what are some signs if your skates are breaking down?

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Mine get big creases on the outsides, especially on the right boot (from landing jumps). I tend to notice it when I have to relace a hundred times to get the boot tight enough, or when I land jumps and my foot wobbles. I think it's almost more of a feeling than an objective standard. When you start to feel that you're losing support in your boots, you probably are.

I think I saw a test on here at some point. Something about standing your boots upside down and seeing if they tilt one way instead of going up straight? Anyone remember that?

what is said above + feeling insecure during jumps out of nowhere... Popping and bailing out of jumps here and there too...

Since skates are so pricey - I wrap mine in duct tape... It has helped tremendously! If you will duct tape your skates, try first with three wraps around your ankles (outside the boots of course ) Then increase the total of wraps if you feel its needed...

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Tim David's Website

Yep, my symptoms exactly! My landing boot starts breaking down in the outside ankle first and I have to keep re-lacing in order to feel secure on my jump landings. I am fortunate enough to live somewhere where we have a great shoe repair shop that specializes in rebuilding figure skating boots. I leave my right boot overnight, pay $15 and pick it up the next day with an extra layer of leather sandwiched in on the outside of the right boot. It can give me months of added life while I wait for the left boot to start breaking down.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

Duct tape question: does this have to be done at every session? As in do you tape over the lacings? Do you remove the remainder of the duct tape?


The crease is a BIG givaway yes.
Another sign: padding suddenly dissapearing from certain parts of the skate, like a squished sponge, and then bobbles appearing in other areas which hurt your feet there.
In my skates, since they got broken down the tongue started slipping. It didn't before. And I started to get lacebite, I didn't before either.

I've actually had my skates for 4 years now, and they still haven't creased. What I've noticed, though, is that they're starting to buckle near the upper part of the boot where the tongue has broken down and has a deep crease. I'm wondering if anyone has ever replaced their tongues to get more wear out of the boot? I keep thinking that if I get the tongues replaced, the buckling will stop until the tongues break down again, and it'll give me an extra year or so. Otherwise, the boots have been wonderful, and I'm thrilled that they're lasting so long.

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"Without Vision the People Perish"
שלום לעולם תמיד

Yes, the tongues can be replaced or rebuilt. I had the tongues of my custom Klingbeils rebuilt, it added lots of support. New laces help too.

Yes, every session only because you are basically taping the boot closed...over the laces and to get the boot off the tape comes off!

My daughter's boots were very broken down and we taped this way:
-over the arch between the boot and blade
-around the ankle (round and round), up and down from the top of the laces down to just below the bend
-around and under (figure 8) where it creases

One roll will last a few sessions...its cheap so don't skimp. Don't go too tight either!


ps-the thing about boots "flopping over" reminded me of my first pair of boots!!! way back in the 70's and they were thin leather...I was only jumping over logs and doing 2-foot spins in them though (pond and ditch skating)

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Skate@Delaware
Ah, show skating!!! I do it for the glitter!

What is causing me to look for new boots at the moment (too much to choose from) is the almost instantaneous lace bite. Two weeks ago they were okay, now, no matter how I lace or unlace or pad them up, the lace bite is killing me and my shins suffer as a result. This was the clue on my last boots to buy new ones. Fixing or padding the tongues won't solve it, I'm pulling the laces so tight because the support is gone.

It's harder to tell when a heat molded boot is toast, the flop test doesn't really work because the plastic in the boot will still hold it up. On my landing boot the plastic heat molding material has cracked, and I have a crease on the inside of the boot from the ankle all the way to the heel. It doesn't show on the outside, they actually look nicely broken in, but I'm going to have to buy something soon.

FYI There's clear duct tape now available.