Ok. I must admit I do find it a little hard walking on skates (with Gaurds of course). But I have seen skaters walking with skates on as if the skates themselves are actually shoes. They don't ever woble or at least have to take tiny steps. I on the other hand have to keep my balance more every few inches. I don't walk as fast. Is there a curtan way to walk with skates that's different from walking with shoes? Or is it all just practice,and I'm just a Novice? Thanks.

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FSWer

I continue a Beginner-skater (mostly as I can't practice as often as I want); and yet I have & can run... in my skates (no less without my guards, a few times), same as I do in my sneakers. - So yes, I'd say it just comes down to you more practicing this skill, in case you need to. - Enjoy your skating...

I kind of turn my toes out a little bit and "duck walk" in my skates. Or, if I"m not wearing my guards, I tip-toe on my toe picks so I'm not stepping on my edges.

I guess I am one of those that walk like they are shoes. I've never really had an issue unless I am too tired and don't pick my feet up enough and snag my toe pick into the flooring. LOL!

Dance2sk8 has more of the idea to what I've seen. Yes. Do you just need pratice to walk as well as say...one of the Freestylers you see at the Rink (in which case you can walk in the same way as you do shoes)? Or do you have to add a Duck walk? BTW. to what Sk8joyful said. Is it really possible to RUN in skates?

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FSWer

Most definitely, DS has done this when getting his music from the dressing room, full speed across the ice a leap through the door and sprint to the dressing room without a pause.

It's definetly possible to run in skates. I see kids do it all the time, and if I'm in a huge hurry, I do it. (But I'd rather not, as running makes it tougher to see if there are obstacles to step on (such as coins or bobby pins- I don't usually wear guards!)

Walking just takes practice, but I don't find walking in skates to be any different from walking in shoes. It's just a matter of finding your balance and being used to it. My rink is at a mall so it's not unusual for skaters to put guards on and walk over to the food court for a snack.

I've seen teens DRIVE in skates (with guards), and I just can't imagine this. I guess it's possible, but it is EXTREMELY unsafe. In perfect conditions, I'm sure it wouldn't be any fuss except adjusting your seat to account for having longer legs. But one car swerves in front of you, and I just don't think you have the control of normal shoes. Bad idea, IMO

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
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Practice!

[So what else is new?]

When I see people wobbling around on or off the ice, 95% of the time the laces are too loose, or the boots too big.

If your foot can move at all relative to the boot, something is wrong.

Way more impressive is people who can do tap dances and jigs on the ice.

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Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

I run to the rink at the end of the building if i am running LATE!

I walk like dancers do, with me feet pointed out. Not a lot, but like I do when I walk in shoes. I agree with some people here, your boots better be tight enough and tied correctly. Anything loose, you are in trouble. Best way to injure yourself is walking around in loosely tied skates.

Hi FSWer

I do walk in my skates, without any guards on. I just walk like a person wearing normal shoes as my laces of the skates are tightly laced up properly.

I did see kids running in skates, and once saw my coach running with skates to my private lesson, as she was really running late, so yes, it is possible to run in your skates.

londonicechamp

Oh, come on! Surely there is a "better" way to injure yourself


/just kidding!

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Like me doing off-ice waltz jumps and spraining my ankle???

Hi there,
Yes, as you can see from 4 other skaters here, YES!, many us can RUN in our skates

Also, as another skater said, it's much easier to trip over your toe-picks walking...,
because the flooring has a nasty habit, of reaching-up to GRAB one of your picks,
another reason for wearing your guards.
Aside which you don't want to get your blades nicked, as then you can't skate as safely.

So while I've tripped over my picks walking... In my skates, honestly I can run in them just fine. Easy!

Say,how is it possible to run in skates? How canyou get the speed you have in shoes?

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FSWer

FSWer you run in skates just like you run in shoes- pick your feet up higher and move faster. But if you don't have great balance walking, you shouldn't try running. (Just like someone who doesn't walk well in shoes- like some women in high heels- shouldn't try running in them.)

I would guess that most people can run faster in tennis shoes/sneakers than ice skates- because the shoes are made to run in, but I think I could run quicker in ice skates than in high heels, because my feet are more comfortable in them, and I'm not very comfortable in most high heels. This is assuming I'm on rubber ice rink mats.

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

LOL,true. But then how can you run and balance on skates at the same time?

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FSWer

I had very good balance walking before I ever tried running. So the balance was already there- I just took it to the next level.

Running in my skates is sure easier than doing a lutz!

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-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)

Just like skating, walking and running comfortably in skates is an exercise in dynamic balance - i.e., if you stop and hold a pose, on one foot, that is very tough, but if you keep walking or running by pushing outwards to continually shift your balance from the outside edge to the inside edge before switching to the other foot, as your feet roll forwards, that is almost the same motion as when you walk or run in normal shoes or bare feet.

I think it is much, much easier to walk and run in skates than in downhill ski boots, because such boots are so high you can't easily roll your foot backwards and forwards.

Yet good skiers can, and climb mountains in them too. How is that possible?

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Mitch Grunes ModifyingBoots FallingGently HomePage

ok, I can speak to some of this too, as all us kids got our start as snow-skiers, no less at age one
but
never did we have those high stiff boots. Instead, we wore more like a low, light, flexible pair of hiking boots; which may have helped develop strong, agile ankles as young children, as we climbed back up the hills (never heard of no ski-lift) for our legs did the lifting. - I think, childhood-Sking, Gymnastics, & sprinting all served well, as preparation for participating in our beautiful figure-skating sport. - What do you think?

Toughness I think also depends on the training. For instance, work-related I had to pass some sort of test recently; & both male & female therapists could not believe how fast I raced thru some of those tests, saying: We have people 1/3 your age, taking 3x as long as you, and they still peeter-out before the test is done. And then, we can't hold our balance on one leg, with our eyes open; yet you stood there, with your eyes shut for over 70 seconds, how do you manage that?? - and I said: "well, I'm an iceskater so of course, I have agility, balance, flexability, & gaining in strength". - and they said "no wonder, you go girl!"

Body managed to learn all that?? - Imagine!, lol - isn't it just amazing, how after some practice you can do all this _naturally_

I can walk and run in skates with and without blade guards but only since I repositioned my blades. It the blades aren't in the right place laterally they tend to make you supinate or pronate too much. This will affect your skating too but it may be more noticeable to you off ice when walking.

Sarah

My former primary coach not only can walk with skates and blade guards on, he can DRIVE his car with said skates and blade guards on!!! (He said it was a necessary acquired skill from having to move his car around the 1 and 2 hour parking spots during his lesson times. )

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

I haven't tried that yet but reckon I could drive mine too - it's quite an 'agricultural' vehicle with rather large pedals!

Sarah

Oh you get used to walking on skates in time. Prior to competition one year, my coach had me do a few off ice jumps while in my skates. That worked surprisingly well:-) Recently, I've mastered going up and down two flights of stairs in my skates. The bathroom in my new rink is convienently located upstairs Don't ask me why.

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[i]Beauty May Be in the Eye of the Beholder
But passion is in the heart of a skater.[/I]

How do you walk upstairs in skates? I have also found my skates to wobble side to side while walking. Are you supposed to walk with your skates like your gliding in on ice? BTW. I've always found it hard to believe,and have always said that before you go skating you should go to the bathroom. Because I always think that once you have skates on,your NOT going to make it to a Restroom.

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FSWer

The rink I first skated at as a kid had skate rental, restrooms, and lockers downstairs from the rink. You HAD to walk up stairs.

When I first started skating I would walk with my feet turned sideways (the opposite of gliding on the ice), so that the whole skate fit on the stair, and place each foot onto the stair (rather than 1 foot per stair like I normally do.) Now i'm comfortable enough to walk pretty normally, even on stairs.

Every rink I've been at has had mats that lead into the bathroom, so you can go to the restroom with your skates on. But it is much easier to just go before you put the skates on!

__________________
-Jessi
What I need is a montage...
Visit my skating journal or my Youtube videos (updated with 2 new videos Sept 26, 2009)