Info on Heat molding ("custom shaping") Edea boots

[Query]

While Edea strongly recommends against traditional heat molding in an oven, the U.S. Edea distributor, Skates US, gives some details on what they call "heat shaping" the boot using spot heat from a hair drier:

CUSTOM SHAPING & THE EDEA BOOT

I'm adding this to my web page on modifying skate boots.

The page does not give a lot of details.

But does anyone know of an online video showing the process? I'd like to add a link to that too. I seem to remember that someone on this forum talked about how they did it. I don't remember whether they posted a video.



EDIT: If Skates US deletes the document, I made a copy. It's too large to attach to the PDF, but here is the included text:

Skates US

CUSTOM SHAPING & THE EDEA BOOT

One of the best features of the EDEA boots is the fact that we can take any model of EDEA and customize it to fit your foot!

Shaping can be done to allow for square toes, hammertoes, bunions, narrow heels and narrow Achilles tendons, along with the many other shapes that feet can take. We can take a standard "C" width boot and narrow or widen the boot to accommodate a range from "AAAA" to "EEE" all without adding or subtracting material! Feet tend to change over time, so in the instance you may need adjustments, just re-shape the boot! The EDEA design allows us to pinch, punch, widen, and narrow without comprising the structure of the boot, and as long as it's heated correctly, you can have it re-shaped as many times as you need!

How is this achieved?

The custom shaping is achieved by manipulating the thermo-formable material used in the structure. This carbon-type material can be pinched, punched, widened, and narrowed in various ways, thus taking a stock "C" width boot off the shelf and creating a custom skate that is shaped to fit your unique foot.

When we shape the boots, we use 1800-watt hair dryers. Once the temperature reaches between 140-180°, the thermo-formable material will become soft and pliable. Different techniques are used to achieve the desired fit. For widening, we use tracings of your feet and shoe lasts. For narrowing, we use the lace locking system incorporated into the EDEA boots and foot tracings to achieve a snugger fit. We use a few different punches that vary in size and shape to punch out at the ankles or to adjust the heel pocket.

Once the material cools, it will not move again until it is heated again. Because of this, we advise against storing the boots near a heat source, like in a car on a hot summer day. The shape will change if these temperatures are reached. However, if the shape of the boot does change, it can always be shaped back!

What areas of the boot can be shaped?

The EDEA boots can be shaped anywhere where the heat-moldable shell is present. This includes the toe box, the heel pocket, and the area around the ankle and navicular bones. The exception to these areas is the EDEA Roller Boots, the Classica and Flamenco Soft, where the thermo-formable shell stops under the ankle.

How long does the shaping process take?

Depending on how much shaping the boot requires the process could take from 45 minutes to 2 hours. The longest part of the process is the cooling process. The boot must be completely cooled off before you can try it on. Trying a warm boot on could cause the structure to change shape, and then the process must be repeated to recover the desired shape.

How does this compare to shaping a traditional leather boot?

This technology is far superior to that of heat molding, which uses the traditional oven and in many cases requires periodic re-molding. The oven heats the padding in a traditional boot so that it will form to your foot. With EDEA skates, the internal padding is memory foam; similar to the mattress you sleep on. When the skates are shaped, the actual structure of the boot is being altered, not just the padding inside.

We strongly advise against utilizing an oven to shape the EDEA, as this softens the entire structure and shape in a way that is harmful to the carbon type material. We use hair dryers, shoe lasts, and other tools to modify specific areas of the structure.

While this may not be incredibly difficult, it does require the proper tools and the knowledge of skating, the EDEA design, and body alignment .

SKATES U.S.
415 W Eaton Pike
Richmond, IN 47374
PHONE
(765) 935-­‐7477
WEB
www.SkatesUS.com

LEAD TECHNICIAN
Josh Schuyler
Tech@SkatesUS.com

DEALER SUPPORT
Elizabeth Walker
Elizabeth@SkatesUS.com