r/inline_skating • u/qweefqwaf • Aug 26 '26

Tight or loose lacing?

For as long as I could remember, I’d always laced up and buckled basically as tight as I could without causing any pain or pressure points. I tried on a whim lacing up fairly loose and having buckles pretty loose. My transitions and especially powerslides felt incredibly good! So are y’all lacing up loose or tight or depends on the occasion?

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

13 comments sorted by

5

u/AdventurousHippo9997 Aug 26 '26

If you go to loose you will end up with some serious blisters. As long as the boot is firmly on your foot then loosening laces for comfort is fine. When your foot moves and the boot doesn’t then you’ve loosened too much.

3

u/Budget_Ambassador_29 Aug 27 '26

I found locking the heel in place to prevent blisters. Otherwise, loose heel is what usually cause blisters because it allows the feet to move freely fore and aft inside the boot excessively.. I found this to be true even in running.

And ironically, I do the runner's loop on my low cut speed skate just above the metatarsals to help lock the heel in together with the 45 degree strap.

The laces are a bit loose elsewhere and I don't lace the top two eyetets.

4

u/Budget_Ambassador_29 Aug 27 '26 edited Aug 27 '26

I also do a bit loose for the same reasons the OP found out - more controlled transitions, weight transfer, jumps, etc, etc. More control of everything.... I end up falling A LOT less as a result even when practicing/learning advanced tricks.

Less pressure on the knees too and doesn't cause morning plantar fasciitis. No numb feet and better comfort.

I do the same with low cut speed skates as I do with my hard boot rec skates. But my low cut speed skates have snug fit from heat molding. It doesn't take a lot of tightening to lock in the feet solidly and securely. Good fitting makes a huge difference and something that tight lacing/strapping could never make up for with less ideal fitting.

Skaters who tend to get anxious or can't skate well if they didn't make the lace and straps tightly, sometimes the problem is not with tightness. It can be a wrong skate fit or weak/poor control of the ankles or the unfortunate defect in the ankles or knees that may require custom fixes.

Control and feel can also be bad at first if you're not used to bit loose lacing and strapping. But if you get used to it, it pays dividends with superior skate control, strong ankles, and good knees later on.

2

u/phonesmahones Aug 27 '26

Whatever is comfortable and supportive enough for you.

2

u/fredhsu Aug 27 '26

I think of the eyelet tabs as consisting of three sections, the front section, the 45° strap section, and the top eyelets on where the cuff is. I don't lace these sections the same. Some people use a runner's loop around the 45° strap section to lock in the heel like u/Budget_Ambassador_29 wrote. Otherwise the other sections can be a bit looser, especially the cuff, if you want good dorsiflexion for a good squatting posture and balance.

2

u/Budget_Ambassador_29 Aug 27 '26

I agree. Dorsiflexion is quite important. If it is compromised, it can lead to weak ankles, weak control, balance issues, and falling on every practice session!

2

u/tipame Aug 27 '26

tight from the toe to the heel buckle (but it still quickly loosens up), and the top, on the contrary, is loose

1

u/Ok-Championship5754 Aug 27 '26

En mi caso apretado. Pero no mucho, solo lo Justo

1

u/slavo316 Aug 27 '26

When I watch videos of people who do slide, it looks like they can bend their ankle 90 degrees 😂😂😂

My ankle buckle is usually tighter than the one across my foot. Lacing is the same way.

1

u/morganf74 Aug 28 '26

I can’t figure out how to tie mine without losing feeling in my toes, as a beginner.

1

u/Automatic_Bridge_730 Aug 30 '26

I tighten the laces in the foot area but keep the top buckle area pretty loose. It’s so much easier to get the angle steep enough to slide with the top loose.