Taking care of your new boots and blades will keep them looking nice and improve their resale value.
BOOTS
Your new boots are made of the finest leather, and as such require a certain amount of protection. You should keep them cleaned and polish (using a high quality leather polish) at all times in order to keep the leather supple. There will be many times when jumping or doing lunges can damage the finish on the leather. In order to protect against this, use SK8TAPE on the areas where damage is most likely to occur. If the boots are already damaged, applying SK8TAPE on the whole skate will make them look clean and shiny once again. Please note that SK8TAPE should be changed every 2 months.
SOLES
There are 2 types of soles available for skates. If your soles are made from an artificial material, no additional care is needed. However, if your soles are made of leather, you should apply Sno-Seal to them everytime they are sharpened. Simply apply Sno-Seal with your fingers or with a clean cloth. Use a hair dryer to warm the Sno-Seal, leave them for a few minutes to allow the Sno-Seal to be absorbed into the leather, then wipe off the excess with a clean, dry cloth.
BLADES
Your blades are made of highly tempered steel, and the better you care for them the less likely damage will occur. Nicks and rust on the blades will affect their performance and cause difficulty in completing your skating moves.
Always wear your hard skate guards when walking, even if there is padding on the floor. There may be stones or other debris around that could damage the blade. The hard guards will also help protect the sharpness of the blades.
As soon as you take off your skates, remove the hard guards! Wipe the blades thoroughly with a chamois or soft, dry cloth and put soft blade coves on them to absorb any residual moisture and to protect them in your skate bag. NEVER store your skates in you skate bag with the hard guards on ad they will rust very quickly.
STORAGE
When you get home, remove your skates from your skate bag and open them up. This will allow them to dry thoroughly both inside and outside and will help the leather to last and the skate to stay fresh. Using a moisture “packet” will also help keep the insides dry. Skates should not be stored in the basement of your house, or in your car. The dampness and humidity will affect the leather.
SKATE SHARPENING
Your skates must be sharpened before you skate on them for the first time. They should ALWAYS be sharpened by a professional figure skate sharpener, and if possible always sharpened by the same person. Figure skates must be sharpened very differently than hockey skates, so do not let just “anyone” sharpen your skates!! Paul Fisher, who has been sharpening skates for a number of Canadian and World Champions for many years, is in our store on a regular basis. The frequency of sharpening depends on a number of factors, including how sharp you like your skates. As a rule of thumb, skates should be sharpened every 20 to 25 hours of skating time, unless there are nicks or other damage to the blade.