Caring for your Skates

• Keep your boots as dry as possible in-between every use. Always wipe excess moisture from the interior and exterior of your boots.
• Never leave your boots in a hot car, on a radiator or in a hot area. The dry heat will cause the materials to become brittle and crack as well as running the risk of the boots letting go of their custom, heat moulded shape as well as premature breakdown.
• Always unlace your boots all the way to the toe box. This allows for easy entry and exit for the foot, providing the best fit, but also allows skates to dry out and have regular air circulation. This will reduce the chances of mould and mildew build up and be beneficial to the boots materials.
• Do not store any items inside your boots i.e. Gloves, boot covers, gels, soakers. These items will prevent air getting to your boots. (You can store dryer bags inside our skates these are designed to be there)
• Skates can be cleaned with a soft cloth, mild detergent and water. Leather polish is not required. If you want to add an additional protective layer to your boots we recommend skate tape and/ or boot covers.
• Skates with leather soles (LFC or LCL) must be periodically treated with a water repellent (Bees Wax) Making sure your soles are completely dry apply the bees wax over the soles and allow to soak in.

• Wear hard guards while wearing your skates any time you are NOT on the ice. Concrete, metal, dirt, debris and dirt can damage the edges of your blades. NEVER walk outside without your guards. These can be found under “Accessories”
• When stepping off the ice, remove any excess snow before you pull on your guards. Blades can begin to rust in 20mins in guards that are too wet.
• After you finish skating, dry your blades and soles with heavy cotton towel. DO NOT use you hard guards to store you blades in. As the metal warms up, condensation will occur on the blades and cause them to rust.
• Always store your blades in a soaker when they are in your bag.
• Overly moist soaker’s need to be removed once the skates have been transported.
• Check your screws periodically. Carry a screwdriver in your bag to allow you to tighten any loose screws. This is the skaters responsibility.
• Keep a record of when you are having your blades sharpened. See our “Sharpening” page for a guide to how frequent you should book in for a re-fresh (every skater is different)

Breaking in new skates can be uncomfortable, but should not be painful.  The materials used in skates are stiff and need to soften to your specific foot shape.  Proper fit is essential to performance and longevity of the skate and figure skating.

If your skates are heat moldable and you require additional assistance in obtaining the proper fit, your Jackson Ultima Skate Technician can assist.  Your skates will be heated at a carefully controlled temperature and molded to your feet without breaking the skate down.

Do not walk on boots that do not have a blade mounted. 

For the first few sessions, the skates should not be laced too tight and the top hook should be left unlaced. Some skaters find a hair elastic looped over the top hooks provides support without restricting knee bend while the foot settles properly into the boot.  It may be necessary to retie your boots as the boot conforms to your foot and ankle area and as the laces stretch.

Barefoot Booties by Jackson Ultima can be used to prevent blisters caused by the breaking in process.  Begin slowly and go easy on your new boots.  Limit jumps and spins, gradually increasing the amount of time on the ice using your new boots.

Blades are generally mounted on your new boots or outfit so that minor adjustments can be made before permanently securing.  With general stroking exercises, you should feel if your blades need to be adjusted.  Once the final proper blade placement is obtained, permanent screws need to be added by your Skate Technician.  Some screw holes will be left unused on the sole plate for future positioning adjustments or alternatives if original holes become enlarged through wear. Until final blade placement is completed, skates should not be used for jumps.

Loosen your laces and place your foot into the boot.  The bottom half of the holes in your boot should be tightened to take up the slack.  Pull the laces snugly for the remaining holes and across the instep, ensuring that the boot wraps around your foot and across the tongue sufficiently.  Hold the tightness in place by knotting the lace before moving to the hooks. Wrap the laces over and then under each hook, keeping the ankle tighter and then some room at the top to allow sufficient room to bend your knees.  When you skate you should feel your shin leaning firmly into the laces across the tongue.  You should have a secure feeling if tightened correctly and your boot should begin to show some lacebite (slight grooves in the leather) where the laces lay on the boot and across the tongue.  Finish with a secure bow and double knot.

Do NOT put the laces around the hooks then pull on them until tight.  This method of lacing may lead to deteriorating the security of the hook in the boot.  Laces should be pulled tight left & right before putting them around the hooks.  This process should be repeated for those hooks that remain.

Replace laces when they start to wear or to lose threads, or when the plastic ends (aglet) come off.

Always keep spare pairs of laces in your skate bag.

 

OUT ➔ IN (EDEA LACING)

Why:

• Direct pressure is reduced across the instep
• Laces self-lock at each “intersection” making it more secure
• Laces are less likely to loosen under pressure
• Lacing wraps the foot uniformly increasing control and comfort

How:

• Start at the toe, insert the lace from the outside to the inside
• Tighten by pulling the laces outwards and downwards
• This will feel different but will become second nature