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Summary of Pro Skate's Skate Maintenance Tips

Print this page, then cut out this summary and tuck it into your skate bag for an instant reminder!

  1. Open up the boots between wearings
  2. Store skates in an open place
  3. Never use heat to dry skates
  4. Never skate barefoot
  5. Wipe blades dry after use
  6. Always use soft guards to store skates
  7. Inspect skates every month for damage

Tips for Skate Maintenance

Here are seven easy tips to help your skates last longer and give you the best possible performance:

  1. Open up the boot between wearings to air out the skate. Remove laces from at least the top three eyelets, then loosen the remaining laces and pull the tongue open. Lift or remove the insoles to let out the trapped moisture.
  2. Always store your skates in an open place where there is good air circulation. This lets them dry properly. Never store skates in your bag, car, locker or any place where airflow is restricted. Skates should only remain in your bag to and from the arena. At all other times, give 'em air and let 'em breathe! It's important!
  3. Never use heat to dry skates. Heat dries out the boot material and causes cracking and premature breakdown. So please no hot air from blow dryers or furnace ducts!

    If your skates have started to crack and breakdown, visit our Skate Rebuilding page.

  4. Never skate in bare feet. If you do, the chemicals in your perspiration will seep into the laminates of your boots and destroy them, causing EXTREMELY accelerated breakdown of your boots. Barefoot skating also rusts your rivets, makes your skates smell, and makes you more likely to get blisters from friction.
  5. Prevent Rust! Wipe your blades with a dry cloth after each use. Keep on wiping, using new areas of the cloth, until the blades are fully dry.
  6. Never store skates with hard guards on. Rubber or plastic skate guards are for walking only. They retain moisture and the blades will rust if they are stored in hard guards. Use soft blade covers for storage because they help draw moisture away from the blade.
  7. Inspect your boots and blades for damage every month or so. Look for loose rivets or screws, cracked or broken blades, or any other damage. If there is damage, have the skates repaired immediately. Skate safely!

    To learn more about skate repair, visit our Equipment Repair page.