Are my boots breaking down or breaking in?

[Neverdull44]

I've been skating on my Harlick boots for a year and a half.  They are developing creases in the ankle on the outside of the boot.  The top part is starting to bend over a little bit, and will bend more if I pull it.  I do single jumps, combinations jumps, combination spins, and footwork.  I'm working on my Adult Bronze, and will likely pass it soon.  I skate fairly fast and strong.

In my 'kiddie' days, I never wore out a pair of boots. I always outgrew them.  I don't think I even owned a pair for an entire year.  Back in the 70s, if a pair was breaking down, the top part just fell over.  In my 'first round' as an adult skater, my Reidells were so strong that I didn't break them down.  Instead, they broke my feet down requiring tendon surgery.   

My current Harlicks are not bending over, but there is a healthy crease on the outside of the boot.  Where the crease is at, the leather/foam/inside is a lot thinner than where there is no crease.  Is that breaking in or breaking down these days?
 What do you think?

[sarahspins]

I think they look okay for now, but it really comes down to how you feel about them - if you feel like the lateral (sideways) support is lacking, then I would say they probably are breaking down, but if you feel like they are still okay, then they probably are.  Curiously, my last pair of Jacksons never "looked" broken down - they were in perfect condition on the outside, without any major creases at all, but the sideways support was just gone inside the boot, and I was very aware of it while I skated.  My newer pair of Jacksons do have creases (though not as big or deep as yours) and while I am in the process of replacing them, they aren't yet broken down.

What jumps you are doing doesn't always dictate how quickly you can break down a pair of skates.. it has more to do with how you skate, and if you skate with more power and kneebend (which is NOT a bad thing at all!), it's just going to be harder on your skates than if you skate without as much - kind of an unfortunate added benefit.

[TreSk8sAZ]

I have Harlicks as well, and your creases are nothing compared to the ones I have. When I talked to Phil Kuhn and he looked at them, he said mine were finally getting broken in. As long as the creases are in the right spot (ie where the boot bends) and you feel like you have enough lateral support, you should be fine.

[Bill_S]

Your creases look like they are in the sweet spot for a skate. Some creasing in the front of the ankle is good.

Here's a progression of skates I have owned over the years. The top pair was new at the time of the photo. The middle pair are my favorite Gold Stars that still had enough support even thought the leather was wearing out. The bottom pair are some Reidells from the 70s that I skated in for a while, but they were not stiff like modern skates. The creases around the ankle tell the whole story - their ankle support is worthless for by today's standards.