Breaking in New Ice Skates: Tips from Skaters like You

Written By: Riedell | February 19, 2010

We come across many questions in the blogosphere concerning the best ways to break in new ice skates. While we recommend our own method (our boots are heat activated for an individualized fit and require minimum break-in) we want to know how avid skaters like you break in your ice skates. So, we turned to our Facebook fans for their best tips. Feel free to share you own! Here’s what you came up with:
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  • Lots and lots of laps
  • A two-way shoe stretcher that will stretch length and width. Stretching your Riedell boots is not difficult, but it may take a little time. Do a little bit try them on and keep doing it till they feel just a bit bigger.
  • Wear them!
  • This is a cheap and easy way if you don’t have the money to buy or make a stretch machine: Find a 15 or 25 pound weight and place them right on the skate arch for about three days. Or take the laces out and put the whole weight right on top of the skate long-way.
  • Skate a lot! Focusing on just doing edges and doing spins really helps too.
  • We have a leather punch at the skate shop I work at to pop out ankles of the skates, but we always tell people with new skates to wear them around the house. Put your skates (and blade guards!) on and walk around your house or just sit and watch TV with them on. Also you can heat them up with a hair dryer before you walk around in them. Be careful not to burn the insole : )
  • My speed skate coach suggested the following things to me and the rest of our team that work for us:
    -Mink oil…. rub those bad boys heartily while you watch tv (this is the easiest and the thing that doesn’t freak people out so much)
    -Rub some water on the insides of your skates and wear them around the house for awhile.
  • Another trick to warm them up before you skate – while they are in a bag, prop them under the floor heater in the car and turn the heat up. And avoid buying new skates in the summer if you can. The heat & humidity makes your feet swell and you’ll always be uncomfortable
  • Wet a pair of socks before putting on your skates, and then wear them around the house. Or just have a good skate shop punch out the ankles and anywhere else it hurts.
  • Just skate!

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Have you tried any of these tips? Let us know how they worked! And if you have additional insights, be sure to share!