New Design for Boot

[kisscid]

Has anyone ever read this article, or tried them out?
http://www.udel.edu/PR/UDaily/2004/skate042904.html
It's very interesting
Cid

[MQSeries]

It sounds interesting but I'm not sure it'll solve the problems with jump landings though. I've always thought that landing on the flat of your blades is due more to improper techniques than poor boot design. Many skaters today are able to hit the ice first on the toe-pick before settling down on the rest of the blade. And skaters like Sasha have demonstrated that it is possible to point one toes during a jump.

Whether a boot is hinged or not isn't going to automatically allow a skater to land toe-pick first if she isn't already flexing the toe downward in mid-air and opening up on the jump properly.

One problem that I had with the current boots was that I could never understand how some skaters were able to get down so low on a sit spin. I used to lace my skates firmly around the ankle for support but then I found that it wouldn't let me bend down low for the sitspin. When I loosened the lace around the ankle to sit down lower then I didn't feel enough support to jump. So maybe the hinged skate will help people get down lower on the sitspin.

[skatepixie]

MQS-ITA!

http://www.sashafans.com/media/videos/03grandprixfinal-3toe.WMV

Thats Sasha's triple toe. You can see how she points her toes and lands on the toe, as I do. Thats what I was taught to be "correct."

http://www.sashafans.com/media/videos/03grandprixfinal-ina2axel.WMV

You can also see it in her 2axel.

[CanadianSkater]

I thought the skates we wear now support our ankle, but with these new skates the ankle will have to take more impact of the jump on its own, will that actually reduce injuries? :??

[skatepixie]

Im thinking that it may reduce some hip and knee problems, but that it wont provide the support needed to protect the ankle. The best way to protect your body is with a stiff (but not too stiff) regular boot, and proper tech with a landing on the toe, as seen in that videos of Sasha above.

[ktjadpa]

That would just make me get more injuries. skaters need the ankle support...thats why its there, they cant just take it away and be able to skate because skaters arent used to the boot bending, i think it would cause more ankle injuries

[Schmeck]

Love the black plastic buckle on the top! :roll: Couldn't they have made it white, to match the skate?

[unafaluna]

I know many skaters who have tried the new Graff hinged boot. The whole idea is this.. Because the bootmakers have been making the boots stiffer to accomodate the "triples", the ankle/shin area has not been able to have complete mobilization thus hampering this area from developing and strengthening. (if you look at most skaters, their upper leg/hamstring area is far more developed) More injuries occur to the ankle/foot/shin area. These boots are designed to allow mobilization of this area while allowing the knee to bend even more and will help to absorb some on the shock of landing and the lower leg will strengthen while skating. Every time a skater does a triple, it's 15 times their body weight. I think the key is to start the skaters wearing this boot early in their career. Some people believe when a boot creases, they are broken down, not true. The fact of the matter is, if a skater cannot bend their knee completely over their toes after a two week training period, the boots are too stiff. The skaters I know wearing these new boots have had much success and their technique has improved greatly. These boots will be on the market late summer I believe.

[TashaKat]

I may be shallow .... ok, yes I AM shallow ..... but it's a really UGLY boot :evil:

What would worry me about it is how much pressure the hinge would take, surely this would be a weak point in the boot!

[skateflo]

Another issue is that as the boots have gotten stiffer, skaters are not developing the muscles around their ankles. From what I have heard and read over the years, European skaters use a much less stiff boot, and certainly skaters from decades ago had softer boots and still did triple jumps. Ankle exercises are now being added to a skater's off-ice workout.

[Purrsonality]

Does anyone have a link to some specifc ankle exercises?