LondonSkaters Speed Team - Speed Skating & Rollerblading Club in London

george · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 567 Location: Paris

Hi everyone, I have started training with Bonts semi-racer skates and have done about 15 training sessions on them. I am getting in real problems – my skin has rubbed open on each ankle, on the outer side of the ankle – and its very painful getting into the skates and also skating with them – there is some pain when skating straight, and a lot of pain as soon as I do any kind of turning (crossovers are very painful) as the boot is just pressing onto the open wound.

Edd already advised me to get some easy-fit’s so am in the process of doing that. Are there any other tips that someone is willing to share. It has actually reached the stage where the training is such is not really enjoyable – and all up just a painful experience.

I thank in advance for any helpful tips that people may have 

George

Pamela · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:12 pm Subject:

Buy different skates!

Not very helpful, I know, but I just knew when I tried on bonts that they would not suit my feet/ankles so went in search of a different brand. From the day I bought them I've never had a single blister from my race machines.

Fred_Paris · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:25 pm Subject:

The question is really to know why they rub, is this because the skates are too big or don't fit perfectly around your ankle.

the problem with the broken skin is that it is not going to heal quickly if you carry on skating or rub the skin off some more.

Is the pain only broken skin ? or is there some pain because of the pressure on the bone too ?

Howard · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 277 Location: W2 now init.

merten · Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 9:46 pm Subject:

It can also be worth to have a close look at your technique in the new boots and checking a proper frame alignment. Might be you need to adopt into them for some time, so why not use the old and known boots as well for some time before fully switching over.

Barrie · Joined: 21 May 2006 Posts: 1338 Location: Putney

+1 to frame alignement, and/or fit (heat molding).

The two times I've had pain from my Jets it's actually been due to frame alignement rather than fit/molding, although it didn't feel like it at the time!

My Jets probably are a bit loose around the heel without the easyfits, though I've had no problems skating in them without ( I mostly notice the lack of shock absorbsion without the easyfits, rather than anything else ).

I've got one spare 2mm easyfit, and two ultrathin ones that you can borrow if you want.

Alan · Joined: 19 Sep 2005 Posts: 640 Location: Hackney, London

George, all of the above, but to help with the immediate problem use Compeed blister plasters. They have a lot of cushioning and you might even be able to carry on skating.

lemming · Joined: 05 Jan 2005 Posts: 691 Location: Reading, UK

Step one (as already suggested) is to play with the frame. A tiny difference can have a huge impact - I had this with my Junkers and it took a while to get it (almost) right. The fact that it hurts more when you're turning impliess that the frame is positioned wrongly for your foot / how you're pushing, hence increasing the rub on affected areas.

The biggest single saving I found was vaseline on the rubbed areas - I always found that plasters came off, but that's not an issue with vaseline. A good dollop will last you a marathon, although I was still hurting after the double 'cos it had all but rubbed off.

george · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 567 Location: Paris

Wow! Talk about getting helpful advice! Thank you so much for all those suggestions - that's much more than I had expected Very Happy

i had not actually thought about several of the items that people mentioned above!!

Mikey-two-Names · Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 4070

Pronating? That would cause rub on the outside of your ankles. I assume these are high up near the top cuff of the boot?

p.s. frame alignment just reduces forces on your ankles, it doesn't cure pronation/supination. You have to control your ankles anyway to fix that.

malspeedster · Joined: 19 Oct 2007 Posts: 251 Location: Crossharbour

I find that using micropore surgical tape(a lot) to tape your feet before putting the skates, helps to reduce blisters too.

Though, ankle-booties are probably the best.

plateglass · Joined: 31 Dec 2009 Posts: 3 Location: leytonstone, london

Hi George i sent you a pm regarding boot problems.

Cheers Dave

george · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 567 Location: Paris

using the Easy-Fits and that's now working a lot better.

Nobody told me that I would a grow a 2nd ankle though!! I was freaked out at first Shocked

merten · Posted: Wed Apr 21, 2010 9:09 pm Subject:

...that is nothing that should happen. Though I have seen skater feet with ~5 ankles Smile

A ganglion shows you that there is an issue with your skate - but the booties should help with that a good bit. Still looking at fit and technique is still the best remedy.