Skates rubbing ankle skin a lot? | Golden Skate

Skates rubbing ankle skin a lot?

TheSnowQueen2013

Rinkside
Joined
May 4, 2014
Hello all,

My boots have padding in them that fills the hollow spots in the ankles. The material, while being totally soft, has rubbed my ankles to the point where I had to leave the rink early last skating day (Wednesday). It was super painful, and now my ankles have blisters all over them. Anyone else have this problem? I am a beginner skater and it gets painful when I have been skating around two hours straight. Is it the time frame mixed with my skate's lower level? (Jackson Elle)
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
Two hours is a pretty long session. Even the top skaters don't tend to do more than two hours in a row. Some don't even do that - Max Aaron breaks his training down into 45 minute sessions.

What are you wearing inside your skate? Socks? Tights?
 

Babbette1

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
You can try a couple of things. Gel ankle tubes come to mind.

I'm having trouble with rubbing from the tops of my boots, I use lambs wool inside my tights and that seems to work.


You can also get thin gel sheets and try those under your tights. They will be less disruptive than a gel ankle tube.
 

TheSnowQueen2013

Rinkside
Joined
May 4, 2014
I actually don't wear anything inside my boot, not even socks. I don't wear tights (my pants are stretchy and form fitting but they're not like regular tights) and nothing covers my foot. I do this because the socks or material just made it worse. Also because my boots are just slightly tight around my feet .(not my ankles, I just have ridiculously wide feet :laugh:)
 

Babbette1

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 25, 2014
I actually don't wear anything inside my boot, not even socks. I don't wear tights (my pants are stretchy and form fitting but they're not like regular tights) and nothing covers my foot. I do this because the socks or material just made it worse. Also because my boots are just slightly tight around my feet .(not my ankles, I just have ridiculously wide feet :laugh:)

It's hard to reply to your situation because it's not clear whether the problem is the lining of the boots or the boots are too small or you're tying them too tight at the ankle. If you're willing to try something around your ankle you could look at http://skatingsafe.net/Ankle-Wrap-CCD0310.htm. You'll need something to hold it in place. Maybe a tube made from a piece of stocking would do. You can also try alternate ways to tie the hooks. There are no rules.

I've had an enormous amount of boot problems and I'm willing to get in there and engineer a solution myself. Right now I'm getting ready to do some major surgery on some old boots that are too tight so I can use them as back up boots. A dremel tool and a knife may be involved. I am soooo over princess pretty boots if I can't skate in them.
 

lines

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
You might want to try BandAid Friction Block. It looks like a mini deodorant and you apply it to your skin where there is rubbing. My daughter got a lot of blisters before and heat molding did not eliminate the problems, but this did. Her blisters were on her feet, not ankle, but this might help you as well.
 

Littlerain

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 7, 2014
Bandaid also makes a nice blister bandaid that is waterproof etc and stays on really well.

If I remember correctly, you got your skates towards the beginning of the summer, right? Perhaps they're still not broken in, or some adjustments to the fit are still needed?
 

Baxel

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
Gel inserts are a good idea but don't put them on the sore spot... Build he gel inserts up around the sore spot, therefore creating a buffer zone until you wear your new boots in. You can put them under your tights but that stops the ability for adjusting them if they aren't in the exact right place for you. Basically, you are building a high enough barrier around the inflamed area. If you put more material over the inflamed area, the likely result is increased pressure. Good luck.
 

TheSnowQueen2013

Rinkside
Joined
May 4, 2014
I got mine in mid June. Since I only skate once a week there is a possibility that I have not broken them in (although they feel right other than the ankle problems, which have just started happening). I'll try that bandaid product, thank you for the recommendation.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
You are also probably tying them too tight around the top/don't have enough bend in them. I recommend 1 hook down until fully broken in
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
You are also probably tying them too tight around the top/don't have enough bend in them. I recommend 1 hook down until fully broken in

This is great advice. Over tying a is a very common way for new boots to add extra discomfort or blisters. A girl I skate with got new skates a few months back and she would do like you said...one hook down and skate her first 15 minutes with her new skates doing turns edges and crossovers to loosen up. Then she'd pop off the ice and change her skates back to her originals and skated full tilt. She did this for about a month or so ...maybe longer...and eventually her new ones were broke in and she never got blisters. I guess it takes a little planning out to get the skates far enough in advance that you dont need the new skates but a pain free transition is priceless. I actually applauded her for her patience. When I get new skates I'm pumped and want to dive right in...pain or no pain.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Most people I know are just one hook down all the time until they absolutely NEED the top hook. This includes jumping, spinning, and program run throughs. You suck it up, find the hot spots in the first week and get them taken care of...
 

sarahspins

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 30, 2011
It was super painful, and now my ankles have blisters all over them.

Honestly, with this description, I would suspect one of two problems - either you were fit incorrectly and either the boot is too large or the heel is much too wide for your foot/ankle allowing a lot of excess movement, or you are simply not tying your skates correctly, which means your heel isn't "locked down" inside the boot (the lacing over the instep leading up to the ankle hooks does this, simply lacing the ankle tighter usually doesn't fix it) allowing your heel to slide up. Blisters ON the ankles are not normal in a skate, ever. The closest thing that could be considered normal is if you have a "pinch point" between the tongue and the boot where skin gets caught and pinched as the boot flexes. I had that problem with one of my last pairs of Jacksons on one foot, and the only thing that helped it was wearing a bunga pad under just that area... but in my case the problem spot was very much above and in front of my ankles, and it wasn't any kind of heel slippage or fit problem leading to it, it was just "one of those things" and was more of a mechanical problem, and protecting my skin solved the problem. My previous pair of Jacksons in the same size didn't do it.

The fact that you describe your skates as being snug on your feet but NOT on your ankle leads me to suspect you were mis-fit. Skate boots have to fit the entire foot/ankle correctly, not just one part. Honestly with a new pair of skates you should expect the foot to feel very snug, and the heel/ankle to be almost uncomfortably tight the first time you try them on (because the padding will compress over time and this area will loosen up a lot as they are broken in) - if it's comfortable the first time you try your skates on, they are probably too wide. It's possible that you could have them heated again (as they would be when heat molding, except you wouldn't wear them) and the heel area "squeezed in" to help, but that doesn't always do enough to fix things if the heel is too wide.

The Elle's are good boots - my daughter currently has a pair she is about to outgrow and she never complained of any pain or problems while she was breaking them in, and they've been great skates for her.
 

TheSnowQueen2013

Rinkside
Joined
May 4, 2014
If I said they weren't snug on my ankles sorry about that, they actually are very well fit. They fit like a glove on all of my foot (although a little tight on my widest part of my feet as there was not a big enough width on a skate with a small enough length). I'll try the one hook loose too, as I have noticed my ankles don't bend very well (which is probably my problem)
 
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