the left to the right and front to back. You can also try "shoot the ducks".
Mostly stretch, I found that it has helped SOOOOO much!

[Award]

Interesting! I thought it was like ...baseball, followed by football, followed by nascar, followed by basketball, followed by ice hockey. For me, I'd watch ice skating any day instead of nascar racing.

[Skate@Delaware]

My coach told me lots of back crossovers with deeply bent knees will help speed things up!!!!

(and don't even mention nascar to me....I can't even go shopping at the mall this weekend because of the stupid race in town and the fans clogging up the roads:x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x )