What should broken-in boots look like?

[icenut84]

Hi all
I am in the proces of breaking in new boots. I wanted to check though, that I'm doing it right. I'm wearing the socks I've been told to wear (by the woman in the shop) and I've laced them up all apart from the top hook (there are 4 hooks). I do things like knee-bends and walk and sit in them. What I wanted to know though, is where exactly should the creases be? I know it's sort of where the holes end and the hooks begin, but should the crease be mostly on the outside, the middle, or the inside (i.e. side of the boot). When I bend my knees the crease seems to be mostly by the top hook on the outside side of the skate. Is this right? It was mostly like this on my old skates too, but the woman in the shop where I got my new ones looked at them and told me I could have broken my ankles in them! You can bend the outside corner of them, kind of down to where the holes begin, back, if that makes sense.
Anyway, enough waffle, I just wanted to check I was breaking these boots in properly. Thanks! :) Rachel

[Elsy2]

The best way to break in skates is to skate in them. I don't expect to see creases in new boots for weeks or even months, but I suppose this depends on your level of skating. My daughter skating hard every day will crease skates way sooner than I will. Walking in boots is a different movement than you get from skating, so I'd stop walking around in them and start skating. If you are seeing creasing up by the top hook where you aren't lacing, I'd stop doing all those deep knee bends and lace them all the way up. Wearing skates off ice is helpful to get them to mold to the shape of your foot, but I never walked a whole lot off ice. I would just sit in them for a half hour or so several times during the first week or two.

When skating in new boots, it's helpful to take frequent breaks and relace, say every 20-30 minutes. I'm not sure what kind of socks were recommended for you, as I only wear skating tights. Socks with any thickness can cause your foot to move around in the boot too much and can cause blisters. Good luck with your new skates!

[wannask8]

ITA with Elsy on this one: get thee to the rink. The motion of gliding on the ice is very different from that of walking. When I first got my new boots, I wore them watching TV at home for a week or two before hitting the ice, and they were MURDER. I was miserable and thought for sure they were the wrong size, would never fit me, would ruin my feet, yada yada. But (much to my amazement) from my first step on the ice, they felt perfect, and have ever since.

-- wannask8

[icenut84]

Thanks Elsy2 and wannask8 :) When I said the crease was mostly by the top hook, I meant mostly by the top hole (typo). I should (all being well) be able to skate on Wednesday. I hope they'll be ok! :) I'm meant to be having a lesson with my coach, I might make it just dance and leave free for a bit, at least the jumps! lol. I guess the point of my post was just to check where the crease on a broken-in skate should be - on the line with the top hole, more on the outside side of the skate to the inside? If so, it's ok. If not, where should it be? This is what happened on my old skates anyway.

[Elsy2]

My skates are creased on the outside by the second hole down from the hooks. Skates are all different as far as how high the boot is and where the hooks and holes lie, so where mine are creased are probably the same place as yours.

[TashaKat]

Rachel

You have to be wary of the sales assistants, some are VERY good and VERY knowledgeable ..... some don't have a clue. Just because they're working in a skate shop we 'expect' them to know what they're talking about ...... having once been sold a pair of boots a full size too big and not at all the right fit for me I'm VERY sceptical. The advice here is all good, personally, I tend to lace up to the part where your ankle 'hinges', leave that hole undone and then lace up to the top of the boot but getting progressively looser as you get to the top, the top one will be very loose. Although my boots are broken in and I can bend in them I don't have the big ugly creases that I used to get .... I don't know whether this if from a different breaking in method or from the difference in the boots themselves. Anyway ..... whatever ...... if you have a crease it 'should' be where your ankle bends, if you think about it this is the place that you need the boot to give to enable you to bend your knees. I would also speak to your coach about breaking your boots in, some have different methods, it's often useful to try different ways of doing things, I know that 'my' way works for me :D but may not work for others.

ITA with those who tell you to SKATE in them but I did also used to sit at home with them on to help them to 'mould' to my feet ...... if you do this, though PLEASE wear them with blades on as your weight distribution is different when you wear them without the blades mounted and you won't be 'moulding' them in the correct place for skating.

Good luck

L x