About Us

ASK MR. EDGE

June/July 2007

Mr. Edge is a qualified skate technician with years and years of experience. He can answer your questions on boots, blades and foot problems related to your equipment. Questions will be answered in SKATING magazine and later posted on the web site.



At last, the warm weather is finally upon us and soon the summer heat will once again be baking those heat-moldable boots you leave in your car. (If you must keep your boots in your car all day, be sure and place them in the trunk; it is much cooler there than in the body of the car. Temperatures inside your car can reach 130 degrees depending on which state you live in.)

Tip of the Week

I'd like to explain how to remove the residue that SK8TAPE leaves on your boots. After removing the tape from your boots, take a very absorbent paper towel or soft cotton cloth and simply pour some Goo Off or Goo Gone on it. Quickly – but lightly – rub off the glue residue. You'll need to rotate the towel around, and be sure to pour on enough solvent, keeping the towel or cloth continually moist.

Now, on to your questions. Father Tim from Colorado Springs asks for some advice on which skates to buy his daughter who is just beginning freestyle.

There are several low-end boots and blades available, some of which come as sets and some of which do not. Usually the sets consist of nothing more that your basic learn-to-skate boots and blades, good for nothing more than skating forward and backward, and doing crossovers. What you'll need is a beginning freestyle blade and a boot that has just the right amount of support in it. My favorites are listed are below.

(Keep in mind that at this level you'll get more bang for the buck if you put more money into the blade rather than the boot, especially for that once or twice-a-week skater. A better blade will take a skater further along in his or her skating.)

Boots:

  • Riedell Blue Ribbon or 28 model
  • Jackson 2010 Freestyle model
Blades:
  • Wilson Jubilee or Majestic
  • MK Club 2000 or Double Star
  • Ultima Mirage or Protégé
  • Gam G3
The least expensive combo is the Riedell Blue Ribbon boot with either the Club 2000 or Ultima Mirage blade attached.

Cindy from Rhode Island writes that her current boots are about three months old and are giving her pain through the arch area and along the sides of her feet. She was wondering how to stop them from hurting.

Here are some possible reasons:
1. Your boots could be too narrow on your feet. Unfortunately, there is no way to stretch out this area of the boot.
2. Your boots may be too long for you. It is quite common for a boot fitter to order boots longer in length in order to accommodate the width of wider feet. This being the case, the arch of your foot is not laying over the arch of the boot on the inside.
3. You may need some sort of an orthotic device in your boots in order to properly rotate your feet into a more natural and neutral position.
4. You may not be lacing up your skates properly. Be sure to loosen up your laces and kick back on the heel of your boots in order to properly place your foot into the boot. Keep the toe or your boot pointed upward while lacing. Do not put your foot flat down until you've finished lacing up your boots.

If the pain subsides after properly lacing your boots, then the problem is solved. If it does not, then you'll need to see someone with more experience in fitting boots and get a second opinion. Refer to Nos. 1, 2 and 3 above in searching for the cause.

Take care and have a great summer.

Mr. Edge

P.S. - If I can be of service to anyone in the Cleveland area, I'll be making a monthly stop at the Iceland Arena in Strongsville.

Mr. Edge and all related elements are property of Arena Sports & Consulting Services, Inc. ©2013. Send your questions to Mr. Edge via mail (Ask Mr. Edge, SKATING magazine, 20 First Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80906); FAX (719) 635-9548 or e-mail them online.

The opinions of Mr. Edge are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the U.S. Figure Skating or SKATING magazine. Remember, if you have problems with your feet, check with a doctor – the problem may very well be with your boot, but it could be more serious. Check with your local pro shop for more information about boots and blades.