by Christopher Elmgren
We have all at some point bought a pair of new skates without forming them properly. Stiff and shapeless skates are usually not very comfortable and you feel immobile out on the ice. Some players like when the skate is hard and stiff, and it's perfectly fine that too, we are all different!
The reason why you bake your skates is to soften the material so that it then can be shaped to your feet for a more comfortable fit!
The more expensive a skate is, the more formable materials there are in the skate that help to form the boot to fit your foot.
And yes, you can bake the skates several times if you bought used or were not satisfied after the first time. However, wait at least 24 hours before baking again.
* (NOTE! We take no responsibility if something should happen to your skates. We only convey information that we have obtained from others and tested ourselves!)
Bake / heat / shape skates at home
Not all stores have a "skate oven" available when you decide to buy a pair of new hockey skates, then you have to manage it at home instead with just as good results.
Step 1:
Turn on the oven on 80 degrees Celsius (~175 F) and open up the skates so they are loose and open. Some people choose to remove the laces before baking, especially the waxed ones. However, there should be no issues. What can happen is that the wax dissolves a little and it may become a little sticky. You can choose to lace up with ordinary un-waxed laces if you are a little unsure.
Step 2:
Turn off the oven when it has reached 80 degrees (~175 F). You do not want the heating coils to grill the skate, but rather that the hot air should handle the shaping and forming.
Step 3:
Remove the soles in the skates before they go into the oven.
Step 4:
Place the skates on a plate, preferably with a towel or cloth as a base as the plate gets hot and may leave marks on the skate. Put in the skates in the oven and if both can fit, good. Otherwise go one at a time.
Step 5:
Set a timer ca 8 minutes (6-9 minutes is recommended).
Step 6 (optional):
After half the time, turn the skates so that both sides get the same amount of exposure to the heat.
Step 7:
Remove the skates from the oven (do not burn yourself!).
Step 8:
Sit down on a chair and lace up one or both skates carefully. When you tighten, pull "outwards" and not "upwards" as you usually do, because then the eyelets can come loose as the laces go through as they are made of metal and become soft from the heat.
Step 9:
Sit completely still with your "feet flat on the ground" and wait about 15 minutes.
Step 10:
Allow the skates to cool for at least 24 hours before use.
Step 11:
All done! Enjoy the feeling with a pair of freshly baked skates that fit like a glove!
Below are two videos from Coach Jeremy (How to hockey) about how to both bake skates at home and how to bake them in a store. Note: we have no collaboration with Coach Jeremy, we just love and appreciate what he does!
How to bake skates with professional help in your local hockey store.
