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So what are the early signs of skates breaking down? DD's friend just got a pair of skates in January and apparently they are broken down. Now she needs a new pair only 2 weeks before a competition. I'd like to be able to catch the early signs with DD so I can time a new pair with some lead time.

Coach should be watching for this, and will tell you/your skater when they are getting broken down. Also, what some parents/kids see as "broken-down" may actually be "nicely broken in " in the eyes of the coach, and it's those eyes that matter

Ask the coach for "education" on this one. They can point out what they look for, and if you ask them to, they will give you "headsup" when skates need to be replaced, if you tell them that's important to you (budget, organization, etc).

That's what this girls coach did, unfortunately the coach did not catch it until this weekend and her competition is in 2 weeks. So maybe I should ask coach to look at them a month before any competitions, is that enough time to break in and get used to new skates?

All I can say is talk to your coach. I would not change skates a month before competitions myself, others differ on that, and it differs skater to skater and boot to boot. We pre-plan boot replacements and time them for the point in the training cycle when we are not competing or testing.

My one kid can step into new boots and be good go to in a couple of sessions, but, they are custom boots and this is a skater who has no problem adjusting; my other kid needs about 4 weeks to break in her new skates, and even then I would be leery about a competition(however, these are high level boots with a fair bit of stiffness and they do take a bit of breaking in).

Boots should NOT just break down "suddenly". They work their way down to being unwearable. It's like shoes. There is a progress of comfortable/worn/worn out, and it takes time. Out grown? Yeah, you can have a boot become too small VERY quickly, but, a stretch or a punch can work wonders in terms of keeping them going for a bit.

Now, how difficult is it to get new skates for you? Our customs take six weeks, our non-custom about 4 as they are ordered split width and they are thus not custom but also not typically in inventory. If you have a long lead time ... something else you should discuss with your coach to help you preplan.

Coach likes Jacksons (or custom Klingbiel...but that's not going to happen!)and there are plenty of Jacksons here. She said to look into the Freestyle when she outgrows hers. Apparently the Competitior is discontinued? We never got into why the Freestyle, but I see that the tops of her boot (Classique) are quite soft, when she got them I could not even squeeze the two sides together and now I can. The part where the ankle bone is just as stiff as I remember. Her other friends had to already get new skates because of growth, but her foot doesn't seem to grow as fast so she may break then down before she outgrows them.

Skates can be "rebuilt," but very few pro shops do that anymore. It used to cost $50-$75 per pair. I had a pair rebuilt twice, but I never got used to the skates after the second rebuild, so I wouldn't suggest it.

With a growing skater, rebuilds don't always work out well because adding new inner leather for support means the tops have be cut down a bit and restitched. Plus, it often makes the skate more narrow, so if they were a little small to begin with, they become unbearably tight after a rebuild.

Have you tried putting sk8tape on the boots if they're just starting to break down? It might provide enough support to get by for a few weeks. I think TimDavidSkates used to use duct tape, but that would look wierd on white skates, lol.


I always suggest checking the sharpening and the boots' condition around 6-8 weeks before a competition. You never want to sharpen skates less than two weeks before a competition, but if you're desparate, you can ask the pro shop to keep the ROH exactly the same and stone down the edges so they won't be super-sharp. I had to do this for my DDs because of travel and it worked out okay, but I don't recommend it as a rule.

Signs that boots might be breaking down:
. Deep, deep creases around the ankles/boot front
. Skater complains of twisted or sore ankles regularly after skating
. Side-to-side imbalance on edges and landings that used to be secure and strong
. Ability to really bend their knees (which is desirable) but to the point where the boot creases deepen more than normal


I think it would be interesting to do a time-lapse study of skates. Bill_S has some great photo visuals that accompany his essays.
It would be enlightening to follow a particular freestyle skater for the life of a pair of skates, from brand-new until they break down.
The trick would be finding someone who doesn't outgrow the skates during the study.

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All depends on your skate sharpener's skill and skater's preferences. My daughters made their skate sharpening appointments as close as possible, within days, to major competitions (national and international synchro, junior level) because they loved the sharp edge, and never needed any adjustment time with his sharpenings. We love our skate pro (I skate too, and he does my equipment work too).

I know it's a minority opinion, but wanted to point out that it's out there.

That really has nothing to do with the sharpener - that comfort level comes from your preference for very-sharp blades.

However, you're correct: skaters who never allow their blades to get noticeably dull can certainly take your advice.

In general, most people do wait too long in between sharpenings. They step onto the ice and find they can't stop.

I guess the rule should be, if you're accustomed to skating on dull blades, get your skates sharpened well before the event or have them stoned down carefully.
Otherwise, wait until the last minute if you prefer very-sharp blades all the time.

How long do blades last your skaters? I would think all those sharpenings would wear them out faster, but I'm not sure. I guess skaters who let them get super-dull lose hard steel because the sharpener has to do restoration work. It probably works out the same.

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Yikes! Hopefully the skates aren't too broken down for her to use in her competition. I would not want to watch my dd break in new skates 2 weeks prior to a comp! EEK! My daughter's coach doesn't like to see a skate change that close to a comp.

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skating mom to 3 angels on earth and 1 in heaven

how do i know myboots is broke down? and can i notice it before it gets broke down too badly so i can order new boots before?
whats the sign that its broken? or going to get break down?

I wouldn't recommend new skates 2 weeks before a competition either. We had to do it once - actually it was 1 week before! DD was in the boots for almost a year and a half and we knew she would probably outgrow them soon. She took a week off the ice for a summer music camp, and I swear the old skates were compressing her feet and when she didn't wear them for a week, her feet just sort of "popped", because when she came home she couldn't even put her foot in them anymore! She had to go up two full sizes! Didn't have much choice but to break them in the best she could for the competition...it's pretty bad when the new skates are less painful than the old ones!

Wow! Yeah, that would require a change and I can't imagine breaking in new skates that close to a comp. My dd is so picky about her skates and her feet... some skaters could handle it, but not my girl! We would have had to withdraw from the comp if your situation had been ours! LOL.

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skating mom to 3 angels on earth and 1 in heaven