Retying skates in practice

[jjane45]

Figure skaters seem to have very different comfort level with their skates, some retie skates much more frequently than others.

Just out of curiosity, what do you think are the common reasons behind retying? For skates misfit, specifically which parts? Do skaters generally have enough time to make adjustments during competitions or tests?

For me, I barely ever retie skates after the break-in period. What are your experiences? Fun stories welcome!

[davincisop]

I only retie if I didn't get it tight enough the first time which I can tell one lap around the rink.

During our midday publics we don't keep people out of the hockey benches and two weeks ago I hopped in there to quickly retie my skates when this man (I got an awkward creepy vibe from him and he could barely stand on his skates) came over and breathily said "I enjoy watching you skate". I had an earbud in and looked up realizing he was talking to me and said "I'm sorry? I didn't hear you" and he said "I enjoy watching you skate and I'm sure others do as well." he then went on to try to tell me his life story, well more like he's not been on skates in over a year and he didn't get any sleep that night, but it felt like an eternity bc he was creeping me out!

He's been there the last two times I've skated and I've just tried to ignore him. He breaks often bc hes very out of shape and always stares. It creeps me out to the point I pretend he's not there.

[Isk8NYC]

I'll always retie before a practice, even if I'm already wearing my skates.  I'm picky.

If I find my laces loosen up, I'll retie them.  If it happens frequently, I know it's time to replace the laces.
The poly-cotton hold better, so loosening up means they're wearing out.  I hate relacing under pressure.

[sarahspins]

I usually re-tye after I warm up - it's just a habit I've formed.   I think in my mind I like to know my laces are secure before I really start working on things - it just eliminates one possible variable that can mess everything up 

[fsk8r]

I try never to touch them after they're done up. If I retie inevitably I get it wrong and then need another couple of attempts to get it right.
I'll only retie normally if I've rushed to put them on and then end up with them too tight to bend.

[MadMac]

I always have to retie after my warmup. My feet heat up the leather so the boot shapes properly to the foot -- this allows my foot to settle into the footbed and the laces are then too loose. Once the re-lace is done, I'm usually good to go for hours.
Yes, ITA re the worn out laces causing problems. New laces are always a big AHHHH, so nice for me!

[Sierra]

A while ago I used to have to retie a lot. I think maybe it was just in my head though because I forced myself to not retie and now I probably retie zero or one times per session.

It's only ever my right boot that loosens. I wonder why?

[FigureSpins]

It's only ever my right boot that loosens. I wonder why?

Because it's your landing foot? 

[Purple Sparkly]

I retie at least once each practice, sometimes more, and usually between warm-up and competition or test if I have time.  I have a lot of excuses, foot cramped, foot is cold and numb, toe hurts, tights are bunched up, too loose, too tight.  You would think that after all these years that I can tie my skates properly, but I still do it wrong sometimes.  Based on the other comments, I should probably just replace the laces... I actually have the lace in one spot tied in a knot on my right skate and it has been that way for probably six months.  That's probably a good sign that they need to be replaced.

My coach makes fun of us when we have to retie our skates, but she said she did it all the time as a skater, too.

[FigureSpins]

Based on the other comments, I should probably just replace the laces... I actually have the lace in one spot tied in a knot on my right skate and it has been that way for probably six months.  That's probably a good sign that they need to be replaced.

I hate relacing skates because the holes are small and awkward to reach.  I also used to hoard the old laces, just in case I needed one. It was dumb.  You can't really get them clean without having the aglets fall off and I buy new laces when I need to change them.

To prevent me from hoarding them, I cut the laces off my skate, straight down the tongue.  It cut the unlacing time by 2/3rds and I use the pieces to tie up tomato plants, so I don't feel like I'm wasting the laces.  The things I do to trick myself into getting rid of crap.  (I feel a Spring Cleaning purge coming on!)

[bollyskater]

I think I retie my laces because my boots warm up and then the ankles get loose, but after reading this thread, I'd like to try new laces, too.

I have the ones that came with my Jackson Freestyles and the fabric is very rough to touch, and sometimes my left skate comes untied.

Are there ideal figure skate lace brands, and where does one find them?

[tazsk8s]

I don't always have to re-tie.  Sometimes I get it right on the first try and other times I have to get them just a bit tighter.  I find that when the weather is changing (very beginning of summer or winter) I have a lot of trouble getting the laces right.  I think my feet swell and shrink depending on the weather.

[Isk8NYC]

I think the memory foam inside the skates causes some of the loosening problems.  If your skates are cold when you put them on, they loosen as your feet warm them, as several people noted. 

A friend of mine feels that all-nylon laces lead to lace bite, which I think is an interesting theory.
He feels that, because the nylon stretches, the skater starts tying tighter and tighter, which compresses the front of the skate.
I always thought it was from improper fitting or from boots breaking down.

[jjane45]

LOL @ hoarding old laces. Good the tomatoes get to share the skating love somewhat.

It's nice to be sensitive about the fit because you can make adjustments early in the session when it does not "feel" right, instead of puzzling why nothing works after multiple splats.

A friend once broke the hook on skates while lacing, it was very frustrating and make me wonder how tightly he laced.

[Elsa]

I'm still relacing two or three times in an hour long session, but I think that has more to do with newish boots - and it's getting better.  In my old boots, I probably did it once during a session during my on and off years, but when I was skating regularly, it wasn't an issue. Five to six days a week of patch, free, patch, free = changing boots once an hour, and lots of practice lacing them right.  I don't think I even had to think about it back then, lol.

I think the memory foam inside the skates causes some of the loosening problems.  If your skates are cold when you put them on, they loosen as your feet warm them, as several people noted. 

Someone I chatted with suggested holding skates up to the heated hand dryers in the bathroom before putting them on to warm/soften them up.  It sounds like it would work, but would it be bad for the skates?  My lesson rink doesn't have the dryers, but my practice rink does and I have to admit, I'm tempted to try it. Thoughts?

[nicklaszlo]

I always need to tighten mine a few minutes after I put them on.  I don't have to skate first though.

[drskater]

Someone I chatted with suggested holding skates up to the heated hand dryers in the bathroom before putting them on to warm/soften them up.  It sounds like it would work, but would it be bad for the skates?  My lesson rink doesn't have the dryers, but my practice rink does and I have to admit, I'm tempted to try it. Thoughts?

How funny, I was just going to suggest this! While I can't vouch for your rink's bathroom dryers, I use a blowdryer all the time. It helps soften the leather and makes the lace up easier (I tend to over-tighten). It is an especially good technique for new stiff boots (my Pro's idea). The fit will still shift when you skate due to the increased moisture, but the heated boots provide enough "give" to make the warm-up easier.

[jjane45]

I am thinking blow drying the boots on a regular basis breaks them down a bit faster, thoughts?

[Elsa]

That's what I'm worried about.  OTOH, I'm losing weight pretty quickly and am probably going to have to replace my boots before the end of their natural life anyway, so . . . maybe not such a worry? 

[Doubletoe]

On particularly cold days, I drive to the rink with my skates on the passenger seat and the seat heater turned up to 5.

[Purple Sparkly]

I am thinking blow drying the boots on a regular basis breaks them down a bit faster, thoughts?

Maybe, but it feels amazing to put your foot in a toasty warm boot.

My rink doesn't have the hand dryers, otherwise I would definitely use it on those days I just don't want to put my skates on because my shoes are comfy.

[JHarer]

Last two lessons I've been having lacing issue too. I'm really guilty of over tightening. But I think my problem is my skate. I'm skating in riedell 115RS which are supposed to be ok up to gamma, or basic 3. I am testing gamma next week, I feel like its time to upgrade.

[AgnesNitt]

I only retie if I didn't get it tight enough the first time which I can tell one lap around the rink.

During our midday publics we don't keep people out of the hockey benches and two weeks ago I hopped in there to quickly retie my skates when this man (I got an awkward creepy vibe from him and he could barely stand on his skates) came over and breathily said "I enjoy watching you skate". I had an earbud in and looked up realizing he was talking to me and said "I'm sorry? I didn't hear you" and he said "I enjoy watching you skate and I'm sure others do as well." he then went on to try to tell me his life story, well more like he's not been on skates in over a year and he didn't get any sleep that night, but it felt like an eternity bc he was creeping me out!

He's been there the last two times I've skated and I've just tried to ignore him. He breaks often bc hes very out of shape and always stares. It creeps me out to the point I pretend he's not there.

There are some very weird men out there. I'm nearly 60, and no one could ever call me beautiful, but at a rink I visited twice I had a stalker. Every time I would set up for a pattern he'd skate right in my way and just hang out there staring at me. It happened at two different publics. My friend the Big Guy, told me the wierdo approached him and asked when I was coming back.  If it had been my home rink it would have been disturbing.

However, now I'm only stalked by 7 year olds. It's my 'little kid magnetism'.

[Sierra]

Because it's your landing foot? 

That was my first thought, too, but a lot of the time it loosens during warmup or during spins, before I've begun jumping.


One of my competitions, my skate came loose during the warmup and I was the first skater and couldn't retie.  I learned my lesson then to check my skates before the warmup- it had probably loosened because of the stepping in place to keep warm off-ice. I always retie them now even if they feel fine.

I am thinking blow drying the boots on a regular basis breaks them down a bit faster, thoughts?

Can blow dryers get hot enough to do damage?

[GordonSk8erBoi]

I don't normally have to retie, but sometimes they are too loose or too tight.  Unfortunately if they are too loose, about 50% of the time the re-tie is too tight.  Grr.

I used to have purple laces but they wore out and I couldn't find any more.  I did find some blue laces and I have been using those for some time.  When I took my APB Moves test (the 3rd and final time, lol) the judge wrote "Love the blue laces!" at the bottom :-).