Lacing boots the Russian way; Boot reviews from Liberty Competition

[FigureSpins]

I used to tell my skating parents with young kids to bring an extra pair of shoes to turn in at the desk for the rentals.  Otherwise, the kids were running around in their socks while the parents waited on the line to rent and return.  It was partly because of laundry (socks ended up wet and black) but also because other people were walking around in skates.  I didn't want little toes getting injured.

[Skittl1321]

Your rink takes shoes as collateral?

That would help the shoes tossed every which way around the benches.



Our rink does nothing to ensure rentals are returned.  Most people put them back up on the counter, but sometimes they are just left around the benches.

[FigureSpins]

Well, not at this rink, but the ones I coached at in NY & NJ, yes.  There was a problem with people not returning them.
Untidiness aside, some patrons would take the skates home.  They weren't great skates, but I guess the thrill of stealing was enough.    We'd find them thrown around in the parking lot, strung across the telephone lines, stuck (blade-first) into the walls outside...

[Sk8Dreams]

I still haven't skated in my new Edeas very much, but here is what I have found so far:

1) I love lacing them from the top because it allows me to have the boots looser at the toes and tighter at the arches, which helps with my neuropathy.  Looseness/tightness is maintained throughout my skating session.  I found that any loosening up was due to the new laces stretching, and that has now stopped.

2) It took a while to get the hang of lacing and unlacing them that way.  At first, I had to use a lace hook to loosen them, but now the whole process takes no longer than lacing the usual way.

3) A knot is not needed before the hooks to keep the tension. 

4) I would not recommend this method for kids or rentals simply because it takes practice to become adept at it.

In summary, I think it works as advertised, but takes practice to perfect (just like skating )