Walking to the ice in nordic boots

[Jamie Hess]

Just to set the record straight...

As Melissa noted, one of the biggest advantages of the Nordic ice
skating system is being able to put your boots on in a warm, dry place
- like at home - drive and/or walk to the ice, and just clip your
blades on, without having to change footwear and expose your fingers
and toes to the freezing cold.

Nordic boot soles are pretty darn tough. I've had my Salomon skate
boots for over a decade. I've walked in them everywhere - including
the cobbled streets of Stockholm - and they're still almost as good as
new.

I also have a pair of even older skate boots where one of the soles
delaminated at the toe. That is, the sole ripped away from the boot at
the front end. These boots didn't fit me well, so they didn't get much
use. They're 25 years old, so I have to attribute the delamination to
age, not overuse or abuse.

In Stockholm most skaters use public transportation to get to the ice,
so they're always walking long distances to and from subway and bus
stations, and from one lake to another. A lot of Swedish skaters use
backcountry boots, because the soles are more rugged and better suited
to walking. But a well-made skate boot sole will last almost as long -
even if the sole is a bit more slippery. An indication of excessive
wear is the plastic material wearing away from around the toe bar. The
toe bar will never split off from the sole, but if too much plastic
gets worn away, you'll no longer have a tight connection between your
boot and the binding.

If your boot has delaminated, the first step is to see if your boots
are still under warranty. Even if they're out of warranty, the ski
shop you bought them from may be willing to go to bat for you with the
manufacturer, and get you a new pair for free. Worth a try, at least!

Happy skating,
Jamie