Being expensive among other types of skates, hockey skates are cared for by their users. Many people take extra precautions to keep them safe and enjoy with them for a long time. But how long do hockey skates last and provide you safety while you play?
Normally, hockey skates can be used for 3 to 5 years regularly while the period can be increased if you are using them on periodical events. Careless use, overall quality, and extra sharpening are some of the factors that might cause your hockey skates last less than usual.
In the following guide, we are going to explain those factors that can impact the life of ice skates. Let’s read about them and explore a few tips that will make your hockey skates last longer.
3 Factors That Lower Hockey Skates Life
Undoubtedly, multiple factors can damage your hockey skates. But some factors are common for many users and impact the hockey skates life. For your understanding, we have enlisted those factors with a brief discussion about them.
1. Careless Use
The most common cause of lowering the ice skate’s life is careless use. While using skates, people do careless actions especially while wearing them for a ride. Many teenagers just try to wear their hockey skates and don’t pay attention to laces.
It is common for such users to wear their skates without losing laces. In turn, they have to put a lot of force on their skates to get their feet in. Undoubtedly, you may have got skates on your feet.
But you have taken a step towards the point to lose your skates. It is the first step, and sooner you will see multiple issues like loose fitting of skates. So, you should learn properly how to lace your ice skates and lose them before wearing skates.
2. Extra Sharpening
Another common factor that can lower the life span of hockey skates is extra sharpening. Many riders enjoy fast skating on the cool ice floor. For this, they sharpen their skates to increase their speed and have more fun.
But it can be a dangerous thing not only for your skates but also for your health. It might be possible that you have sharpened your ice skates extra. In turn, you will get hurt while skating as well as may have to fall on the floor.
So, it is right to say that you should take care of such outcomes while sharpening your skates. Either you should learn how often you should sharpen your skates or how to skate faster to keep yourself safe.
3. Low-Quality Blades
While choosing hockey skates, you should take care of the material. It is important to check every section of the skates to make sure that quality material has been used in their manufacturing.
If you are unable to choose such hockey skates, you will face problems. Neither will you be able to enjoy your ride nor will you be able to keep them using for a long. This factor is normally common for lowering the life of hockey skates for professional players.
As they have to use their skates regularly, they will lose their skates after a few months. The most common section of skates that can be impacted in this regard is the blades. So, you should check the material of your blades before making a purchase.
Read more: Roller Skates VS Roller Blades: The Differences!
4 Tips To Increase Hockey Skates Life
Till now, you have learned how long do hockey skates last and what factors can impact in lowering their lives. You should understand some tips to increase the average lifeline of your hockey skates.
Here are some of the best tips with brief descriptions to understand how you have to accomplish all of these.
1. Keep Your Skates Dry
The most important step that you should keep in your mind is drying your hockey skates. It is important to make sure that your skates are dried once you have come back after a ride or have washed them.
If you have left the skates wet (after using or after cleaning), it will not only irritate you while wearing them but lower their life. Many users have reported that their skates wheel got rusted or broken just because of this reason.
So, you should have to make sure that your hockey skates are dried to increase their life. It will also let you enjoy a smooth ride because your skate’s wheels may keep working for a long time as compared to the average life of skate wheels.
2. Loose Laces Before Wearn In & Out
Make it a habit to check whether the laces have been loosened before wearing in and out your skates or not. It is because this factor can help you a lot in increasing the life of your skates.
While you have done this, you will be able to wear in and out your skates easily. You don’t have to put a lot of effort into doing so.
Read more: How Tight Should Hockey Skates Be?
3. Avoid Using Plastic Skate Guards
Being a hockey skate lover, you must have an idea about the importance of skate guards. It is good to wear them while you are moving from your locker room to your playing area.
But using them everywhere with your hockey skates is not good, especially while you are storing or taking them on a long trip. The reason is moisture will occur between your skates and their guards.
It will impact the life of your skate wheels and sometimes damage them enough to make them useless. Particularly, if you have plastic skate guards, they will impact your skates badly. So, you should avoid using them.
Read more: What To Wear To Skate?
4. Take Care of Skates While Storing
When it comes to storing your hockey skates, you should be careful. It is common to keep these skates in a box and leave them in the cabinet or somewhere like this. Keep in mind that it can lower the average life of hockey skates.
So, you should be careful while doing so and take every possible care before storing your skates. It will help you to avoid replacing your skates and let you save money.
Read more: How To Make Hockey Skates More Comfortable?
How Long Do Hockey Skates Last: Final Words
So, this was the guide about how long do hockey skates last. You must have got the answer to this question and taken notes of tips that can help you to improve the average life.
You should be careful while keeping or using hockey skates because it will be a big loss if you have lost them. It might be possible that you have to pay a lot for replacing your skates when you notice the impacts of the above-mentioned factors on your skates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Do hockey skates last longer?
Hockey skates are subject to wear and tear. However, compared to traditional skates, hockey skates are designed with durability in mind. The materials used in their construction are more resilient than those of recreational skates, which means they can withstand the stresses and strains of frequent use on the ice.
Additionally, the blades on hockey skates are made to be longer-lasting, providing a strong and stable surface for the player to glide on. So, yes, hockey skates generally last longer than traditional skates.
Q: Does sharpening ice hockey skates reduce their lifespan?
The short answer is NO! In fact, regular sharpening can prolong your skates’ lifespan by preventing nicks and other damage that can occur when blades are dull. Of course, it is important to strike a balance between keeping your skates in top condition and creating unnecessary wear and tear. So, the best way to ensure your blades last as long as possible is to have them sharpened by a professional!
Q: Why do my ice hockey skates didn’t last longer?
There are a few reasons why your pair may not have lasted as long as you expected. One factor could be how frequently you use them and the type of ice surface you play on. The more you use your skates on rough ice, the quicker they will wear out.
Another reason could be the quality of the skates you purchased in the first place. Cheaper skates may not have the durability and sturdiness of a higher-end pair.
Taking care of your skates is also crucial in ensuring they last as long as possible. Properly drying them after every use and regularly sharpening the blades can make a big difference in the lifespan of your skates.