I think I'm going to have to get my own skates and have been reading all your tips here . . . in the meantime, can anyone recommend anything that might help a beginning skater whose ankles, right around the ankle bones, are all torn up and bruised due to bad rental skates? My ankles look like they've been gnawed by rats! and I'm afraid I won't be able to skate at my lesson on Tuesday!

I've got antibiotic ointment and band-aids on them now, but if anyone has a better idea, I'd be grateful!

Bunga sleeves are worth their weight in gold IMO....and last a long, long time if you treat them right. They are gel lined and slip over your ankles and prevent alot of irritation. You can call 1-888-Bunga Pad and Absolute Athletics will have them to you in 2-3 days. They used to be $12.99 each, but the price may have gone up.

Other than that, you can try cosmetic sponges on areas that hurt, or cut the top off socks and wear them around the ankle for extra padding. The sock top may help hold the cosmetic sponges where you need them.

Good luck...rental skates hurt!

Debbie,
I'm glad it worked out with Mike. He's great, and has fitted my 3 pairs of customs.
Looking forward to seeing you and your new skates soon!

Flippet, I'm like you -- I wear Reidell Gold Stars and have since ISI Alpha (not that I'm that far now as I'm only in Delta). I think it's because I have very loose ankles, a looooong Achilles' Tendon, and I'm fat. My fitter also said that, due to my dance training, I had a very efficient and strong knee bend (plie).

I've been comfortable in the Gold Stars since the minute I put them on -- no blisters and only occasional cramping when I'm working really hard on something and I start curling my toes. Or when I spend too much time standing around on the ice.

If I'd thought about it, I would have realized that I'd need a stiff boot. I went through dance shoes like nobody's business; that's actually the reason I stopped dancing en pointe -- I could put on a brand new pair for a matinee performance and break them so fast that I couldn't wear them for the evening show. I was only 15 and knew that I wasn't going to be a dancer, so I switched my focus to theatre instead. Much less expensive!

It was kind of amazing at my fitting -- the fitter brought out 220s and I creased the boot the first time I bent my knees. Then 320s, the Silver Stars, then finally the Gold Stars that I didn't crease. Geez! Who knows what I'll be wearing when I actually start jumping!

Yow! Maybe it's a good thing I wasn't a dancer when I was younger. I took one semester of ballet a couple of years ago, and at least in my imagination, if I'd have had real training from a young age, I probably would have had similar issues! I couldn't really dance comfortably in demi-pointe, because as far as my foot and ankle are concerned, I was en pointe, only without the toes. I have a really flexible ankle and foot--sitting on the floor with my legs straight, I can point my toes and the toes touch the floor without effort. I can't imagine what I would do to pointe shoes if my ankle and foot had any built-up strength in them!!


I started in Reidell, 220s, and those lasted about 6 months of beginning skating. The next pair were the Silver Stars, and those lasted not quite a year. Good boot, but as they softened, they also got looser. And I didn't really skate all that often--maybe I managed 3-4 hours a week, half of that just fooling around and gabbing. The SPTeri super deluxe are the first boot I've had that seems to be keeping its stiffness, yet is still comfortable. (I actually haven't even started lacing the last hook yet.)


So, boys and girls...the lesson is: get a good fitting from someone who knows what they're doing, pack some experience under your belt, and cross your fingers that you eventually find something that works for you. There's really no magic bullet, unfortunately. (And no guarantee that what works now will still work a couple of years from now---feet change, and so do boot styles. )



junkety, the bunga pads are the best idea for sore ankles. Try your local pro shops first...they might carry some, or they might also have other brands of gel pads. Those cosmetic sponges are also quite good in a pinch--no pun intended! Question...are you skating in thick or thin socks? Try skating in the thinnest socks you've got, and try to find the snuggest/stiffest/newest pair of rental skates they have. If the boot ankles are flopping over, you're going to have a hard and painful time of it! You may need to go down a half or full size from what you've been skating in--your toes should touch the end of the skate, but shouldn't be smashed. Also, unless the skate is really unsupportive, you don't have to tie the upper holes/hooks super tight--just yank the laces tight at the bend of the ankle, and you can go a bit looser towards the top.

Good luck!

Elsy2 and flippet, thanks so much (I put in an order for the Bunga sleeves and pads straightaway). I don’t know how anyone learns how to skate without the help of all the experts here!

I started out wearing the socks I usually wear w/ tennis shoes, and a couple of weeks ago switched to tights, which someone recommended instead (it’s quite a trick getting leggings on over tights, I found out!). I guess maybe that’s TOO thin a covering??

I wear a size 6 shoe and find that a size 5 boot is a pretty good fit, with some wiggle room in the toes but not in the heel. The problem w/ rental skates, of course, is that you never get the same pair twice. First I had the floppy-at-the-ankle kind, which were painful as well as useless, and now it seems the stiffer ones are going to grind my ankle bones down to nothing. Mine must stick out too much.

Looks like I won’t be able to skate this week, but I’ve definitely learned a lesson . . . buy a decent pair of skates from someone who knows how to fit them properly, and no more rental skates!

Thanks again!

I got my Grafs last week! And I get my second pair today!!!! They sent me galaxies instead of edmontons and then offered me a fabulous deal for keeping both pairs! The galaxies are perfect, even though I really wanted edmontons and still can't wait to get them. The heat moulable makes them fit perfectly and there was no break in time at all, comfie right from the start!

After numerous conversations with Graf, the only difference is that the edmontons are leather and the galaxies are synthetic. I am now a graf convert after skating in reidells forever. (My others were risports though, I sold my reidells when I got sick and then couldn't afford to buy them again when I got better).

Edited to add, since I am in Australia and there are no brilliant fitters here, I sent my tracings off to Canada, this worked really well and I couldn't be more pleased. At first I thought it really weird that someone at my level (back to almost basics, working on singles after a stroke) could wear the same boots as our National Champ doing triples, but all it means it that they will last me longer, we laugh about it....and I got rhinestones in mine and she didn't!!

The Grafs are an extremely soft boot-so if you aren't too hard on your skates, theyre perfect!!! Another difference between the Galaxies and Edmonton's are the Galaxie's are slightly lighter. I've had 2 pairs of Edmonton's, and now i'm in Galaxies...theyre basically the exact same, and the difference of weight between the two really isn't noticeable. But I LOVE Grafs!!! Even tho my foot doesn't quite fit the boot cut (I should be in an SP Teri, although I never tried them, and never ever will!!)

Just outta curiousity, from where in Canada did you buy them?

love2sk8, my edmontons just arrived, the weight difference isn't all that noticeable...but compared to others I've skated in, they are both LIGHT!

I was in SP Teris for about a month when I was younger, ICK! I bought my Grafs from Cyclone Taylor, http://www.cyclonetaylorfigskate.com/, and dealt with Deborah Taylor. There were a few problems (they sent me galaxies even when I specifically asked for edmontons, because they thought they were a better fit and the time to sort it out was long) but overall, the end result was good, I got blades from them too which they fully mounted (I didn't like this at first, but it turned out to be okay).

I train every day again now and I'm expecting these boots to last me a year to two years, but I'll be happy with a year if I get my jumps back as fast as I want to.

Anital...if you're not hard on your boots, they should last you quite a long time!! I'm doing triples in mine, and I've had them for about 2 years! Which is surprisingly long for that much pounding...theres barely a crease on my landing foot...I was also able to do everything with my Galaxies on the first day with them, and i competed the day after!

I'm sure you'll love them, keep me posted! Good luck with your skating

Junkety...you will love your bungas....and here is some bunga 101 info for you...

Slip them on with the gel side out and fold them back over to where you want them. You can hand wash them and put them on the ends of a hanger to dry so the gel doesn't stick together. Then take some baby powder and powder the gel which keeps it from getting sticky. Whenever the gel gets sticky, the powder will fix this, and smells good too.

While we're on the topic of boots, can anyone tell me how to lace my boots properly, ie. where should be tighter/looser?

I've been skating a long time but I've realised that I don't really know how to lace my boots properly. I like them to be very tight, probably because I wore boots that didn't fit for years, but I notice that I never seem to lace them in the same way, and the way they are done up affects my ability to do certain things, so any help would be gratefully received....

I think we had a thread on this topic a while back. Anyway, my coach always says there is no right way to lace your boots, it is an art. This is what I do, and it has been working well for me:

Sit with one foot extended, tail of blade on floor, toe in the air (this helps push the heel in all the way). Begin lacing at the tip, very tightly. At the hooks, I tie a single knot to lock the lower lacing in place, and place my foot flat on the floor with the knee slightly bent (leaves just enough room for knee bend when you skate). Then lace up the hooks and tie. I have Klingbeils, so the extra hook is laced from underneath after finishing the others.

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I got my first pair of boots, Jackson, at Skaters, and I HATED the boots and I never thought I got really good service. :-) Funny how everyone has a different perspective. I actually love Paul at Wings of Steel and drive to Laurel to work with him. I think we have similar feet shapes and he worked with me for over an hour 3 months AFTER he sold me the boots to make my Grafs more comfortable. I've also directed a few other unsatisfied customers from Skaters to Paul and they've been very happy with him so I know it's not just me.

__________________
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

I know this place was a lifesaver for me when I started! There's just so much to learn, and so many misconceptions to correct!


Well, when you get fitted for your own boots, tights or something else similarly thin is definitely what you want to be wearing. It gets tricky with rentals, because most people wear thicker (sometimes even the hiking type) socks in rentals, and they get stretched out to fit everyone's socks. When you wear thinner socks in rentals, sometimes the skate can be too loose. It's a toss-up every time.

If I were you, I'd continue to wear the tights, but try to arrive early enough to get one of the stiffer pairs of skates. (If they're numbered, maybe you can remember it, and get the same pair every time.) Bungas or cosmetic pads will help with the ankle soreness. (Plus, your ankle bones are probably a bit bruised already, so the stiffer skate makes it sorer than it might otherwise.) If you need to wear a thicker sock just to take up room, that's an option, but blistering might become a problem. Only you will be able to tell what's going to work best with the rentals you've got.

The leggings and tights combo is definitely a pain! I only wear tights if I'm wearing a dress, or if I need the extra warmth. Even then, I usually wear the footless ones. I wear regular nylon knee-hi's on my feet--I like them because they're extra thin, but provide just enough of a barrier that my feet don't stick to my boot and cause blisters. Plus, I can get to my feet quickly if needed, such as to readjust a gel pad. If you like the tights fabric, I believe that either Capezio or Mondor is now making a knee-hi out of the tights microfiber, which is a rather nice option.



twinkle, on lacing--dbny's right, lacing is a bit of an art, and also very individual. What I do is make sure the toe box isn't too loose (with my concrete skates, that's kind of a moot point), lace over the mid-foot not too tightly--just barely snug (too tight here can cause foot cramps), and then pull the laces quite tight over the last hole or two, and the first hook or so. From there, I get gradually looser, again just snug enough to hold everything in. I don't hook my top hook, because my skates are still so stiff, and I need the knee bend. The laces are pretty long, so after I get the third set of hooks done, I cross-tie and make a bow, then hook the loops of the bow around two or three sets of hooks, snug it tight, and then cross-tie and bow again. (That's also called a 'butterfly' tie.) Doing this can also make a broken-down skate a touch more supportive. I then pull my footless tights over the laces, and I'm good to go!

re: how to lace boots properly...

The Skater's Edge Sourcebook has a great chapter on this very topic. If none of you own this book, I higly recommend it. You can order it the third edition (which just came out) at http://www.skatersedgemag.com for $35. It contains all the information about rinks, clubs, and even has charted comparisons of boots and blades. The chapter on lacing skates has a diagram showing the best way to do it to increase strength around the ankle and keep the toungue of the boot in the best shape.

Skater's Edge was a bi-monthly magazine (I think?) that was put together as a labor of love by the woman who runs this site. She ran out of funds to be able to do the magazine anymore, but you can backorder all the old issues (which contain loads of great technical info). I own the 10 year binder of all past issues. She still puts out the Sourcebook. Any skater should own the Sourcebook!

I've been in my Graf Edmontons for 2 and a half years now and they're still going strong... They are extremly durable. Now that they are all comfy and broken in they're great, but the break-in time was HORRIBLE. It took me about 3 months to get them more or less ok..but still had cramps in my feet 6 months after that.

So basically when I do need new skates I'm not sure if I should get Edmontons or even Grafs anymore...I'm not sure about the other brands though. I've been thinking of SP-Teri's, Klingbeil or Harlicks. Does anybody have opinions or personal experiences (good or bad) with with those brands? I'm looking for a boot with the same stiffness as the Edmonton!

Thanks for any answers

StephanieT,

Everyone has such different experiences with the sames boots, that it's hard to say if you would or wouldn't like the same boots that I do or don't.

I'm having fitting and comfort problems, as well. I've been through Riedell, SP-Teri and now Harlick and am considering Klingbeils or Risports. I have a pair of SP Pro-Teri's that are just too stiff in the ankle bone areas. I have kind of thin and bony ankles, and even though I've had the boots punched out several times, I still can't wear the skates without bunga pads. My Harlicks are custom dance boots. These were fitted for me by Mike at Skater's Paradise. Unfortunately for me, this did not turn out to be a good experience. Like others have said, I don't feel that I was given proper attention to make sure the boots fit correctly after they came in. The actual fitting process seemed thorough, but I was surprised when the boots came in that they did not fit as well as I expected. They went back to Harlick once and they still don't fit. They need to go back again but right now I'm trying to get through some dance tests, so it's definitely inconvenient. However, they are more comfortable than my Teri's, despite the spots that are not supporting my feet properly.

I know that SP-Teri's are stiff and you can get stiff Harlicks so I suppose the question for you would be to determine how well each boot conforms to the shape of your foot.

Boots are so expensive, and a bad fit interferes with your skating, so it's very frustrating when you can't seem to find the right fit.

I've been in my Klingbeils for about 6 months now, and I swear by them. Zero break in time, comfy, barely needed bungas, except at the ankle area at the very start.

My daughter and I both love our Klingbeils. We both have problem feet, which are totally pampered in the Klingbeils. I have never had to use any kind of bunga, and only once, for about two weeks, I had to use a little silicone pad over one toe. I need a high toe box, and for some reason, this one toe started to be a problem after I had been in the boots for over a year. After the two weeks of the silicone pad, though, no problem at all. There is a very short break in period with Klingbeils, and of all the custom boots, they are the least expensive, with a single price of $495 for anything you want. You will never deal with nicer or more honest people either.

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StephanieT,

Wow you are the first person I've ever heard of having a break in time with Grafs, did you heat mould them correctly to the letter?? Neither of mine have had more than 4 hours needed to feel perfect! But then, I have very "normal" feet!!

love2sk8, I love them both!! I think I sway slightly towards Galaxies since I've been in them slightly longer, but I'm doing one day Eddie (as I named them!) one day Gals at the moment, just to get them both completely comfie before I decide on my main pair and back-up!! I feel spoilt!! New blades on both too, that feels weird!

Anital, I'm happy to hear that you like them!!

Thanks for all the answers people

Anital - Yea, I really did have a hard time with my grafs... and I heat molded them twice actually...I find it quite weird that it took me so long to get comfy..like 9 months in all.. that's just crazy and not really worth it. But they work now and have virtually no signs of breaking down even after 2 and 1/2 years.

Oh, I have had to break in my Grafs!! I don't have normal feet, actually I have VERY, VERY boney feet with very little fats pads ANYWHERE, it's all in my thighs. :-) What I have to do with my grafs is pad certain spots and put them on for 15 minutes before I skate and then I'm virtually pain free. Some days I can feel the blade through my boot in my left foot, my coach has the same problem with her boots. Some people just have the boney feet and there's not much you can do about it. I might try Klingbeils in a couple of years out of curiousity but I can deal with the Grafs for now, they're still 100 % better for me than Jackson's or SP Teri's.

__________________
Too many people miss the silver lining because they're expecting gold.
Maurice Setter

Have you tried the Sp-Teri Ultra Lights yet? My daughter just tried on a pair and they are remarkable. They're half the weight of Sp-Teri Customs, heat molded, and no longer have that piece of metal in the boot.