How long should a boot last before breaking down?

[kimmee4]

In an earlier post this month I asked some questions concerning boots and blades. DD was moving on to pre-pre and starting to work on Axel and we were going to up grade her boot and blade. We decided to wait until she outgrew them. But now, her coach and her group coach both mentioned that she needed new skates. Coach thinks her boots are breaking down and not supporting her ankel enough. We have had them for a year and 2 months. The boot was around $190 and the blade was $50. She skates 2 - 3 times a week. She weighs around 85 pounds. Is this considered normal time frame? We will upgrade both boot and blade. Should I expect the next boot to break down in about a year as well?

[smelltheice]

There are a few factors in how long a boot will last such as how much pressure it is under. Someone who regularly lands multiple revolution jumps will wear them out quicker than someone who demands less of the same boot. There is also the care issue. Where do you store your boots after use and do you let them dry out? Have you used any kind of water sealant on the sole of the boot? Central heating can actually dry a boot out too much and crack the leather or make the heels separate. They should be allowed to retain a level of moisture as this makes them more pliable. Never put them to dry next to the radiator as this will dry out and crack the leather as it dries too quickly and cracks. If your daughter is a very strong skater then that will also put greater demand on the boot and will wear them out quicker. I currently have custom klingbeil boots and while expensive, they are going the distance but as I am an adult, I will never grow out of them and can appreciate the cost of replacing kids skates when they grow out of them at what sometimes seems to be an alarming rate!! I guess the point here is that the quality of the boot is also a factor. I have had Risport that lasted 9 months before the sole rotted away around the screw holes and also Gam that collapsed on me when I started working as a pair.

I hope this may help to answer your question. Sorry its a bit long winded but its not such a straight forward question as it may seem.!!

(please forgive me if any of this is a bit patronising as I have no idea as to the level of your knowledge or experience so I will assume no knowledge and you can pick out any bits you find useful and disregard the rest!!)

[kimmee4]

Thank you for the information ! I do not have a ton of knowledge in this area but I am trying to find out as much as possible before taking DD for the new pair of skates (this week ). Thanks again.:mrgreen:

[Tennisany1]

My dd also skates pre-pre and is working on an axel and the first couple of doubles. She weights about 62 lbs. Her coach likes her to get new skates each spring so she can break them in before summer school and we hope they will last the year - so far so good. She is in a GAM 50 with Coronation Ace blades. Up until this spring she was in the 30 but she has gained a lot of power this year and is close on both doubles so we moved her to the stronger boot.

Most of the kids she skates with get new boots every year. It seems like average life span at this point.

[cazzie]

My daughter (weighs about 63 pounds) has had WIFA's for just 6 months and there is a very deep crease in the boot round the ankle and the support she originally had doesn't seem to be there anymore. We did (on coaches advice) get the real soft beginner boot although with Coronation Ace blades but shocked how quickly it seems to have worn down. Skates have been well looked after and other than ++ ankle crease hardly look worn.

She's working on Axel an is considered quite a fast skater - but - she does seem to be hard on skates. (She also wears out shoes rather quickly).

Kids around don't seem to keep skates much more than a year (partly due to growing...)