How to tie laces on figure skates. How to lace up hockey skates

Before heading to the skating rink, make sure that skating does not cause problems such as broken laces, dull blades, missing covers or carrying bag. First of all, you need to think about what it will be convenient to go to training with.

It should be a durable backpack or bag, you can buy it in sports shop. Skates must be worn in special plastic cases. They are easy to put on the blades, protect against injury and damage to other things in the bag. To prepare well for a visit to the rink, carefully study how to tie your skates and practice at home.

How to lace up hockey skates

The main condition is that the skates should be laced as tight as possible, but the lacing should not squeeze the legs too much and disrupt the blood circulation in the feet.

Rules for lacing hockey skates:

• If you are inexperienced, take your time: your mobility on the ice depends on how correct the lacing is. The more carefully you approach the process, the better the result will be.
• The laces should be strong and not too stretchy. At the slightest defect, they need to be changed - it's good if you always have a spare pair in your bag.
• Start lacing from the toe, at first do not tighten too much. The sock in the boots is quite hard, so you yourself will feel the right degree of stretch.
• On the rise, apply maximum strength and tighten the laces as tight as possible. This is the zone that ensures the fixation of the foot in the boot. If the laces are loose in this place, the leg will “dangle”. Because of this, you can fall and get injured.
• Above the rise there is an area with hooks, they simplify the process. Don't make the lacing at the top too loose, but don't tighten it too much as you can cut off the blood supply to your foot. You will always have the option to tighten or loosen your laces on the ice.
• After that, secure the ends by wrapping them around the boot several times above the hooks and tying them tightly. Properly laced skates will allow you to get the most out of skating and will not become a hindrance to the game.

How to store skates

To keep your skates as long as possible, store them in special cases. The blades come with plastic sheaths for easy storage and portability. For boots, use rag covers or a bag - this will protect them from drying out, dust, dirt and exposure to sunlight. Make sure the blades do not rust and lubricate them with machine oil from time to time.

Ice skating has recently gained unprecedented popularity, this is facilitated by traditional success. Russian figure skaters, because the Russian school of figure skating remains unsurpassed both in the skill of skating and in the choreography, subtle, "soulful", musical presentation of the dance. In addition, the television shows " glacial period that also make you want to put on your skates and try out the sparkling ice.

Surely, everyone knows the importance professional skaters attach to skates. Skates are the main thing in an athlete's outfit, they are absolutely individual, selected and, if I may say so, adjusted to the athlete's foot. Equally important is how the skates are laced, this is a crucial moment, since not only the quality of performance in performance often depends on the fit of the skate. figure skating but also protection from injury. Therefore, it doesn’t hurt for a non-professional to know about the intricacies of lacing a skate before going out for a ride on the rink.

A little about laces. Cotton fabrics are subject to abrasion in places of contact with iron and rapid wear, when wet, they become “oak”, and can quickly become disheveled. At the same time, pure synthetic laces are too unreliable, they always strive to slip off, even the tightest knots are untied at the wrong moment. Such shoelaces are even worse than cotton ones. The correct laces should be made of cotton and polyester blends. They will not crawl, fix the knot and the skate itself, and will not tear for many seasons. The ends on the laces should be metal, then the lace will retain its ability to fall into the desired hole without any problems.

Modern skates for the most part have a lacing system consisting of two types of lace guides: holes with metal rims in the toe of the skate and metal hooks in the ankle area. This design was invented for a reason. Where there are holes, the lace does not need to be re-tucked each time when lacing, just pulling it up is enough. In the area of ​​the ankles, the lace is always unlaced, otherwise it is impossible to put your foot into the boot, and tucking it in by the hooks is more convenient and faster than into the holes.

To feel more confident on the ice, especially if there are no trained skating skills, lacing needs to be rehearsed in the locker room. The skate should be a natural extension of the leg, not feel like a foreign, uncomfortable object. Therefore, the skates themselves are so carefully chosen for fit. Lacing every time you need to do from start to finish, sometimes you have to lace up your boots after a little ride on the ice.

The tension of the laces is distributed unevenly throughout the boot. The toe of the boot, made of very dense, hard leather, is not tightened too much, so that you can move. Otherwise, the fingers will begin to go numb, the legs will be cramped due to improper blood circulation in the foot. The ankle part is laced more densely, the skin of the boot in this place is noticeably softer, which contributes to a tighter fit at the ankle. This is necessary to distribute the load on the ligaments of the joint and protect against injury.

In the shaft of the boot, the lacing is again somewhat loosened, since this part of the leg is movable relative to the skate during movements. To check the correct tension of the laces in this place, squat down, the edge of the top should not dig into the leg and press, this will not only cause inconvenience when riding, the skin can be rubbed to blisters with a dense leather edge. You can even make a layer from the edge of a warm high sock, the edge of which will protrude from the top of the skate.

You should also pay attention to the position of the tongue of the shoes. It should not fall on its side, wrinkle or bristle. The tongue protects the instep from tight laces, this place is tightly tightened, so any wrinkle will be felt.

As you ride throughout the season, you will learn how to determine the optimal lacing system for your skate. Happy riding!

Each pair of new skates comes with original laces. It happens that an athlete touches them with a blade, or they become unusable from time, load. If you like ice skating, carry extra skate laces with you. This, at first glance, not a very important piece of equipment, in fact, is of great importance.

One of the most popular among skaters are accessories from Italian manufacturers Risport, Edea. They are made of a special synthetic material that is resistant to cuts, abrasions, tears. Swiss manufacturers do not lag behind in quality. Shoelaces for hockey skates Graf have earned their popularity due to their reliability. Firms WIFA (Austria), Jackson (Canada), Riedell (USA) are also highly appreciated due to high-quality sports equipment.

Among Canadian companies, models from Bauer, Howies, TEXSTYLE stand out. They are suitable for hockey players and figure skaters of different levels of training, made of durable polyester yarn. Chinese MadGuy, Nordway are inexpensive but durable accessories.

Production material

Cotton and polyester threads are used to make shoelaces. Accordingly, there are two types of models:

1. Ordinary fabric cotton. Provides a soft feeling to the feet. Suitable for lovers.
2. Waxed. The cotton is reinforced with a special nylon thread that improves durability. Waxed skate laces are slightly stretchy, impregnated with a wax-containing compound that prolongs service life and prevents getting wet. Minus - difficult to untie after riding.

Description of laces

For those who stand confidently on the ice and spend several hours a day, seven times a week on the rink, laces are expendable. However, do not underestimate this small but very important detail of a skater's outfit.

Impregnation

To make the threads waterproof, to give them greater strength, special chemical compounds are used. After such processing, the cord becomes waterproof, less exposed to fraying. At the same time, the fabric remains breathable, as pores remain between the fibers. Impregnated skate laces are lightweight.

Waxing

The cord is waxed (rubbed) or impregnated with liquid wax. The protective layer provides strength, durability of this piece of equipment, minimizes the risk of chafing, cutting the fabric.

IMPORTANT! Impregnated laces are stronger and denser than regular ones. Be careful not to cut your fingers while lacing!

Length

Each manufacturer has a size chart. You need to focus on the number of holes in the boot. The more of them, the longer the cord is needed. On average, for 7-8 pairs of holes, the optimal length is 100 cm. For each pair, add 20 cm of thread. After lacing, the ponytails should not be too long.

How to choose quality skate laces

When choosing, the main criterion is quality. The range of goods is varied. You can choose from solid colors or with multi-colored splashes. To purchase a reliable accessory that will create comfort and safety while skiing, adhere to the following criteria:

• the presence of impregnation;
• optimal length;
• the width should match the diameter of the holes in the skates;
• the shape is better oval;
• the ends must be rolled.

Proper lacing of skates

Beginners have two problems: too tight or weak tightening, which affects the sensations while riding, the athlete’s safety precautions.

There are two types of lacing, which differ in the direction of threading the cord: inside or outside. Among hockey players, figure skaters, they differ in the upper and lower. At the bottom, the laces for hockey skates are pushed into the grommet from the inside, and at the top, from the outside. In this case, the degree of fixation of the leg differs. With upper lacing, more pressure falls on the walls of the boot.

Correct lacing is carried out only while sitting. The leg should stand at an angle of 90 ° to the floor, emphasis on the heel. Lacing is done from the bottom up. The weakest tighten the bottom three pairs of holes. The strongest tension should be in the lift zone. The main thing here is not to overdo it, otherwise there is a risk of overstretching the leg, disrupting blood circulation, and this is fraught with numbness and convulsions.

The upper laces looser for a more comfortable ride. In the process, make sure that the tension goes exactly to the sides, and not up.

IMPORTANT! The degree of comfort is carried out by the squat method. Lacing is done correctly if a finger cannot be inserted between the boot and the thread.

It is a mistake to assume that skates without laces, with plastic clips, are more convenient and help to avoid many problems. Models with plastic fasteners are only suitable for recreational ice skating. They fix the leg worse. When performing complex elements, there is a risk that the clasp will break and the athlete will be injured.

Instruction

In this seemingly easy matter, there are several nuances. There are those that will help you win a few in moments where it will be necessary to accelerate.
You should carefully approach the choice of laces. Choose laces made of nylon, this is the best option. They tend to stretch a few millimeters. In their properties, they are similar to a regular rubber band, which will allow you not to relax the lacing on your boots.

The lacing method follows one for a pair of skates. It is advisable to lace from the outside to the inside. So we create pressure on the tongue of the skate. We lace up very tightly until the beginning of the bend of the foot (just above the ankle), then loosen the lacing a little. This is done for free bending of the foot while running or in other extreme situations where a sharp bend of the foot is required. In order not to be mistaken here, it should be on every second pair of holes (hooks), so we will know that the lacing is not too tight.

As practice shows, skates with hooks for laces are more convenient than with holes.
When lacing the uppermost hooks, the cord should be wound from top to bottom. Thus, a loop is obtained, which gives a lot of tension to the lacing.

Do you want to make incredible turns, get adrenaline rushes and at the same time feel comfortable? Then learn how to properly lace up your skates. How to do this, we will teach you today.

First of all, decide on the skates. It is better to give preference to skates with leather boots than cheaper plastic ones. Leather supports the shape of the foot better and is not as traumatic as plastic. Choose boots with iron lacing hooks - they make lacing easier and allow you to take off your boots faster.

You need to measure skates on tights and thin socks. In general, something in which you definitely will not freeze on ice. Skates should not be tight - these are not the kind of shoes that subsequently break. Put on a boot and stick two fingers into it from behind, if they pass freely, then you can safely buy this pair.

Be sure to pay attention to the blades of the skates. They should be symmetrical, and the heel and toe should be on the same level. If you find it difficult to choose, you can buy boots and blades separately. The blades will most likely need to be sharpened because they are often sold blunt. You need to sharpen them twice a season, but if you ride almost every day, you will need to do this more often.

The main rule when choosing skates is that they should fit snugly on the leg, not hang out or rub. Therefore, try on a few pairs before choosing a particular one.

In order for skates to last longer, they need to be properly cared for. After riding, wipe your blades and boots with a piece of flannel and lay them out to dry in a dry place. It can be close to the battery, but not on the battery itself. For professional models, you need to lift the insoles before drying. After the skates are dry, put them in a cloth bag and hang them up. If you constantly do these simple actions, your skates will please you for a long time.

How to lace up hockey skates

There are four types of hockey skates: for beginners, for amateurs, for semi-professionals and professionals. Hockey skates are much lighter than figure skates and are double guarded in some places to avoid being hit by the puck.

Skates will not sit properly if they are not properly laced. Choose nylon laces - they stretch well. The first part of the boot laces up tight, starting with the instep of the foot is already more loose. Try not to pinch your fingers too hard - blood circulation may be disturbed. It is better to lace the skates from the outside in, so that the crosses formed by the laces lie on the tongue of the boot. The heel should fit snugly against the insole and the foot should not dangle inside the boot.

To check if the boot is laced correctly, you need to try to put your finger under the laces. If you can't do it, then you did everything right.

How to lace up figure skates

Figure skates are made with teeth on the edge of the blade. They are quite light and comfortable and are needed to perform various turns and pirouettes. Putting on skates, first of all, correct the tongue. After that, start lacing: the first two loops from the toe of the boot are not laced very tight so as not to pinch your fingers. We put the lace over the hook, wind it down, then up, to the next one, etc. It is advisable to squat every two pairs of hooks, so you can check if the boot is squeezing the leg too much. The higher the lacing rises, the weaker the grip needs to be. Wear long socks or stockings under your skates, so the edge of the boot will not rub on you.

You may not be able to fit your boots the first time, but by lacing them three or four times, you will definitely find the option for your foot.