It’m (almost) all in your hands!
Your laces are ne important part of your skates a difference other parts of your skate, a good or bad use of those are only about your habit, for this reason is very important to have a good knowledge or what mean good lacing technique and good care of them.
But how should I do right?
1st step (if your boots don’t come already laced) is to lace those correctly! Edea skates are designed to support the foot and not for flex like old, traditional boots. This innovation means you need to lace the Edea way. Out-in lacing is far superior giving better hold and control than in-out lacing. The difference may seem small but the impact is huge.
Why:
- Direct pressure is reduced across the instep
- Laces self-lock at each “intersection” making it more secure
- Laces are less likely to loosen under pressure
- Lacing wraps the foot uniformly increasing control and comfort
How:
- Start at the toe, insert the lace from the outside to the inside
- Tighten by pulling the laces outwards and downwards
- This will feel different but will become second nature
And why not in the opposite way?
Because lace in this way is for other boot style, not properly for Edea boot that are made with the purpose of lock your feet like a glove without make it to have any movement inside the boot.
When you lace the other way (internal-external):
- more direct pressure is exerted on the top of your foot
- laces slip at the intersections and loosen more easily
- the boot opens and the foot moves reducing control
Flat not twist
When lacing, make sure the laces stay flat and do not twist. Twisting causes slipping and stretching and makes laces wear out more quickly.
Lace Tabs
Feet are asymmetrical so the tongue slips to the outside.
The lace tab, combined with correct lacing, holds the tongue in the optimal position.
The Ice Fly and Piano models have a second lower tab to stop the tongue from rubbing against toes during skating.
Almost done, now it's a very important step!
Lacing the hooks might look easy and a simple step because you did it all of the time, but it's a very knowledge part.
There are two main ways to lace the hooks. SkatesUS recommend the 360° wrap.
To complement the Edea out-in lacing is the 360° wrap, when you loop your lace over the hook first for better hold, control and movement range.
Why SkatesUS recommend the ‘360° Wrap’ (over first)
Why:
- It is more secure as it wraps around the hook
- It pulls the boot together making it more secure
- Takes pressure off the hooks giving better support
- The “V” pattern allows for even deeper pushes and knee bends
- It increases the longevity of the boots
How:
(Once the instep is laced:)
- Pull both laces up in front of the tongue
- Wrap the laces from the top around of the hooks
- Cross and pull tight. Repeat for next hooks!
The “V” pattern
Some skaters wrap the top hook then the middle to increase the “v” lowering the knot and increasing the movement range.
Under First is a old technique
Lacing the top hooks under first reduces your performance because:
- It reduces movement range
- it creates uneven pressure on the leg
- it reduces the hold of the laces
- it puts more strain on the hooks
SkatesUS do not recommend this method for the top hooks.
Ok got it! But how tight how should I lace my boots?
Lacing should keep the heel in its pocket, minimizing movement. To do this, it is important to lace the last eyelets and the first hook more tightly. This creates an “hourglass” lacing effect:
- SOFT across the top two hooks to keep movement range. You should be able to put two fingers between the tongue and the front of your leg
- TIGHT across the top three eyelets and first hook
- SOFT across the toes to allow for the minimal movement required
Once laced, check the tension by passing a finger across the lacing intersections. The laces should not move.
Pulling the laces tight enough with your fingers is hard. The lace puller makes it easier, quicker and gives the perfect tightness.
After a long day of training is time to rest, even for your skates!
Your laces are made for doing a great job for keep tight your boot, but after skate you had to tell them that you are done and they had to relax.
- unlace completely before removing feet, otherwise you risk injury and damage the boots
- leaving boots laced causes them to narrow and get an Aladdin’s tip.
Not unlacing doesn’t save time, it just spends money!
A Lace Puller makes undoing the boot easier, no broken nails and no damaged boots.
Loose laces mean the boots keep their shape, the tongue its flexibility and they dry more effectively.
Boots are ready for the next session!