About Us

ASK MR. EDGE

December 2008

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.

Couldn't a new pair of skates be a great holiday gift or birthday present?

Well, not so fast. All too often, good-intentioned parents and grandparents do just that, only to find their skater growing out of them within a short time.

Avoiding this mistake is easy. First, never buy a pair of skates until your skater begins to grow out of his/her current skates. The reasoning behind this is twofold:

1. You don't know how much anyone will grow out of their skates at any particular time.
2. Always keep a record of when your skater first starts to feel their toes touch the front of their boots.

By doing this, you gain time before they have another growth spurt.

Over the years, I've found that 98 percent of girls have a growth spurt once a year. It's rare that they will have more than one per year. However, boys may have as many as three growth spurts in one year. The only unknown is how much the skater will grow each time.

If the toes barely touch or are even a bit crunched, you can always try stretching the boots first. In most cases, you can gain almost a full half size when using the proper stretching device.

Now let's move on to a couple questions.

Q: I have developed bumps on the back of my heels. What do I need to do to avoid surgery? My doctor referred me to a shoe repair shop and they recommended Band-Aids. That didn't work. What should I do?
Courtney from Manitowoc, Wis.

A: First, never use Band-Aids or any type of bandages on your heels when skating. They only make things worse by rubbing against the heels and causing more irritation. The only way to solve this problem is to have a properly fitted boot in the ankle and heel area. It's obvious that your ankles and heels are narrow enough for a specially made boot, one with a much narrower heel and ankle built into it. Another way to relieve the rubbing and somewhat tighten up the heel in the boot is to use a Bunga gel sleeve. Place it around your heel and ankle area at the same time. Most of the time, this works, but it is not a permanent fix for your problem.

Q: The balls of my feet are experiencing constant pain. I wear custom-made boots and they are only about a year old. What is causing this pain?
Jesse, Kansas

A: This type of pain could be caused by several things:

1. The boots are too small and you don't realize it because you are capable of curling your toes without ever feeling it;
2. You're improperly putting on your boots;
3. You may have a small bone spur directly under the balls of your feet. Only an X-ray would show this;
4. Your feet are sensitive and you may need a bit more padding built onto the front portion of your insoles (Poron is a great material for doing this);
5. Your boots are actually too big, and you are pulling them so tight that it is putting too much downward pressure on your toes;
6. You may have a bit of crud or whatever under your insole that needs to be removed;
7. There may be some threads under the insoles that need to be pressed down flat.

I would check numbers Nos. 6, 7, 5, 2 and 4, in that order, as possible causes, and if those don't work, let me know.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
Mr. Edge

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.