Will polishing boots improve appearance of nicks?

[alejeather]

In preparation for upcoming competitions, I've changed the laces on my skates. They look so nice and clean, I want to clean up my boots as well. I have a fair number of nicks on my boots. Will polishing them help them look better overall in a competition setting? Can I just use normal white shoe leather polish?

I also put on the lovely bling bars sent to me by a dear skating friend. Skating friends are the best 

I think for my next pair of boots, I may consider using skate tape to preserve the finish a bit.

[fsk8r]

You could always add the tape now to help preserve them a bit better.
My boots weren't taped until they started getting nicks in them.
I change the tape if I'm trying to make the boots look cleaner for competition.

[Loops]

I'm a fan of the tape too.

Back in the day (80's early 90's) we did used to polish our skates, before every competition and every test.  The finish on my new skates feels different from that of my old ones.  Of course they're also different brands, but I don't know if the finish would even take polish.  Edea does sell skate polish.  Don't know if it's different from what we used to use back in the day (purchased at the skate shop), or if it's different from what you can get at the cobblers.  It was more liquidy though, and applied with a sponge applicator, not a wax.

I will say, that the more I polished my skates, the yickier they got.  So I suspect it's also a slippery slope, once you get going with the polish you might be committed.

Before the natural soles, we also had some nasty product that we'd put on the black part to clean it up.  SO GLAD that's not something I have to worry about any more.

My take home: sk8tape is your friend.

[rd350]

Agreed.  Sk8tape!

[ChristyRN]

I've earned every nick on my skates, so I don't polish them. I also don't change my laces until they break. I do take them out and wash them once in a while.

[axelwylie]

No advice on the nicks (my skates have them too), but I wanted to tell you that your blinged up skates look amazing! 

[lutefisk]

My former ice dance partner polished her boots and my old right boot has white streaks to prove it!  Yeah, our feet got close enough to swap paint on occasions.  That white stuff never comes off!

[Loops]

Btw- I totally want bling bars now. Do you know where your awesome friend got them?

And personally the front of your skates look fine. I wouldn't worry about covering those nicks.

[PhysicsOnIce]

A friend of mine uses a wax like thing that actually fills in the nicks on her skates. She is known to take large chunks out of her skates because she crosses too tightly.  Essentially you apply the wax, buff, and let dry and repeat the process. For her it took approximately 4 coats to get her skates looking almost like new. It is not polish per se, but it does leave the skates shiny.  I'll ask her the name of the wax and let you know.

[alejeather]

Thanks for all the advice! I've never cleaned up my boots for a competition before, but I was curious to know what might be involved. I might try sk8tape. I don't like the way it looks up close, but perhaps from further away, it looks cleaner. Maybe I'll just leave them alone. I earned those boot scars (Kinda like how I got my first kick in the shins ice dancing with a partner last week, but I'm not even mad. It feels like a rite of passage for an ice dancer.)

My friend got the bling bars from Red Swan. http://www.redswanusa.com/products/bling-bars
I swear they've been the secret to my skating this week

[aussieskater]

A friend of mine uses a wax like thing that actually fills in the nicks on her skates. She is known to take large chunks out of her skates because she crosses too tightly.  Essentially you apply the wax, buff, and let dry and repeat the process. For her it took approximately 4 coats to get her skates looking almost like new. It is not polish per se, but it does leave the skates shiny.  I'll ask her the name of the wax and let you know.

Now that sounds like a product my skates could really use!  Will be waiting to hear what it is so I can go get some.