Care instructions for ice skates and blades

• Ice Skates

• Always wipe off the ice skates after use. Store them in a well-ventilated place between uses and always unpack them from the skate bag.
• Never store the ice skates near a heat source, such as a radiator. Heat dries out the leather and removes the leather's natural oils.
• Lace up the shoes properly and open the shoe by pulling the tongue forward and up. This helps the shoes to air out and dry faster.
• If you skate without socks, you may also need to lift the insole so it dries faster.
• Replace the laces regularly. New laces are elastic and help keep your heel back against the heel counter. When the elasticity wears off, the foot slides forward and presses against the toe.
• During warm summer days, avoid storing the ice skates in a bag inside the car. During warmer seasons, this can be detrimental to the durability of the shoes as it gets too hot.
• Always unpack the ice skates from the skate bag when you do not need to transport them. Storing the ice skates in a well-ventilated way helps reduce moisture and the leather will last longer.
• Treat the leather heel and outer sole of the ice skates regularly with a water-repellent agent, such as leather grease or SnoSeal made from beeswax. Before treatment, make sure you have not skated for 12 hours so the shoes are completely dry. Warm the sole with a hairdryer for about 5 minutes. Apply SnoSeal generously. Rub it in with a clean cloth. Then polish afterwards.

  Blades

• Always use hard guards when wearing ice skates. We recommend the 2-piece model which ensures that the blade guards stay securely on when the skater walks on the skates. If you want stretchy guards, such as Edea’s One piece, keep in mind that they do not fit all blade sizes. For example, sizes 8 1/2 that fit Edea 225 and 230 have no suitable size. In that case, choose Rockerz or 2-piece guards instead.
• Remove excess snow when stepping off the ice and before putting on the guards. The blades can start to rust within 20 minutes if they are wet inside the blade guards.
• Dry the blades and mounting area with a skate towel after skating. When transporting skates, use soft guards on the blades to protect them and surrounding materials.
• Remove the soft guards when storing the skates.
• Check the screws regularly and make sure they are tightened properly.
• Sharpen the blades when you lose grip. Keep a record of when you last sharpened them so it doesn’t go too long but also so you don’t sharpen too often. Only have your skates sharpened by someone who knows how to sharpen figure skating blades. Check with your club where to have them sharpened. Avoid sharpening at sports stores, as they rarely have the right equipment and knowledge to sharpen figure skating blades.
• It is beneficial to protect the sharpened surface by lightly oiling it. This prevents rust and corrosion.