Foot/Ankle pain with broken in XXXs....

[shawn o 0]

I've had my current Bauer XXXs for about 2 years. They always fit great until recently. About a week ago my right foot/ankle started hurting. The pain is at the height of the ball on the inside of my foot but the pain is dead center in the front. It has to be from my tongues or laces I'm thinking but I keep my skates pretty loose and don't even use the top eyelets.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of this. I just played again tonight and toughed it out but even after being done 2 hours, it still hurts!

I found a product called API that looks like foam pads or something but I'm hessitant to start jamming anything into my skate boots seeing as how they fit so great up until now.

Thanks for any help!

[schrempsky 0]

what kind of shape are you skates in? could be that youre boot is structurally broken down, not just cosmetically, and the lace bite pad in the tongue is broken?

[shawn o 0]

Not sure what to look for I guess....here's a few pics I just took. It's an competitive adult league and I'm not too rough on the skates. I have used them though 3-4 times a week for the last couple years so maybe time to look at new skates?

[schrempsky 0]

well they arent structurally broken down. id say its the laces biting through the tongue when you flex you boot. you can try lacing it up all the way but skip the 4th eyelet to help get the additional forward flex, or maybe look at a new tongue, or even just a new lace bit pad for your tongue

[shawn o 0]

Is the lace bite pad the black portion on the back of the tongue? Might have to try and order graf tongues or something I guess.

[VakarLajos 5]

yes, the black part of the tongue is the lace guard. My XXXs are about a year and a half old and there's some breakdown there as well and I can feel the laces at times.

www.bungapads.com

sells gel sleeves to combat lace bite. They have a few different models when worn do not change the overall fit of the skate that much at all. They run about $20-30 which may be less expensive than ordering Graf tongues and having them stitched in. Also, less time consuming.

[shawn o 0]

Has anyone tried these? I guess hockeygiant carries them...

http://www.apihockey.com/apiforskates.html

[YouTuuk 0]

Let me put it this way, I never had "lace bite" - I hardly know what it is, but I do know this - the Bauer 20's and 30's have had a reputation for breaking down pretty fast. And if you said you skate 3-4 times a week for 2 years. I think the 30's have maybe are starting to give up the ghost. That being said, I think you could milk another 1 or 2 out of them, but the fixes mentioned in the above posts. But in my opinion you said they have been great for 2 years and just started hurting, this is a "tell tale" sign of the boot changing shape from wear.

But in my experince in hockey - I have also noticed when summer months approach, sometimes the ice is "softer" and will bring different pains to your foot that was not experience during the winter months.....maybe rink did not turn the refrigeration system down to "summer cooling" yet. Not really sure how that works though...just a thought.

[shawn o 0]

Thanks for the help. I just talked to George's Skate Repair in St Paul and they can and have installed new lace bite pads on tongues. He said the material is like on the Graf tongues and they charge $35 a pair so I gonna try that. If that doesn't work I'll be going to my local shop and try and One95s I guess...

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Thanks for the help. I just talked to George's Skate Repair in St Paul and they can and have installed new lace bite pads on tongues. He said the material is like on the Graf tongues and they charge $35 a pair so I gonna try that. If that doesn't work I'll be going to my local shop and try and One95s I guess...

Before you do that I would be putting in new laces worn laces like that are not good and help the lace bite along.

Also I would look at Superfeet instead of the insoles you have now.

I would also tie your laces right up instead of skipping the top one.put the tuonge under the shin pad.

[ktang 34]

Thanks for the help. I just talked to George's Skate Repair in St Paul and they can and have installed new lace bite pads on tongues. He said the material is like on the Graf tongues and they charge $35 a pair so I gonna try that. If that doesn't work I'll be going to my local shop and try and One95s I guess...

Are your skate tongues hard plastic foam? If so, it looks like they have broken down and creased horizontally, and the sharp edge is giving you the lace bite.

The lace bit pads would help. You can also unstitch the tongue's cover (the black part) halfway, take out the plastic foam, and put in some thick felt.

[ronnychencharik 0]

I used neoprene in my xxx's when they were breaking down.

[shawn o 0]

Thanks for the info! I got new laces, a Bungapad, and tucked my right skate tongue under my shins. Not sure what worked, but the pain is slowly going away and definately not as intense while skating.

What color superfeet are best. The grey ones?

[schrempsky 0]

grey and soon to be yellow are built for skates

[oldtrainerguy28 478]

Thanks for the info! I got new laces, a Bungapad, and tucked my right skate tongue under my shins. Not sure what worked, but the pain is slowly going away and definately not as intense while skating.

What color superfeet are best. The grey ones?

Wow not bad fix eh...and never seen your feet your skates or you skating...LOL

[Fire0nIce228 1]

I'm having an issue with Vapor skates as well. I've had my Vapor XX's for over a year and they're not very broken down. I've been wearing the same socks, but now the last 3 skates my right ankle bone on the inside of the foot has been in tremendous pain after just a few minutes of skating. I keep readjusting the tightness and such and get it to a point where it subsides enough to play, but its not right.

I think Ive been done growing for a while now so I dont think my feet have really changed shape through growth so I don't know whats going on.

I also am a fairly strong skater so its not one of those issue with my ankles being all bent inward and crazy looking (pronation? I believe you guys call it)

[schrempsky 0]

pronation and supination has nothing to do with how good a skater you are. i know a guy who plays JR. B and he pronates more than anyone ive ever seen. its how your foot is constructed.