Hoping this is a lace problem....

[PhysicsOnIce]

I've been having lace problems lately, despite having replaced them not more than two months ago. I'm beginning to think that this sign that my skates are starting to break down...which I really hope is not the case, but considering they are a year old and have at least 500 skating hours on them....it might be.

I have noticed that I'm retying my skates much more often than before. Particularly, I find that I have to retry one or both of my skates after a 10 to 15 minute "warm up".  I'm also finding that about half-way through a program run-through, right after my combination spin, my skates all of the sudden feel loose, while I keep skating through my program I feel much less comfortable and rather unstable. Generally my skates feel fine and have no visual signs of break down. I don't feel like I am lateral support but I definitively feel like I am loosing forward support. Also, the tongue is spongue and has compressed slightly, could that be the cause?

Do you guys have any suggestions? My coach has suggested that I start taping my laces, but I've never had to do that before, so it makes me thing something is wrong.

Mod note: topic moved to Pro Shop forum.

[lutefisk]

I had (to an extent still have) this problem.  A lot of it was due to my first pair of boots being a half size too big.  The fitter downsized me from a 9.5 to a 9.0 in the same Jackson Freestyle boots when got my latest pair (different fitter than for the previous pair).  I still have to retie but not as often as before.  I find that going under the hooks rather than over the hooks gives me a more reliable tie.  Going under the hooks is, for me, a little more tedious. 

One problem I still have is getting the bow knot snug so that it stays tight but at the same time not over tightening the boot at the ankles and thus inhibiting good ankle bend.  I start the bow knot with a surgeon's knot (basically an overhand knot with an extra twist) before making the bow, but sometimes the knot is slack enough that I can move it with my fingers.  Perhaps others can give tips for the finishing knot?

[AgnesNitt]

Physics, try putting a lace bite pad or just any thin pad behind the tongue. That will push your foot back in the heel and allow you to keep your laces tighter.

[Query]

I assume you tie a double knot, so it can't slip.

Also that you tighten the entire lace, starting from the bottom, else the looseness will slowly work its way up. And that you don't make the beginner mistake of wrapping the lace around the back of the boot (which loosens the lace every time you bend your ankle).

If you can stick a finger under any part of the lace, it is tied way, way too loose.

Another possibility is that the boots are a bit cold when you put them on. As they warm up they conform to your foot better. Either put the boots on warm, or do a good heat mold.

If that doesn't explain things, maybe your boots are indeed breaking down.

[Christy]

Is it possible that the new laces are a different material which stretches more?

[nicklaszlo]

I think this is caused in part by skates breaking down.  That does not mean you have to replace them right away.

Two month old laces are not new.  I have broken laces after only ~20 hours of use.

[PinkLaces]

This is a first sign of skates breaking down for me...constantly retying.  Mine are starting to get that way now.  It is partial break down and partial I lost 25 pounds recently.  There is more room in my boot so I am retying more.

I had a pair of Riedells where I ripped out the holes in the boot from constantly retying.  I could never get them tight even because I was between widths - average and wide.  As I broke them in, my foot started slipping around.  I posted a picture of my boots on this forum years ago.  I will try to find it.

Now I wear Jackson and B width were fine for awhile. Last boot change, fitter put me in a A and it killed my toes even with several punch outs.  I am back in Bs(over a year now), but I am noticing I am retying more frequently.  I probably need to get a split width next time.

[Loops]

Noooooo.  This is happening to me too.  I've been in my skates just over a year, with a whopping 3 hours a week (2 of which are synchro, third is dance) of use.  Maybe a little bit more because of week-long workshops, but those are all synchro.

I've been wondering too if this is the first sign of break down.  But really, how can it be with so little skating.  I admit I'm hard on my boots- tie them super tight from the instep up through the hooks, and I do deep knee bends.  But really I'm barely skating. 

I do not want to think about new boots yet.  That's going to be a colossal pain in the bum.

My laces are 6 months old- Riedell cottony ones.....could that be the issue?  They still seem fine.....

[PhysicsOnIce]

Thanks everyone for all the comments. I've emailed Sp-Teri and am waiting for a reply to see what the experts think, but you guys have a lot of good comments.

So in answer to all the comments:

No, I don't tie my laces around my ankles... I don't think they are even long enough for me to do that, but that has been something I have never done.

No, It's not that the laces are a different material. Last time I was at Sp-Teri, doing several things to my boots, George gave me four sets of extra laces, because I can't find anything similar to his thin nylon blend laces. So, the laces are exactly the same and these laces tend to hold up pretty well. I went almost 9 months with the last pair, before having to replace them because I sliced them in two.

I do tie a double knot, but somehow that still slips. I have not tried the surgeons twist knot, I'll do that tomorrow and let you guys know how that worked. Ive also looked a few things that suggest doing a surgeons knot at the bottom of the hooks for support?

I'm actually experimenting a bit with the idea that it might be that my boots are cold the moment when I put them on. My boots do tend to stay in the car the day while I am at work, because the university kinda looks down on us carrying sharp objects into the labs and office, and on top of that the average temperature when I leave my house for morning sessions is 0°C.  I put them on the heater while I was warming up this morning and it seemed to help a bit, but this seems to be a bit of a determintal process, which I dont want to subject my boots to every session. I was able to get them much tighter through the instep, but still had to retie the top about 30 minutes into the session.


Lute...I've had more problems with these skates than any other Sp-Teri in my life. The fitter I went to last time and NEVER again brought me down to a boot that George Sp-teri says is a full size too small and possibly a bit too sitff for me. Lot of medical bills beacuse of the boots resulted in Me taking a trip the CA last summer where we had the boots stretched to the right measurements, the tongue rebuilt and several areas of the boot punched out, just to get the boot to work for me. It worked fine until recently...


Agnes.... I already wear a gel sleeve and the skates have a built in lace bite stopper. Do you think that adding anytype of padding would help? Should I possible consider getting the tongues rebuilt?

Loops... knowing how hard it is to find skates in Europe, I sincerely hope for both of our sakes that this is not our boots breaking down! I am also not in finacial position to spend LOTS of money on a boot-blade combo at the moment...And new boots will most likely mean new blades as well. I don't want to think about that...

[Query]

I think you would would know if your boots are breaking down much, though I could be wrong.

You don't want your boots routinely much warmer than body temperature (98.6 deg F or 37 deg C), or the heat mold will undo, and any places you have stretched the boot may unstretch.

You could try lace hooks - a blunt hook used to pull the laces tighter, after they are already pulled finger tight. That way they will be tighter to start with. As always, start at the bottom, and work your way up.

As I've mentioned on other threads, I've recently started using nylon parachute/utility cord, slightly larger than the diameter of the lace holes, so it doesn't slip back on its own. (About $4 for 50' - about 5 laces.) I made ends to thread through the holes by partially melting and rolling the ends. (Use cloth so you don't burn your hands, have water in case catches fire.) Because it is large and round, and doesn't slip back, it is much easier to pull tight. Many colors available. Instead of a lace hook, you can use a needle nose pliers to get them really really tight.

If you heat heat mold your boots while tied super-super tight (with no socks), you may not need to tie them so tight afterwards, because they will naturally be shaped snug to your feet.