Baking Skates: Stand in them or sit down?

[Garpenlov 0]

Every guide or post I've ever read online instructs you to sit for "X" minutes with your skates on after you've baked them. Every skate that's been baked for me in the past, I've sat in them for 5-10 minutes to let them "mold" to my feet.

Well, the guy at my LHS recommends that you stand in them. His logic is that you skate standing and therefore when you bake the skates you should stand in them to expand them to your "true" foot dimensions.

His logic sounds right to me. If I sit with my skates laced up they feel different than when I stand in them. Heck, when you're trying on skates you're always told to walk around in them to judge the fit.

So does it matter if you sit vs. stand when you bake them? and if so who's right?

[JCYC5 0]

I tend to think of it this way...

Baking your skates weakens the material and the glue bonding the material. Walking in them in that state could only stress the skate boot in a way it was not meant to...

[beaucoup_fish 0]

Agreed. Sit down, don't listen to the guy at your LHS. Sometimes I get pretty irritated by the obvious lack of knowledge that LHS guys display...

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Here is what it says in the "Skate-Bake oven" instructions that came with my Mission skates:

Steps 1-9 describe the actual baking of the skate.

10. Lace skate up firmly. (Do not stand on skate or flex skate, doing this will deform stiffener systems and cause stiffener and/or skate breakdown).

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

South Florida retailers

Only skate that you must stand in is KOR.

[Chadd 916]

I've seen a ton of skates with warped soles from standing after baking. Unless you're in a Kor, like JR said, sit your ass down.

[ktang 34]

Boy, am I glad my LHS did mine with me sitting down!!!

[ambro 0]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds. Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already? Or is that still bad for the skate?

[Project_2501 0]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds. Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already? Or is that still bad for the skate?

That's what I did with my Vector Pro's. I baked them and cooled for 15-20 minutes, then walked/stood around for another 5-10 minutes looking at pants/girdles.

[Chadd 916]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds. Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already? Or is that still bad for the skate?

bad

[Project_2501 0]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds.  Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already?  Or is that still bad for the skate?

bad

fantastic, so my vector pro's will break down early... oh well, I could always put away some cash way in advance for next season (if need be) to get whatever the top-of-the-line Vapor, Mission, or Easton skate is...

And to add to that, I skated within the minimum time to boot... Had I only known...

[dustwvl 0]

The directions in the nike V12's I have says to stand in them for 5 minutes after baking.

[Chadd 916]

The directions in the nike V12's I have says to stand in them for 5 minutes after baking.

I thought they were "game ready" and you didn't need to bake them. Skates that require minimal baking time will cool down much faster and you will have less of a problem when you stand in the skates as they cool faster and weren't as hot to begin with.

[hocckey77 0]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds.  Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already?  Or is that still bad for the skate?

bad

Isn't it supposed to be like 12 hours before you should even skate in them after they're baked?

[Garpenlov 0]

Thanks for the advice guys. I'll insist on sitting.

JR - absolutly correct... South Florida retailers are something else.

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

It's 24 or 48 hours... than more time you can I would with 48 hours for mine.

[asdfa 0]

with my 8090's, i was told to sit for about 15 min, then i got up and stood in them for a couple minutes, then i walked around (lightly, without flexing the boot) for a couple minutes. technically, wouldn't 15 minutes be enough for the skate to cool down? my 8090's are fine after 2 years.

[ambro 0]

How does this sound:

The guy at my LHS has you sit for about 15 minutes, like you normally should, but then has you stand/walk around for 2 more minutes, to form the footbeds.  Does that sound OK because the skate has cooled down a little bit already?  Or is that still bad for the skate?

bad

Maybe that's why my Pure Fly's didn't last very long then. Good thing I didn't get my S500's baked.

[DarkStar50 679]

If you walk in the skate after its been baked you run the risk of your ankle bones sliding forward and back inside the boot. Now this motion has created a channel for your ankle bone. So instead of having the ankle bone molded out where it will lock your foot in place inside the boot, you have created this channel for it to slide back and forth when you skate. "Sit your ass down" sounds right to me! And let the skates cool off, the glues re-set, and you can skate within 24 hours. I like the guys who think its a good idea to skate when the boots are warm. Duh, McFly, there is no support when the boot is warm and soft.

[Mach1 0]

common sense should pre-vail. sit. if you walk, dont flex your ankles. your trying to form fit the ankle padding.

its really not that big a deal. i would say just skate your ass off in them and they will break in without baking at all.

[hockey22 0]

can you re-bake ur skates?

[duch 0]

How about this. Don't bake them initially. Wear them for about five to seven games. See if there is any discomfort to be concerned about. Then you don't risk the chance of weakening the integrity of the skates in the baking process. What a unique concept!!! Bake only if there is a major discomfort issue!!! And then if they need baking for Gods sake sit and relax in them so they can mould to your foot shape.( unless of course their KORs) I haven't had to bake my last three pairs and they've all lasted me three or more years. I have to be doing something right. ;)

If you must bake please give them a day or so after to just sit so it gives the glues and materials a chance to reconfigure and harden. A little patience goes a long way in the durability of those new blades.