Question: How Tight Should Hockey Skates Be?

How do I know if my skates are tight enough?

Pull outward not upward When talking about the tightness of hockey skates it is important to know that in general you should always feel secure in your boots. If you can feel wobbliness or your foot sliding, changes have to be made either in the size of your skates or the tightness of your laces.

Should hockey skates be tight around ankle?

If you get out on the ice and are feeling like a bender, that means your skates are too loose around your ankles, so go re-tie them a little tighter.

Can hockey skates be too stiff?

Trust the material of hockey skates these days to provide you with all the ankle support you will need. High end (read: expensive) skates are built for performance and may be too stiff for kids or smaller players to use.

Are hockey skates supposed to hurt?

Is it Normal for my Feet to Hurt after Skating? When you first skate in your new skates, yes, it is normal for there to be a little discomfort. It is normal to get the odd blister, or a bit of a pain. After your skates are broken in you should be able to skate in them without any pain or blisters.

What happens if your skates are too tight?

With a boot that is too stiff to flex, the ankle bones have to slide forward and back against the boot as their ankles flex and point (hence they use padding to prevent blisters). If you pulled laces too tight, the ankles couldn’t slide, and they couldn’t flex or point, which would make skating hard.

How long do skates take to break in?

For most people it will take about 12 hours to break in a pair of skates over the course of roughly a month. Start out with shorter skate adventures and build up to longer skate adventures.

Why do my hockey skates hurt my ankles?

When a skating training session ends, this muscle puts tension on the sinew, which causes pain in the outer part of the ankle and partly in the arches of the outer part of the foot. Since you are now aware of the cause of this pain in the muscles, you should consider a solution to this pain.

Do NHL players use waxed laces?

Unwaxed Ice Hockey Skate Laces: Keeping Them Tied and Tight. Some players use waxed laces to help prevent loosening and hold their skate laces tighter or even looser at various points on the skates. While there are several advantages to using waxed laces, there can be a few disadvantages, too.

How can I make my hockey skates more comfortable?

Put the skate (or skates if you’ve got room) in the oven for around 4-5 minutes. Keep your eyes on them – don’t be tempted to do something else and forget about them. After 4-5 minutes take your skate out of the oven and give them a squeeze. They should be noticeably softer than when they went in.

Why are hockey skates so stiff?

This is because better hockey players need stiffer skates because they offer better transfer of motion giving them a more responsive skate (direct control). The better the player, the stiffer a skate they need. This is because a stiff skate offers better motion transfer and control.

How often do NHL players sharpen their skates?

A rule of thumb is for every 15 to 20 hours of ice time, but let’s go beyond the basics. The biggest factor is how often you skate, hence the rule of thumb based on ice time. It’s not unheard of for some players to sharpen their blades before every game, and others once or twice a year.

Why do my feet hurt so bad in hockey skates?

It may be too big and you’re rubbing into it getting blisters or other pain, or it might be too tight or too small and that’s pushing into the bones and muscles of your feet. If it’s your toes, then they may be pushing against the front of the skate in which case, clearly the skates are a little too small.

Why are rental ice skates so uncomfortable?

One of the biggest causes for uncomfortable hockey skates comes from them not being broken in. When you first get a pair of hockey skates, they will be very stiff and tight. In a way, this is a good thing because it allows the skates to form to your foot as they break-in.