what to do with broken down skates

[VAsk8r]

I have three pairs of old skates that my coach declared broken down and no longer adequate for the jumps and spins I was doing at the time. They are:

Jackson Classiques with Ultimate Mark IV blades
2 pairs of Jackson Freestyles with Ultima Mirage blades

Even though they're too "broken down" for me to safely do much in them, would they be OK for a beginner who isn't jumping or spinning yet? The area that is severely creased is on the outside of the foot surrounding the ankles. The blades still have some sharpenings in them, although I know these blades are considered fairly low quality, particularly the Mark IV's (I don't think Jackson even makes those anymore.)

I'm not looking to make any money. I would just like to see them get some use instead of collecting dust in my closet.

[Mergen Tatara]

Use them for outdoor skating e.g. frozen canal, pond, lake etc.

Outdoor ice is rough and un-Zambonied, so you don't use your properly maintained skates on them.  Reserve the best for indoor rink and use the old for outdoor skating.  Hockey skaters don't care so they use theirs on all sorts of surfaces.

[sarahspins]

I'd save the best of what you have for outdoor skating, and get rid of the rest.. if they are truly broken down they're really not of much use to anyone, beginner or not.  If they're not fully broken down that might be different, but as you describe them that way I worry that they are toast - since I've been teaching LTS nothing bothers me more than seeing someone struggle in a broken down pair of skates they just bought used when they are not really any better than rentals, aside from offering some consistency over wearing a different pair of skates every week.

I know it seems wasteful, but skates are a consumable product like shoes - you wouldn't try to sell a pair of worn out running shoes, skates aren't really much different.

[VAsk8r]

Good points and suggestions. I'll hold onto them until I have the heart to throw the most broken down pairs out. Thanks!

[sarahspins]

BTW, if it makes you feel any better.. I still have the custom SP Teri's I got in 1997... they are of use to no one, but yet I can't seem to get rid of them, but I did manage to toss my patch skates from the same era about 3 years ago when my mom sold our old house and cleared out my old closet

I still have my last pair of broken down boots.. I doubt I'll ever wear them again (though I'm holding on to them "just in case") and they're not worth selling, but it's still hard to admit they need to go.  I think when I am on my next pair of boots  (probably summer 2014) I'll probably toss the old ones.

[blue111moon]

I can't part with my old skates either.  I had a talented friend paint pointesettas on the sides of one pair, then I added silk flowers and a big ribbon and bow and hung them on my front door as a Christmas decoration. 

[Skittl1321]

I can't part with my old skates either.  I had a talented friend paint pointesettas on the sides of one pair, then I added silk flowers and a big ribbon and bow and hung them on my front door as a Christmas decoration. 

I love this idea!

[Mergen Tatara]

I read an earlier post how one skater removed the blades, had them blunted and rounded at the edges, and used them as door handles 

[treesprite]

Get a set of Pic Skate wheels to put on the best of the old pairs. That's what I have been planning to do, just haven't done it yet (because it's not exactly on the priority list for my budget).

[supra]

Get a set of Pic Skate wheels to put on the best of the old pairs. That's what I have been planning to do, just haven't done it yet (because it's not exactly on the priority list for my budget).

I'm not sure about that, on an inline I personally feel like ankle injuries would be worse than on ice, due to how inline wheels "stick" compared to ice. Like I got a pair of hockey inlines from older hockey boots and I don't even feel totally confident in them.

But, for "for fun" type of thing, just messing around on some walking trails or something during the nice weather now, maybe isn't a bad idea.

Anyway, my old skates are wallhangers. I did plan for them to be maybe pond skates, but they were held together by like 15 self tapping screws each I put in myself. So maybe not even safe for pond skates.

[treesprite]

For anyone who doesn't know, Pic skates are in-lines made to work like figure ice skates. The wheels are different, and they are rockerd, not straight across like in-lines. Nearly everything you can do on figure ice skates, you can do on Pic skates.