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ASK MR. EDGE

October 2001

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.

Having a problem with your skates or boots? Can't find the answers? Well, Mr. Edge is here to answer all your questions. With many years of experience and a never-ending resource list, he can help you solve your boot, blade and foot problems. This month, Mr. Edge discusses issues relating to blade sizes and the best boot to buy for ice dancing. Read on and learn!

It's that time again skating fans. Summer has gone "bye bye," and the leaves will soon begin to fall. I hope all of you had a great summer. My latest venture was back to Las Vegas to visit some relatives and also for a trip to Hoover Dam. Talk about hot! The daily average temperature was 104-107°. It's the only place I know where breakfast eggs are freshly cooked right on the sidewalk. Sunny side up takes on a whole new meaning down there.

Another learn-to-skate program is at hand, and I thought it would be wise to review a few basics. Let's begin with the most important one ... proper boot fitting.

So that I may move on to answering your questions, here is a "Readers Digest" version of proper boot fitting.

Pay attention now, class, here we go!

1. Loosen up boot laces down to the tips of the toes.
2. Place boots on feet, kick back on heel, begin lacing.
3. After lacing, check to make sure heel is secure in the boot.
4. Check to make sure toes are not jammed into the front of the boot.
5. Make sure your arches are resting securely over the arch in the boot.
6. On average, skating boots run anywhere from a 1/2-1 1/2 sizes smaller than your street shoe size.

OK! ......... CLASS DISMISSED! Now back to our regularly scheduled program.

My skates fit well to my feet, but I have a lot of blisters and scars. I tried using bunga pads, but they made it worse. What do I do? Irving, Texas

Well, Irv, first off I would say that your boots are too stiff and that you also have very sensitive skin. Try the following:

1. Punch out the ankle bone areas.
2. Wrap moleskin around the top edges of the boots.
3. Soften up the boots using a leather conditioner (mink oil).
4. Be sure your laces are not too tight.

The bunga pads should help all this. If not, it's another reminder of just how stiff your boots are. One thing you should never do is buy boots that are too stiff with the thought that you'll get more time out of them. It usually works out that you lose all that time because of injury or never being able to break them in, not to mention the weeks and sometimes months of pain that go along with it.

I have a pair of custom boots. I received them in March 2001 and already they have a huge crease. Did I break them in wrong and/or do I need new boots? Charlottesville, N.C.

My dear Charlotte ...
I would be somewhat concerned, but don't lose any sleep over this. The huge crease could be caused by several factors, one of them being that you did break them in too quickly. If you laced them up to the top from day one and went out expecting to do Axels and doubles without any breaking-in period, then this is indeed the cause.
However, if this was not the case, then I would send them back in for some minor repairs, including:

1. Have the ankle area resupported.
2. Add in an extra 1/4" total thickness into the ankle bone and heel hugger padding.

This should solve your problem and your feet should feel much better.

Is it worth buying custom or stock boots? I already wear bunga pads for my inside ankle bones and sponges for the outside ankle bones, but my toes hurt also! I've skated in my boots eight hours a week since February. They have also been punched and stretched. Edinburgh, U.K.

Well Cinderella, it sounds to me like these boots never did fit your feet, only because there are different shapes of boots for different feet. There is really nothing you can do to make these fit any better than they do now. I would consider trying an American-made brand and see how they fit. Try checking your local yellow pages for Prince Charming to see if he has any glass slippers, ooops, I mean skating boots, that might fit your feet.

I'm getting new boots in about two weeks and my current skates are too small. I have a test session coming up in about four weeks. I need some ideas on how to get my new skates broken in enough that I can skate and test in them. The blades will be new also and will be the same kind I currently have. Battle Creek, Mich.

Well, cornflake, try this:

1. Put them on and walk up and down the stairs for five minutes each day.
2. Combine a mixture of three parts water to one part rubbing alcohol and spray this into the boots before skating. This will allow the leather to soften up.
3. Rub mink oil on the inside of your boots and let it soak in.
4. Skate for only about 1/2 hour at a time in them and then go back to your old skates. Increase the time over the course of 10 days by about five minutes a day.

Till next time, this is Mr. Edge saying bye bye!

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.