Taping boots...

[Andie]

Okay, my skating coach puts white tape on the boots of her skates and she suggested I do the same to mine to protect them. I tried to put tape on one of my boots, but took it off because I didn't think it looked right. Is this something common to do or only my coach's idea?

and yeah, I'm newly registered here but have been "lurking" for a couple of weeks.

-Andrea

[dbny]

It's very common and really does protect your boots. Put three or four layers on the toes. Begin by polishing your boots with a good cream polish. Let it dry, but don't buff it. Then apply the tape as directed here: SkateTape Application (http://www.sk8tape.com/sk8tape.asp?s=100&ss=&t=107) . You should change it about every four months.

[jp1andOnly]

its very common. Its protects the leather from nicks and scratches. If you don't like the way it looks you can try white polish. I recommend the white tape though. It has saved my boots a few big gashes

[Andie]

Thanks. :) I guess I don't sound too experienced, it's just that I briefly started lessons a couple of years ago, then took a break for several months and since this summer I've been 'rusty' on some stuff.

I was just making sure if this tape thing was common, as my instructor has done a few odd things - such as, not showing up for my lesson on a couple of occasions. So I've been questioning some things about her.

[Blue Line]

A few people that I know who skate (but don't skate with me) use electrical tape, as opposed to the skate tape you buy at pro shops, because it's cheaper and "essentially the same stuff." One of these girls drove all over the county in search of purple electrical tape. She found it, and her newly purple skates never fail to recieve all sorts of comments! That's a little too flashy for me, but if you're looking to make a statement... :)

[Andie]

Blue Line - heh, that sounds funny. I don't know if I'd do something like that. If anything I know of a place where you can get decals for your skates...

My instructor told me you don't have to get the tape from a pro-shop, she recommended white duct tape, which is what I've got. I think it'll be okay. My instructor told me that the tape from pro-shops cost relatively more and one roll isn't even enough to cover one boot.

[dbny]

My daughter has been using electrical tape on her skates for the past two years. She has done black and white checks, which she calls a ska pattern, red and green at Christmas, a blue Star of David on white for Hanukkah, orange and black for Halloween, various stripes, and other patterns that I can't recall. Kids have a lot of fun with tape around here.

The most important thing to remember is to use unbuffed cream polish first and remove tape as soon as it starts to peel. The black gunk that collects where the tape lifts up is hard to get off.

[Elsy2]

I don't tape up the whole boot, just the toes and back about halfway. I use three strips on each side about 5" long. This is the only part of the boots that take a beating, so I don't do the rest.

[gardener]

Is the cream polish just the kind you buy in a "normal" shoe store or skate boot polish? The only kind of boot polish I've seen is the thin liquid stuff, not cream.

BTW, the black goo that stays on the boots at the seam lines (if you leave the skate tape on too long( comes off very well with denatured alcohol which can be bought in a hardware type store. Do it outside though as the fumes are strong!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by gardener
BTW, the black goo that stays on the boots at the seam lines (if you leave the skate tape on too long( comes off very well with denatured alcohol which can be bought in a hardware type store. Do it outside though as the fumes are strong! It also comes off with surgical spirit - I think you call it "rubbing alcohol" in the US - and that wonderful stuff you can buy over there (and we can't get here!) called "Goo Gone".

[dbny]

I use the one that came with my Klingbeils, which looks like regular shoe polish. The brand is "Tana", and the product name is "leather cream."

[Andie]

Thanks everyone for tips. :D
Just an update: a few days ago my mom helped me tape the lower part of my boots, not the whole thing. The tape is hardly noticeable, which is good. I recently got a good-sized scratch on the toe of my left boot, too bad the tape wasn't on then :(

Mrs Redboots - you don't have Goo Gone in the UK? That sucks, that stuff works great! BTW, I have relatives in England and a friend in Northern Ireland.

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by Andie

Mrs Redboots - you don't have Goo Gone in the UK? That sucks, that stuff works great! BTW, I have relatives in England and a friend in Northern Ireland. No, alas, but a colleague brought me a bottle as a sort of Christmas present a couple of years ago. I should have stocked up last time I was over. Maybe next time?