Archiving this article here because it's related to Shoma's use of YS BLADES, Japanese-made skating blades made by Yamaichi Hagane, a steel company from Nagoya, since 2021:
山一ハガネが製造する「YS BLADES」撮影/積紫乃 2026年2月、イタリアで開幕するミラノ・コルティナオリンピック。 冬季オリンピックが開催されるたびに、日本でも花形競技の一つとして...
www.synchronous.jp
宇野昌磨のサインが入ったスケート靴と「YS BLADES」 撮影/積紫乃 2026年2月、イタリアで開幕するミラノ・コルティナオリンピック。 冬季オリンピックが開催されるたびに、日本でも花...
www.synchronous.jp
Shoma Uno Created the Catalyst for Adoption Among Skaters
Another major factor in spreading the blades among athletes was Shoma Uno.
“After all, he competed at the Beijing Olympics using ‘YS BLADES’ and won a medal. That impact was huge.”
Uno began using the blades in January 2021, before “YS BLADES” were officially announced.
The blades Uno used were a custom model based on the “Sho” version of YS BLADES.
“We received many detailed requests from Uno and refined the blades specifically for him.”
As a result, the blades took on a distinctive, almost unusual shape that surprised other skaters—revealing Uno’s skating sensibility and technical skill. Incidentally, after switching in 2021, Uno used the same blades for more than three years after his last change. At a time when blades are said to last only one or two months, this longevity also speaks to the durability of YS BLADES.
YS BLADES also offers ice dance blades. For the ice show Ice Brave, Uno switched to those ice dance blades.
“What surprised us was that he jumped quadruple jumps on them. Compared to the ‘Sho’ blades he used in competition, they’re almost the complete opposite as products. Ice dance blades are designed on the assumption that jumps won’t be performed. And yet he could still jump—that’s incredible.”
Whether in his competitive days, when he pursued blades with absolute dedication, or now, jumping seemingly effortlessly on blades made for a different purpose—both sides reflect who Shoma Uno is.