Synchro Boots and Blades

[FSWer]

My skates are hideous right now. I have them dyed beige for synchro, but nicks make the white show through. Also, when I compete I tape my laces, and when you tear off the laces, some of the beige paint comes off, too. So my skates are having a bit of an identity crisis right now. :)


Say,is that what makes Synchro. Skates...Synchro Skates btw?

[dbny]

Say,is that what makes Synchro. Skates...Synchro Skates btw?

The thing that makes skates "Synchro" is the blades. They are a bit shorter at the back, to help prevent stepping on the tails (the part of a figure blade that sticks out in back). Synchro teams usually have to have their skates all the same color and beige is popular. They often tape the tops of the boots to keep the laces snug. Because members of a team skate very close to each other, there is a fairly high risk of catching one's laces on someone else's skates or of stepping on someone else's blades. I'm sure some of the synchro skaters here can add to this or correct it if necessary.

[RachelSk8er]

The thing that makes skates "Synchro" is the blades. They are a bit shorter at the back, to help prevent stepping on the tails (the part of a figure blade that sticks out in back). Synchro teams usually have to have their skates all the same color and beige is popular.

Synchro blades are essentially the love child of a dance blade and a freestyle blade. Somewhat shorter heel, more rocker, roughly the same size toepicks (with the bottom one angled so they stay out of the way).

Some companies make synchro boots, which are like a dance boot in the fact that they are cut lower in the back and a little softer than a freestyle boot. They also have an extra patch of leather on the inside of the toe area (where boots get worn from doing lunges). Personally I've never bothered with synchro boots, some people do, some don't. I find them too soft.

And actually the trend is moving back toward white skates, or a lot of teams tape or paint their skates tan or white from year to year depending on what looks best with their dresses or the actual team (tan works better to mask huge height differences between skaters). After wearing tan skates for years, last year my team switched to white because they looked better with our dresses (and our senior team wore white skates, and three of those girls cross skated on the adult team--so both teams had to go with white). We also had to paint the soles of our skates black so they all matched.

[Isk8NYC]

I made a new thread because this is an interesting discussion.

How do you paint the soles of your skates if you've sno-sealed them? Doesn't the wax soak in and prevent the paint from penetrating?

[sk8_4fun]

I have Wifa Synchro's coz at the time of buying I didn't know if I wanted to dance or do free style (I still dont!) I've had them 18 months and they're great as I point my toes but still have enough support for my pitiful jumps.

[RachelSk8er]

I made a new thread because this is an interesting discussion.

How do you paint the soles of your skates if you've sno-sealed them? Doesn't the wax soak in and prevent the paint from penetrating?

I was very negligent with the sno-seal on my old pair (they were like 4 yrs old and beat up anyway), so if they're not covered with wax, black nail polish or sharpie marker does the trick. When I got my new boots halfway through last season, I had to just use black skate tape/electric tape. That stuck despite the wax, although I took it off after each competition and redid it the day before the next one. Girls who had lacquered soles had to go this route, too, because sharpie and nail polish didn't work as well. The tape looked stupid up close but from the ice you couldn't tell the difference. We don't do the underside, just the heels and what's visible when you're skating.