I don't exactly have an abundance of tights. I had 2, but I had to just throw one pair out. Now, my second pair has got tons of runs in them. Can I put some clear polish on them like a normal pair of tights and hope they'll last longer? Any idea how much more use I can get out of them? Also, I won't be cutting them up to make footless tights because I don't use them at all. Should I suck it up, toss these, and get a new pair of tights?

If it helps, these are Danskin tights, the microfiber ones I think. I get on clearance from Rainbo a while ago, so they were only about $9 each.

Y'know what a lot of people do? Put bootcovers over their tights.

I sew up any little holes that appear in mine, it seems to stop them running. Then again mine are the relatively thick ones.

If you're buying new ones to practise in, I generally find the stirrup ones work well (for both me and my daughter). They have enough over-the-bootness to cover the laces (so nothing to trip over), but don't disintegrate anything like as fast as full over-the-boot ones.

I should have probably mentioned, these are footed tights. I don't see how bootcovers could help with that The runs tend to be where I pull them on I think. Maybe my nails cause the runs?

I got runs in the backs of tights because of being pulled by little splinters on the benches - even at one rink where they had metal benches with uneven corners -

If the runs are in the feet (toes) then I wouldn't bother keeping them. There's nothing worse than getting one of your toes stuck in that hole and then the skate feels awful.

And old-fashioned thing to do if you don't care how it looks - sew the runs (yup, my mom used to do this for me in the '60s - of course as a teenager I was mortified, but it worked!).

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For small holes or runs you can you use clear nail polish, but it just won't work for big runs. The best fix is to catch a hole or run before washing and mend it with a zig zag stich on the sewing machine. Clear polish applied over this really does the trick. I've had some tights last forever and others not so good. It's just one of those things I guess. Those benches are hard on tights. Try sitting on a towel as a future defense. Softer on the tush too. =-)

teresa

You know what you could try? I didn't try this on tights myself, but I do use it on pants. Vlieseline - not sure of the English name for it. It's this sort of glued fiber strip that you iron on. Usually it goes into the more expensive skirt or pants into the waistband, into curtains at the top, into the collar and the manchettes of a good shirt.

http://www.boutondor.lu/images/vlieseline.gif
http://www.stoffhaus-kepper.de/shop/...lagestoffe.jpg
http://www.fotoagent.dk/single_pictu...dium/49812.jpg
http://www.rainbowtekstil.no/ehandel...Vlieseline.jpg

You find an appropriate color (probably gonna have to use white if the tights are skincolor), turn your thights inside out, put a handkerchief inside the tight at the spot where you will be doing the ironing-on, put the vlieseline with the shiny side down over the ripping patch, put a handkerchief on top, and iron it.
It works great for ripped/worn through jeans and stuff - I'm just not sure you can iron skating tights hot enough to make the vlieseline stick without melting the tights. But you could try it.

I wear the Danskin in the boot ones and they last forever. However the OTB ones simply don't last - they always go around the boot area. If those are the sort you wear I don't think there's much you can do, but as someone said, try wearing boot covers to help them to last longer.

Nicki

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For practise, I wear leggings or footless tights from a high street store, with leg warmers over the top.

These last forever, and cost a fraction of cost of proper skating tights.

S xxx

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I just have normal tights for 4 euro (like, 5 dollar) as well - from a normal shop. They're skin coloured too. But usually I use black ones cuz those are easyer to get. Sometimes I wear two - one of which the feet were cut off - when I'm not wearing at least capri pants on top (I've got a lot of 4-way stretch pants from sales in CoolCat and such stores)

Frankly I don't see a difference in the tights that I have and that they sell for 30 euros. I mean if I were to pay that much I'd go for at least bootcover tights.

I buy the footed tights that Mainstreet Dancewear makes. I think they are very comfortable tights. I usually manage to make a pair last several months unless I have bad luck. I normally have 3-4 pairs I cycle through at a time. I also keep a couple pairs of the lighter weight over-the-boot Mondor tights to wear at tests and competitions (I hate tucking laces).

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For those of you in the UK (and perhaps Sessy in the Netherlands), Lidl often has 70- and 100-denier tights, dirt cheap (like £1.79 a pair) in a variety of dark shades, absolutely perfect for skating in, blissfully warm, and no hard line at the top of the thigh! They had some in last week, so worth looking to see if they have any more.

I use them for practice, and occasionally end up wearing them all day if I'm wearing a skirt! And then keep my lovely Capezios for best.

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

I think I wear a similar kind yes.

I LUUUURVE those tights by Mainstreet Dancewear. They feel very silky smooth on, the waistband is part of the tights, so no tight elastic cutting in, and the color is exactly right for my skin. I wear them at work in lieu of pantyhose, too, then if I accidentally snag them, I wear them under another pair of tights to skate in.

The footless kind from Mainstreet Dancewear are nice, too, except mine started unravelling at the bottom near the hem. I tried to fix it by snipping the ends and melting the loose ends with a lighter, but they came undone again. They haven't gotten runs from this, so when I wear them, I just tuck in the loose threads.

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I have got some 60 den ones with lycra from Primark in black for £1.50. I wear them with my skirt with black boot covers. They look like over the boot tights from a distance for a lot less than the real thing! A bargain for practising, and worn with control pants hold in my tum too

OoooohhhhOOhhhOOhhh! I now know to make a beeline for Lidl the next time I'm overseas!

(I love Lidl-- I find it's the best place to "stock up" on my goodies-- Ritter chocolates are expensive here and I love picking those up dirt-cheap!)

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When asked what his "secret" to success was, Wayne Gretsky said: "Skate to where the puck is going and not to where it has been."
Is the figure skating version of this: Skate as if you're doing an axel and not just learning how to hop?

Oh yes, I always wear control pants to hold in my tum, too!

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Mrs Redboots
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I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!