It has become evident that even the best skaters in the world can't compete without proper equipment. Now everyone is aware of the boot and blade related issues that plague the figure skating industry.
The problem has become so apparent that U.S. Figure Skating has developed a subcommittee that is responsible for identifying the problems, educating the industry from manufacturer to skater, and helping a select number of companies to develop new products targeting these long standing issues.
This series of two articles will report the findings and efforts to date of the U.S. Figure Skating Boot and Blades Subcommittee. Part One focuses on skating injuries and boot-related problems. Part Two will discuss product selection, solutions and product development, and how to prepare for the “new and improved” boots. We're excited to give you a glimpse of what is coming in the industry.
Injuries
Although there are many types of figure skating injuries, let's take a look at those related to the rigors of daily training as opposed to those related to falls on the ice. [Note: All research cited in this article was performed independently by Linda Tremain, PT, ATC, and Carrie Katz, DPT, at the Olympic Skating Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., in 2002.]
The most common injury is to the low back with up to 34 percent of skaters currently experiencing pain. Up to 26 percent of the skaters experienced alignment and tracking problems of the kneecap (patella). Hip/groin pain and ankle sprains were each found in 23 percent of those surveyed. Various types of tendonitis in the foot and ankle were encountered at some point in their training by approximately 20 percent of individuals. Eighteen percent of skaters experienced numbness and tingling as a result of lacing too tight and therefore traumatizing the nerves supplying the foot, while 6 percent had experienced a stress fracture at one time in their career.
Deformities of the foot deserve special attention because they are common, in fact, too common in figure skaters. The most frequent finding is a bunion, or angulated big toe, noted in up to 57 percent of skaters. The navicular bone in the arch of the foot was enlarged 31 percent of the time.
These two injuries are likely related to improper fit or an uncorrected pronation problem of the boot/blade or foot. Pump bumps, or lumps on the back of the heel, are found in 49 percent of skaters as a result of heel slippage. Friction occurs when a boot or shoe is too wide in the heel for your foot type.
Hammer toes (gnarled and calloused on the top) also result from heel slippage and are found in 18 percent of skaters. The toes curl in attempt to hold the shoe or skate on the foot. Also related to excess motion and/or insufficient punching of the boot, ankle bursitis is found in 6 percent of skaters. Skin irritation and lace bite is found 14 percent of the time and can be related to stiff boots, poor fit, or simply lacing too tight.
Most of these injuries are directly related to poor boot fit and faulty alignment of the skate or skater. Look for some solutions to these problems in both parts of this series.
Problems
Because these injuries can be a result of multiple factors, it is often difficult to pinpoint the exact cause. When we take a look at the common problems found in figure skating boots, we get a better understanding of the injuries and how boots might contribute to injury rates.
Boots that are proportionately too heavy for the skater can impact performance as well as contribute to injury. Do you know how heavy your boots are compared to your body weight? Weigh both boots. Weigh yourself. Take your boot weight and divide it by your body weight. Multiply times 100. This is your ratio of skate weight to body weight. The average skate weight to skater weight is 5 percent. Ratios more than 5 percent appear unnecessary and may contribute to an increased rate of injury. For example, practicing spirals with a lighter boot would be less stressful on the muscles of the low back.
Compared to other sports, ice is the hardest landing surface and it has virtually no shock absorption. Therefore, the joints in the foot, ankle, knee, hip and back must do all the work to absorb the shock upon impact.
As figure skating boots are designed today they decrease the ability of the foot and ankle to bend. That means that a skater's foot and ankle are not able to absorb the shock as they should. Instead, the additional forces are transferred to the knee, hip, and back and can lead to unnecessary strain and load on these joints.
So, the bendability of the ankle in and out of the skate is very important. Do you know your bendability score?
Here is how you measure bendalbility. Without skates, put your toes behind a line. Bend your knees over your toes as far as possible without lifting your heels. Have someone measure how far your knees move beyond your toes. Repeat the test in skates with the tip of your blade behind the same line. Once again, be careful not to lift the heels.
If your bendability score is poor or fair without skates, start stretching your calves daily! But the real question is did you bend more or less in skates? The goal is to be able to bend equally well or better in skates than out of skates within one or two months of wear. If you bend less, your boots could be too stiff.
Good Boots and Boot Defects
Boot defects are an unfortunate but normal part of making a mostly handmade product. Boot manufacturers have been made aware of the problem within the industry, but quality control varies from company to company. Boot defects have been found in up to 20 percent of boots manufactured.
So how do you know if you have a good boot? Carefully examine the boot before purchase. Place it on a level surface and look from the back to see if appears vertical. Ignore the seam as it is often not in the center. Look to see if it equal amounts of the boot fall on either side of an imaginary center line. Make sure that the boot is sitting squarely on top of the heel and is not crooked. Determine whether the sole of the boot is level on the bottom and in contact with the flat surface.
Minor irregularities can be leveled before the blade is secured by your mounting professional. Always make sure to select the straightest pair of boots that you can, and return any custom boots with faulty alignment before mounting the blade.
Boot fit problems have been encountered by virtually every skater. Many of the foot deformities outlined above are a direct result of poor fit. Knowing your foot size, structure and past problems is the best place to start.
Resist the temptation to buy a size larger to accommodate for growth. Next, make sure you know the width of your forefoot and your heel. In fact, have this measured at the shoe store just to be sure. If you have a significant width discrepancy within your foot, then it would be best to get a semicustom skate to accommodate this difference. Heat molding is beneficial for managing minor lumps and bumps, but large deformities need to be addressed with custom skates.
Boot problems are not new to the industry. They have existed for years, frustrated many, and caused a tremendous amount of unnecessary injury. Fortunately, there are new solutions on the horizon for many of the issues addressed above.
Linda Tremain PT, ATC/L, has practiced sports medicine and manual therapy in the Chicago area for 15 years. For the past four summers, she has worked at the Olympic Ice Arena in Lake Placid, N.Y., where she provides fitness, physical therapy and the Pilates Method of Body Conditioning for skaters.
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