Skating tights

[michelle K]

Hi.
I have some questions for people wearing skating tights.
There seems to be several brands and types of them out there.
Since I am living in a country where skating tight options are limited, I am looking into imports. I think I would like to get them through one of the online stores. Can anyone recommend online stores with good price and dependable delivery? I would also love to hear what you have to say about various brands, like texture, durability, colorsand etc...

Also, I am not sure what kind I should be getting. Footed, footless, over the boots... What do you prefer? Are those over the boot tights easy to put on? How do they work? Do you wear boots and then wear them over? (that sound like a sutpid question but...) I tend to retie my laces during practice two or three times, would they make it difficult to retie laces once you're wearing the over the boot tights? I am going to wear tights for practice, but even for competition, I think I need to know if I can easily retie my boots.
Thanks.

[TashaKat]

Hi :)

I'm not sure about buying on-line but as far as tights are concerned I, personally, prefer the Danskin 73 footed tights for under my OTB tights or catsuit. They are quite soft and have a matt finish AND they last forever (well, almost). I also find that they don't roll down at the top which is a problem I had with Capezio. They come in a whole host of colours but even the 'natural' doesn't make your legs look like a salmon ;)

I wear OTB tights on top of these and tend to wear Danskin OTB tights for competition/tests but sew velcro on to attach them rather than the hooks that they come with. For practise I use the thicker Mondor OTB tights which are warmer, wash well and last a long time. OTB tights help to protect your boots and are invaluable when you've not had time (or can't be bothered) to clean your boots for test/comp etc!

Because they're fastened with velcro it's quite easy to get to your boots for relacing .... you do have to be careful about not snagging your other tights though!

[Mrs Redboots]

Actually, for practice you can sometimes buy cheap commercial tights that don't have a hard line at the top of the thigh - John Lewis, in the UK, do a very good range of these in a variety of colours. There is a tiny line at the top of the thigh, but honestly you can hardly see it, and I know for a fact it can't be seen from the boards! I wear these all the time for practice, and keep my horrendously expensive over-the-boot tights (Mondor, I think, but I could be wrong) for competitions.

[sk8er1964]

I wear Mondor OTB tights with either knee-high tights folded over my boot or tights under them, depending on how cold the rink is that day. I like how the OTB tights keep my skates clean, but I have a tendency to put holes in them with my blades. I'm constantly darning the darn things 8O .

[melanieuk]

You don't say which country!
Obviously not the US.... :roll:

I wear Mondor over boot tights (covers unpolished boots).
They are quite thick but not woolly looking.
I also have same as footed tights.

Have you found a supplier?
I've bought loads of stuff online (holidays, flights, event tickets, books, skating equipment) and have not had any problems so far!

[dooobedooo]

Overboot tights usually are open along the length of the bottom of the foot. They tie beneath the foot, either by being strongly elasticated to grip it, or with velcro strips, or with hooks and eyes.

They have a tendency to snag on the boot hooks, and you are best off lining them over the boot, before you pull them over the top of the boot. You can do this (a) by wearing knee-highs underneath the boot which you pull out and over the hooks; (b) by cutting up old tights into sleeves about 8 inches long which you pull down over the boot hooks; (c) by wearing lycra boot covers, which you can buy or make - they are made in two pieces in a sock shape, with a seam centre front and centre back, and top and bottom edge open and elasticated to pull down over the boots.

For a footed inside the boot look, it is best to wear stirrup tights or footless tights inside the boot, over the top of socks, knee-highs, thin tights or bare feet, according to preference. Footed skating tights are not IMO a good idea as the feet get sweaty and you can easily snag the toes.

You can also wear lycra stirrup tights with co-ordinated boot covers and skirt, if you want a continuous leg colour. Only problem with these is they usually have a stitched seam up the leg.

The Mondor heavyweight tights are really warm and last forever, but you need slim legs to look good in them as they are quite thick.

[dbny]

Originally posted by dooobedooo
Footed skating tights are not IMO a good idea as the feet get sweaty and you can easily snag the toes.

That's all I've ever worn, and I've never had either problem. I wear the adult, lightweight, suntan store brand tights from Jenskates (http://www.jenskates.com/retail.htm). They are very inexpensive, especially if you buy a lot at once. Shipping is reasonable and fast. I've been wearing these for over two years and just love them.

[jenlyon60]

I always wear footed tights (occasionally in summer I will wear knee-highs). If I'm wearing a dress, I add a pair of OTB tights (midweight or heavyweight as appropriate).

I use mostly Mondor because they're easily available, although I also have a couple pair of Danskin tights I bought at a Danskin outlet.

--jsl

[skaternum]

Unless you like skating barefoot, you'll need a footed skating tight. My personal preference is Danskin microfiber. They last an amazingly long time.

If your rink is very cold or if you just like the look of it, you can wear a second pair of footless or Over-the-boot tights. I like Capezio OTB tights for practice. They seem to fit "shaplier" (read, heavier) legs a little better than the Danskin. Also personal preference, I don't like to see OTB tights at tests and especially not at competitions. Some folks will tell they elongate the "line" of the leg and make it look longer and thinner. I think it makes you look like you have hooves instead of feet. :lol: Heavier legs look lumpy in them too, IMO.

I've ordered tights from the Rainbo catalog before. No problems to report.

skaternum

[nutty-ducky]

I use Mondor Thich Footed tights and I haven't had a problem with them at all. I find that they keep you warm when you are skating. Also they seem to last forever. I had a pair of OTB Danskin tights and they were crap. By the second time I wore them i had ladders and holes in them. I was very annoyed, but im happy that the mondor tights are good. :D

[1lutz2klutz]

I like the Danskin footless tights because I want my gel pads directly on my ankles. I put on my gel pads, then an ankle high nylon stocking, then pull the footless tights down over the stocking. I don't like the feeling of the full foot tight with a gel pad over it.

[michelle K]

Wow, thanks everyone.
I live in South Korea and my coach told me I can get some tights at dance shops. I am not sure what kinds. They are supposed to cost me ~$25-27. Some of the girls I know wear Mandor tights their coaches got them, but I am not sure how he gets them.

I am going to use one of the online proshops and have the tights shipped directly to me in Korea or to a friend in the US who can ship them to me.

Thanks again for your helpful advice. I thinkg I should get both footed and OTB. I didn't think I can wear two pairs of tights.

[skaternum]

michelle K,
Be careful about buying regular "dance" tights for skating. They're very thin and can be cold. The colors often don't look quite right on the ice. I think you're smart to order from a place that sells skatewear.

Good luck!

[TashaKat]

Originally posted by dbny
That's all I've ever worn, and I've never had either problem. I wear the adult, lightweight, suntan store brand tights from Jenskates (http://www.jenskates.com/retail.htm). They are very inexpensive, especially if you buy a lot at once. Shipping is reasonable and fast. I've been wearing these for over two years and just love them.

ITA :) I HAVE gone barefoot before (when I didn't expect to skate) and it was quite comfortable BUT my friends who prefer to skate without some covering on their feet have incredibly pongy boots! (no offence to anyone here before I'm jumped on ...... three of my friends skate like this and their skates are 'minging' ;) ). I guess it's down to personal preference in the end. I found that even the best socks with a high lycra content rucked up and rubbed me which is why I've stuck with skating tights :)

L x

[batikat]

Just to be different I skate in socks! The ones with different coloured toes and heels from Tesco! They are quite thin and are a cotton Lycra mix. If I am wearing a dress (I usually practice in trousers) then I put OTB tights on top but I can't bear the feel of two pairs of tights so footed tights AND OTB tights together are not an option for me. We are lucky in that our rink is usually pretty warm so I never feel cold. I wear my socks even if I am competing!
FWIW - I like the Danskin tights best - for me they last well and I like the colours. I've also had Mondor and like them too.

[Mrs Redboots]

I have skated barefoot under OTB tights, but wouldn't do so from choice - I found my feet were too "grippy", somehow. On the other hand, it's the only time I've ever won my RIDL match, so.....

But normally, if I'm wearing OTB tights or if it's cold (like it will be tomorrow) and I'm skating in jogging bottoms, I wear thin nylon knee-highs, which I then turn down over the hooks of my boot if I'm using OTB tights. Unlike Batikat, I find even the Tesco socks too thick - I wear their 10-denier knee-highs, or the ones you can buy in bags of 10 pairs or so from Superdrug (you will have the equivalent supermarkets and drugstores in your own countries).

Incidentally, if I'm skating in my usual practice-kit of footed tights and a skirt, I wear a pair of black "Bridget Jones" over the top of my tights to keep them up and to preserve my modesty should I happen to fall. Or I wear a bodyshirt, but that's a bore as I then have to change when I get home....

[Andie]

I have 2 pairs of skate tights - one I got from www.gk-elitesportswear.com , the other I got from a pro shop several miles from me. I used to skate in regular socks, now I wear tights under my pants - unless I'm performing. Both tights are footed and suntan, although the one from GK-Elite is a little darker. I don't have any footless or over-the-boot tights, but might try OTB sometime.

My instructor has also said a dance or theatrical-oriented shop may have some tights okay to wear while skating, but I wonder if those tights wouldn't be as warm as special skating tights. :??

[qt_petutie]

I wear Mondor Opaque Microfibre footed tights. For me they have lasted a very long time. I have had them since the beginning of last summer and I have no holes in them at all. I also wear Mondor footless tights over top of my footed tights. I haven't had any problems. I used to skate in socks but they are very uncomfortable now. I have also worn the Mondor OTB Tights but within the first 5 minutes I had a hole. They are also way more expensive than all the other tights and it seems they get wrecked the most. So I would go for the footed tights and then footless tights for over.

[luna_skater]

I wear Mondor Microfibre footed tights in Suntan with one of two kinds of Mondor stirrups over top: either the "fuzzy" opaque kind that have velcro, or the microfibre ones that you have to hook around the heel of the boot. The two layers of microfibre really suck you in :D and feel very nice to wear. The opaque ones aren't very slimming, but are comfortable and warm.

When my synchro team ordered the microfibre tights one time, they came with a "no-run" guarantee. One pair got a run and we shipped them back and they sent a new pair. But, this is a huge hassle, considering I've never had a pair of microfibres that didn't get a run or hole at some point in time.

[Elsy2]

Daughter and I also swear by Danskin style 73 heavy weight microfibre footed tights, which seem to last a long time and have alot of stretch for our long legs. She wears Mondor's over the Danskins for more warmth. The only place I found the Danskin's on the internet is:

http://icemagic.com

Tights are found on page 6 of "skating dresses"....

[jenlyon60]

I just tried a pair of these (Danskin heavy-weight microfiber) that I got at the Danskin outlet. Really like them. A bit heavier than Mondor microfiber but not as heavy as Mondor's heavyweight footed tights. Definitely comfortable...I like the waistband better than the Mondor waistband also.

[vesperholly]

I have tried a lot of brands, but lately I've found I really like:

- Danskin footed run-resistant "dance" tights (they have brands labeled "dance" and "skating")

-Capezio microfiber over-the-boot tights in Suntan (with the little hooks on the bottom)

These are both stretchy enough and pretty warm. The Danskins won't rip unless you really abuse them, I wore mine about 5 times a week every week since Sept and just ripped them a few days ago. They do have a weird texture that is a bit awkward at first but once you get used to it they're great. And they're pretty stretchy too.

I got footless Mondors in a "sleeker" version (they have a thicker type and one that is more for competition) and had three holes in it the first day! So, no good for practice. I liked the color better than Suntan though, Suntan is too dark for my pale skin.

Jocelyn