Skating without insoles

[yitchunwai]

Hi guys,
I recently bought Rf3 Pros and they were too narrow, but lengthwise its correct.

I do not have a skate shop near me (Singapore) so travelling to phnch out the toe box is not worth it costwise.

They were hurting so much to the side after 6hours of skating so i tried the boots without insoles and it actually widen and relieve 80% of the pressure, except there is no cushion for my ball and it kinda hurt.

So this bring me to the question of can i skating without insoles? And i was thinking to cut up part of the insoles(the ball) to areas that need cushioning.

Also, is it a good idea to heat mould using a hairdryer to widen the toebox sideways?

Any advice is appreciated!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hi, sorry to hear you are having this issue. If I recall correctly, in your help with boots thread, you were suggested that Jackson boots would fit you best b/c of your foot shape and needs. Not sure why RF3 Risport was chosen in the end, but I would not be skating without insoles.

 

[yitchunwai]

Hi, sorry to hear you are having this issue. If I recall correctly, in your help with boots thread, you were suggested that Jackson boots would fit you best b/c of your foot shape and needs. Not sure why RF3 Risport was chosen in the end, but I would not be skating without insoles.

I chose RF3 as the virtual fitter said it would be ideal, so i went for it.

Hmm, would skating without insoles have any repurcussion? From what i read online, it is quite iffy and there is no clear answers.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

I chose RF3 as the virtual fitter said it would be ideal, so i went for it.

Hmm, would skating without insoles have any repurcussion? From what i read online, it is quite iffy and there is no clear answers.

This is exactly why I'm against virtual fittings. Also, don't skate w/o the insoles, again.

Figure skating and the boots/blades are very particular for each person and foot/needs, hence why the details needed to make such suggestions to those asking and also sending to qualified in person fitter.
This isn't baseball, you can't just pick up any bat and ball and be okay.

 

[tstop4me]

So this bring me to the question of can i skating without insoles? And i was thinking to cut up part of the insoles(the ball) to areas that need cushioning.

If you want to play around with alternative insoles, don't cut up the Risport insoles. For a minimalist insole, trace your Risport insoles onto thin card stock (a manilla folder works fine) and cut along the outlines. Try out several iterations if needed until you get a good fit. Once you do, cover the card-stock insoles with self-adhesive moleskin sheet, and trim the moleskin to follow the card-stock outlines. Where you need more cushioning, add local strips of moleskin or moleskin foam.

Also, is it a good idea to heat mould using a hairdryer to widen the toebox sideways?

This would not be a good idea to try on relatively pricey boots such as RF3 Pro. If you overheat the boots, you can degrade the material permanently. Also, to expand the toebox, you need to insert a special tool to punchout the toebox. For best results, you need to heat both the tool and the toebox carefully. If you have no local tech, and if the shop you purchased them from is competent, you should check whether you can send them the boots for this service. Not ideal, but maybe the best choice under your present constraints.

 

[IceM]

RF3 Pros are completely leather as far as I'm aware. You can bake them (or heat with a hairdryer) to try to widen the toebox. For best results, however, you should take them to a tech with proper tools. A local cobbler should be able to do the job as well.

If the screws from the blades don't go through the sole (like in leather sole such as in the RF3 they shouldn't, but check to make sure) you can technically skate without the insole. Stock insoles don't do much anyway, but the suggestion above for a mininal insole is still a better idea than no insole.

 

[hope_skate]

They were hurting so much to the side after 6hours of skating so i tried the boots without insoles and it actually widen and relieve 80% of the pressure, except there is no cushion for my ball and it kinda hurt.

From this description, could it also be due to pronation/supination issues? I have similar issues with my left foot (slight pronation). my boots fit well (my skate tech moved my blades to compensate for the pronation) and they don't hurt. But on the occasion that I tied my skates too tight (just been skating less than 6 months, still learning lol), I'll also have the pain (more like cramp) on the side, under my arch. Also, after 6 hours of skating in a new boots would also do that.

 

[tstop4me]

RF3 Pros are completely leather as far as I'm aware. You can bake them (or heat with a hairdryer) to try to widen the toebox.

leather+conditioning compounds+adhesives+padding+lining+stitching+ ....If you don't know what you're doing and you overheat the boots, you run the risk of ending up with $500+ pieces of toast.

If the screws from the blades don't go through the sole (like in leather sole such as in the RF3 they shouldn't, but check to make sure) you can technically skate without the insole.

Whether the mounting screws pierce the outsole and protrude above the fixed insole is not the only criterion for whether a removable insole is needed. Over the years, none of my boots have had mounting screws pierce the outsole. But many of the boots have had fixed insoles (this is the surface inside the bottom of the boot after you take out the removable insole) peppered with coarse stitches, staples, nail heads, screw heads, and assorted lumps and bumps. Some of these features have been sharp enough that they would shred socks and skin if I were to stick my foot on them directly. At the very least, they would be uncomfortable and irritating if I were to skate on them without an intervening removable insole. Not sure about the RF3 Pro specifically, though.

 

[Diana Delafield]

leather+conditioning compounds+adhesives+padding+lining+stitching+ ....If you don't know what you're doing and you overheat the boots, you run the risk of ending up with $500+ pieces of toast.

Whether the mounting screws pierce the outsole and protrude above the fixed insole is not the only criterion for whether a removable insole is needed. Over the years, none of my boots have had mounting screws pierce the outsole. But many of the boots have had fixed insoles (this is the surface inside the bottom of the boot after you take out the removable insole) peppered with coarse stitches, staples, nail heads, screw heads, and assorted lumps and bumps. Some of these features have been sharp enough that they would shred socks and skin if I were to stick my foot on them directly. At the very least, they would be uncomfortable and irritating if I were to skate on them without an intervening removable insole. Not sure about the RF3 Pro specifically, though.

This is all quite illuminating to read, in an academic sort of way for me, since it's never occurred to me to remove the insoles in my boots (or to try heat molding them myself , although like all dancers I've been known to bash my ballet slippers around a bit to soften them, and stitch over the toes to make them last longer, so I'm inconsistent there). But I would never stick my feet into boots with the insoles removed. I also cringe at the idea of skating barefoot although I know many skaters love that feeling. Obviously from your description, bare feet on bare insoles would not be a great idea ! (And not good with tights, either. Torn tights and socks are not cheap to frequently replace.)

 

[hope_skate]

although like all dancers I've been known to bash my ballet slippers around a bit to soften them, and stitch over the toes to make them last longer

Gurllll same! except our pointe shoes cost like 1/10 (at most) of intermediate skates. So, the stakes (albeit still not cheap) aren't as high. but yeah I agree that the insoles thing is a bit too far. Also, insoles also serve some bit of shock absorption function so definitely not something I'll do without

 

[IceM]

leather+conditioning compounds+adhesives+padding+lining+stitching+ ....If you don't know what you're doing and you overheat the boots, you run the risk of ending up with $500+ pieces of toast.

Well yes, before doing anything, you should know what you're doing I mentioned leather simply because you can't bake some skates with synthetic soles like Edeas. There are plenty of information about baking skates online, so perhaps I don't have to reiterate it here. As far as the temperature goes, so long as you're not doing anything crazy not going above around 80°C/175°F for too long with uniform heat, you should be fine. Hair dryers are typically not strong enough to do any major damage, but heat guns are a different story. But in general, figure skates are some pretty well made pair of shoes that can take quite a bit of heat and some beating just fine.

Whether the mounting screws pierce the outsole and protrude above the fixed insole is not the only criterion for whether a removable insole is needed. Over the years, none of my boots have had mounting screws pierce the outsole. But many of the boots have had fixed insoles (this is the surface inside the bottom of the boot after you take out the removable insole) peppered with coarse stitches, staples, nail heads, screw heads, and assorted lumps and bumps. Some of these features have been sharp enough that they would shred socks and skin if I were to stick my foot on them directly. At the very least, they would be uncomfortable and irritating if I were to skate on them without an intervening removable insole. Not sure about the RF3 Pro specifically, though.

Screws on a leather sole (like RF3) are not supposed to pierce the sole (but they could, and in the case of my old Royal Primes, one screw does pierce the sole, I just checked; would be nasty to put my foot there without an insole). Screws on synthetic soles like the Edea kinds are supposed to go through the sole. And yes, the sole itself is attached to the heel as well. But a screw head can be tightened and covered with sports tape, but having the other end poke your foot is another story. And like I said, having a minimal insole is better than having none, but it's not like you absolutely couldn't skate without the removable insole (although if you felt compelled to try, you should probably just get the boots stretched and focus on getting boots that actually fit you next time).