Breaking In Women's Ice Skates

Getting a brand new pair of skates is an exciting moment for any skater, but it comes with a tiny catch. Although you'll be eager to lace up those new women's ice skates right away and start gliding across the ice, you'll need first to break them in. The process of breaking in a skate is a gradual one, but your patience will be rewarded with a better overall fit and less discomfort during the first few weeks of wear. Here are a few tips for breaking in a brand new pair of women's figure skates:

Put on your new skates over socks that have been slightly dampened with warm water. The water will gradually absorb into the leather, softening it and giving you more flexibility.
Use cushioned pads, if deemed necessary, in troublesome spots during the first month of use. Often, these pads can be removed once the skates have been broken in, and they'll be much more comfortable.
Experiment with different lacing configurations. Some lacing styles may be comfortable on one boot but not as suitable on others.

Bend your knees slightly more when skating on new skates. This will accelerate the breaking-in process and will give you more stability.

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Maintaining Women's Figure Skates Properly

Once you break in your new skates, it's up to you to take good care of them and make sure they last for a long time. One of the most basic principles of caring for women's figure skates is watching where you step.

Walking on concrete or metal surfaces with your skates on will dull and nick the blades in a hurry, so make sure that you take your skates off before crossing those surfaces or wear a pair of rubber blade protectors.

It's also important to dry the blades on your women's ice skates as soon as possible after getting off the ice. Blades that are left wet can develop rust, and severe rust can even expand to the boot.

Finally, your skates' blades should be sharpened regularly. There is no definitive rule about how frequently they should be sharpened, but they should be carefully felt and evaluated on a weekly basis to determine when they are dull.