How to Break in Your Figure Skates

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 2, 2021

Breaking in a new pair of figure skates can be painful. Understanding how to break in new skates on and off the ice can speed up the process. Make sure you break your skates in slowly, and practice movements that require you to bend your knees and ankles. You can also break in a new pair of skates by wearing them around the house or having the skate shop punch out the leather in areas that rub your feet or ankles.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Breaking in Your Skates on the Ice

1
Don’t try to break in your skates all at once. You should not try to break in your new figure skates during a multi-hour practice session. This can cause discomfort and possible injury to your feet and ankles. Instead of trying to break the skates in all at once, break them in over the course of a few weeks during several 30 minute sessions.
2
Don’t lace up the top hooks. When breaking in a new pair of figure skates, abstain from lacing up the top pair of hooks while you are breaking in the skates. Instead, tie the laces just below the top hooks. This can help make the figure skates more comfortable while you are breaking them in.^{[1]
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3
Practice movements that require you to bend your knees and ankles. Deep bending motions will help you break in a new pair of figure skates. For example, movements that require you to bend your knees and ankles will help soften the leather and break in the skates. Try doing back crossovers in both directions.
4
Allow at least six hours to break in new skates. It takes time to break in a new pair of figure skates. It is best to break the skates in over several skating sessions. You will need to skate in the new boots for a total of at least six, but up to eight, hours.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Breaking in Your Skates off the Ice

1
Wear your new skates around the house. Another way to speed up the breaking in process is to wear your new figure skates around the house. Lace them up as you normally would and then walk around the house. You can also leave them on while watching television or reading, which can help the leather shape to your foot.^{[2]
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- While wearing the skates around the house, loosen and then re-lace the skates at least twice. This will help break in the boots of the new skates.
2
Ask the skate shop to punch out your skates. New figure skates can cause blistering and discomfort in the areas where they are tight, particularly around the ankles. Ask the shop where you purchased your skates to punch out these areas using a machine. This can help break in the skates more quickly.^{[3]
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- Some shops will punch out skates for free if you purchased them directly from the shop, while others will charge a fee. Call your local skate shop and ask how much they charge to punch out a pair of new figure skates.
3
Break in new skates before competition season. If you compete as a figure skater, make sure your figure skates are broken in well before competition season begins. For example, you can purchase new skates in the summer to make sure they are broken in before the fall competition season begins.

Community Q&A

Question

How do you tell if your blades are sharp?

Community Answer

Run them over some scrap paper until there are marks. You should see deeper lines if they are sharp, and thicker, shallower grooves if they are blunt.
Question

What if the figure skates feel stiff while skating?

Community Answer

They are gonna feel stiff at first; just keep skating in them and you'll break them in.
Question

How do I know if my skates have been broken in?

Nina Zhan

Community Answer

An un-broken in skate should feel stiff and hard, and tighter to skate in. A broken in skate should feel comfortable and firm, but not stiff around the ankle area. If the foot is sliding around or is smashed, call the place you bought the skates from and ask them to fix them or exchange them.