Tying skates causing rip fingers | Golden Skate

Tying skates causing rip fingers

Cameocooper

Spectator
Joined
Feb 5, 2015
I have just got new skates, and from tying & untying them from breakung them, I have large rip and blisters on my finger mainly index and pinky. Does anyone know how to get the skates tights without this happening. I have a lace puller but this seems to only help when untying. I had this problem with my previous skates but it never went into open wounds like this.
 

Step Sequence4

JULLLIEEEEETTTT!
Final Flight
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
From my experience it just happens and you have to do it until your fingers develop calasses and it doesn't hurt anymore.
 

sandraskates

Final Flight
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Oct 31, 2006
Country
United-States
Did your boots come with the really skinny laces? I know they are very popular now but I change them out for the older style, fatter laces. The skinny laces just killed my fingers.
 

treblemakerem

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 24, 2014
If you don’t have any calluses built up, put a piece of athletic tape or a bandaid on your finger where the laces are pulling so you don’t get blisters. You will have to tie your skates a lot if you are breaking them in.
 

1111bm

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 31, 2016
I don't understand why your lace pullers don't work? And why 'lace puller' as in 'singular'? Aren't you using a pair of these? Sounds like you might not be using them the intended way, maybe check out a video online or ask someone at your rink/shop/sharpener how it's done properly. This should definitely take care of the bottom part of your boots in terms of lacing them up.

Once you reach the hooks:
my skin usually breaks on my thumb from tying, but that's also because my skin is so dry. Applying lotion could help if you've got similar problems with dry hands.
Sometimes I would also resort to wearing thin gloves. It's a bit inconvenient, but will protect your skin.

ETA: Actually, the breaking of the skin which I experience on my thumbs, this happens because I develop calloused skin on them, which coupled with my dry skin leads to it breaking from the pressure of the laces. So callouses don't always 'help' is what I wanna say.
(the same thing once happened to my ankle bones, where there's also dry calloused skin from the pressure/chafing of the boots. But at least my dry skin protects me from getting blisters :laugh: unless there's a lot of sweat/moisture of any kind)
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
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Jan 9, 2017
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You'll eventually build up callouses on your fingers. Until then if it's really bothering you, you could tape your fingers.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Or you could ask someone to tie your boots. It won’t resolve the problem with the laces, but it will resolve the problem of your hands being injured.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
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Or you could ask someone to tie your boots. It won’t resolve the problem with the laces, but it will resolve the problem of your hands being injured.

Do you skate? May I ask? Because if you did you would know that it's hard enough to get the boot perfectly tightly tied on your own then try to have someone else do it. We tie our own boots.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Do you skate? May I ask? Because if you did you would know that it's hard enough to get the boot perfectly tightly tied on your own then try to have someone else do it. We tie our own boots.

Yes, I do skate. Thank you for asking!
It was just a joke. I don’t have anyone willing to do my boots, but the rink is full of parents willing to do boots for their darlings (including for the teenagers, if they ask nicely.)
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
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Yes, I do skate. Thank you for asking!
It was just a joke. I don’t have anyone willing to do my boots, but the rink is full of parents willing to do boots for their darlings (including for the teenagers, if they ask nicely.)

Well, that's just ridiculous.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
Well, that's just ridiculous.
Ridiculous; but happens. Last summer, a dad asked me to help lace up his son's boots. Now, the son was not a little kid, but ~12. The dad explained that mom usually took the kid to the rink, and laced up his skates. But mom was out of town; so dad took the kid to the rink. Dad never tied skates before, and did the best he could. The kid complained he couldn't skate right. I checked the skates, and the laces were dangerously loose. I re-tied them, and explained how to tie them properly while I was doing it. But neither one showed any interest; I guess they figured mom would be back next time.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
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Oct 2, 2015
Country
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Did your boots come with the really skinny laces? I know they are very popular now but I change them out for the older style, fatter laces. The skinny laces just killed my fingers.
Agree. OP: What laces do you have now? Skinny laces cut more than fatter laces. Nylon laces cut more than cotton or polyester laces. Skinny nylon laces are the worst. There is a special waxed polyester lace that is gentler. What boot, and what lace length do you use?
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Don't know about skates and laces but I dated a guitarist for a long time and his fingers would actually have to bleed until he devolved callus. When I horse back rode I devolved a nasty looking callus in the center of my palm where the reins are held in the summer because I hated wearing gloves because your hands got sweaty. In the winter, in Canada you wear gloves.

I don't know if you can tie your skates wearing gloves or not.
 

hanca

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Ridiculous; but happens. Last summer, a dad asked me to help lace up his son's boots. Now, the son was not a little kid, but ~12. The dad explained that mom usually took the kid to the rink, and laced up his skates. But mom was out of town; so dad took the kid to the rink. Dad never tied skates before, and did the best he could. The kid complained he couldn't skate right. I checked the skates, and the laces were dangerously loose. I re-tied them, and explained how to tie them properly while I was doing it. But neither one showed any interest; I guess they figured mom would be back next time.
Yes, it does happen. I have seen it so often here! I always wonder if they also clean their teeth, brush their hair and wipe their bottom after using the toilet. I would understand parents helping very young kids, but when someone is a teenager, I would expect at least some level of independence.
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Ridiculous; but happens. Last summer, a dad asked me to help lace up his son's boots. Now, the son was not a little kid, but ~12. The dad explained that mom usually took the kid to the rink, and laced up his skates. But mom was out of town; so dad took the kid to the rink. Dad never tied skates before, and did the best he could. The kid complained he couldn't skate right. I checked the skates, and the laces were dangerously loose. I re-tied them, and explained how to tie them properly while I was doing it. But neither one showed any interest; I guess they figured mom would be back next time.


carrie_bradshaw_blinking.gif

The feigned helplessness of men never fails to amaze me.
 

tstop4me

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 2, 2015
Country
United-States
The feigned helplessness of men never fails to amaze me.
Usually the other way around. Most guys I know take care to maintain their macho image, and won't admit (especially to their sons) there's something they can't do.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
Err, let's not make assumptions about why people have others tie their or their kids' skates. I see lots of kids whose mothers tie their skates beyond when they probably should and definitely have some not-very-nice hunches about why, but hunches are not assumptions. For all I know, the kids have some kind of motor skills problem or aren't strong enough. :confused2:
 

Nimyue

On the Ice
Joined
May 15, 2018
Err, let's not make assumptions about why people have others tie their or their kids' skates. I see lots of kids whose mothers tie their skates beyond when they probably should and definitely have some not-very-nice hunches about why, but hunches are not assumptions. For all I know, the kids have some kind of motor skills problem or aren't strong enough. :confused2:

I tie my daughters' skates and she's 8. She's not strong enough to get it tight enough to lock her heel in. She knows how and often tries to do it herself then ends up having me retie at the ankle up.
 

hanyuufan5

✨**:。*
Medalist
Joined
May 19, 2018
I tie my daughters' skates and she's 8. She's not strong enough to get it tight enough to lock her heel in. She knows how and often tries to do it herself then ends up having me retie at the ankle up.

8 is definitely not what I meant by "beyond when they probably should"! :)

And yes, those hunches definitely aren't about all of them. I've just seen mothers here and there tying the skates of children much bigger and stronger-looking than an average 8 year old girl. Er, the kids don't look particularly happy about it, and I'll leave it open to interpretation what the hunch is...
 

Ducky

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Did your boots come with the really skinny laces? I know they are very popular now but I change them out for the older style, fatter laces. The skinny laces just killed my fingers.

That explains it! I didn't remember my laces cutting my fingers as a teen and that must have been because the laces were fatter. I just thought my skin had gotten thinner when I returned to skating years later.
 
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