What a Tangled Web We Weave...er, Lace

The wait is finally over!  Thanks to everyone who commented on my last article, "Changing Wheels."  The response was amazing.  Thanks to those who offered their own personal tips and tricks (if you haven't gone back to read the comments, I recommend you do so)!  Well, without further ado, the lucky G Spot readers who will get something from "Shocker's Box O' Goodies" are:

• Ashley Dawn
• Kyrstin Krist
• Tracy
• Amanda Brown
• Amanda Duncil
• Shari Konst

If you see your name, congratulations!  Shoot me an e-mail at 2N1SkateShoppe@gmail.com with your mailing information (name, address, phone number optional) and I'll get your goodies in the mail ASAP!  If your name didn't get picked this time, keep trying!  I try to do these types of give-aways as much as possible...who knows, there might be something at the end of this article...*wink wink*

Whether you won and are anxiously awaiting a package delivery or you're trying not to be too sad over the fact you didn't win this time, let's distract you with a topic I've encountered frequently over the years...

Recently, I've had quite a few skaters ask me to recommend laces that won't break or shred after just a few practices while other skaters have issues lacing their skates so that their feet stay put without having the laces pulled so tight their feet end up cramping and/or going numb.  Here are a few informational nuggets I've learned throughout the years and suggestions for some tried-and-true as well as new-to-the-market laces to take a look at the next time you're in the market.

But first, there's the little matter of length.

Size DOES Matter
Laces come in many sizes...laces at 2N1 Skate Shoppe range from 45" to 110," which can confuse even the most veteran skaters.  Let's go over which lengths work best for the many styles of Roller Derby boots.  The following is a GENERAL overview on the most common lace lengths you'll find and which boots they SHOULD fit.  A few factors will cause the wearer to need a different length than the one listed below; such as, how tight/loose boots are laced, whether the laces wrap around the ankle or plate, and number of eyelets used (see the "Skate Comfortably" section below for different lacing examples).

Antik Waxed Skate Laces in 4 Lengths

45" - Shoes or may be used as a pair for each boot to create 2 different tensions.



54"-60"-66" - Youth skates, Jackson, Sure Grip, or other skates with less than 9 pairs of eyelets.



72"-81" - Most adult Roller Derby boots with at least 9 pairs of eyelets.



96"-108" - Hockey, Figure Skating, and High-Top Boots such as the Antik AR1 or MG2.






Lasting Laces
Some laces seem to start to shred immediately after you've threaded them through your eyelets...well, I'm happy to tell you those days are no more!  Longer lasting options are now available, such as:

Colorful Crazy Laces come in 3 Sizes

Crazy Laces
It used to be the only option for seriously durable laces came from the same company that brought us Play wheels and Bounce toe stops...Crazy Skate Co.  They are no longer the only game in town as far as lasting laces go, but they are the only company that offers their laces in a rainbow of colors.  Crazy Laces come in 3 sizes and the number of colors available varies by length.

Waxed Laces
Antik, Luigino, and Sure Grip offer waxed laces in a variety of lengths, which are not only long lasting, but also stay in place once tied.  I suggest these for skaters who prefer their laces super tight and get annoyed when they come undone when skating.

Kevlar Reinforced Laces
I haven't been able to test these Kevlar Reinforced Laces out yet but they sure seem like they would be pretty impossible to shred.  Definitely an option for skaters tired of repeatedly breaking laces.



NOT Your Old Skates!

New Custom Skates Built at 2N1 From Soccer Cleats!

I have noticed that many skaters have serious foot/lower leg cramping issues that won't seem to go away when they get their first non-Rookie pair of skates.  It baffled me for a long time...especially with those skaters whom I personally fitted and know they are wearing properly fitted boots with all the correct accouterments (plates mounted correctly with kingpin angles, wheels, and bearings specifically picked out for the skater).  Finally, after watching a skater lace up, I realized these skaters were treating their new skates as if they were the same as their old ones!

Rookie skates (at least the ones we sell at 2N1) run around $175 and are made to last around 1-3 seasons of Roller Derby practices/bouts/tournaments/boot camps.  At the end of their lifespan, they are usually floppy sacks of leather barely being held together by patches, shoe-goo, and sheer willpower.  Skaters have to lace them a specific way to keep their feet from going numb while also making sure the skates aren't going to fly off the track when performing cross overs or running on their toe stops.

When skaters receive their next pair of skates, they are in the habit of lacing a certain way, but when my clients come to me for upgraded skates, they should not only fit them like ballerina slippers, but also be able to hug their feet without having the laces pulled taught and their heels should be cupped by the boot in such a way they won't slip out yet are as mobile as if they were wearing nothing.

This is one of the many reasons why it is so crucial to have a good rapport with your Roller Derby gear supplier.

Skate Comfortably
There are many different ways to lace skates.  The best method for you depends on factors like foot shape, high/low/normal arches, type of skates, skinny/normal/fat ankles, and personal preference.  I will post a different method, including pictures, for the next few blog posts since we have already discussed quite a bit of information and I'm sure your attention is waning (thanks for sticking around this long!). 

Want to know what's happening in this picture? ------------------------------>

Stay tuned to the next article to find out!

For my next giveaway, I'll be giving away one of my popular DerbyPunk Wine/Liquor Bottle Stoppers to one of the followers of my new Etsy store, The ShockerKnot.  When you head over there, why not check out the other Roller Derby inspired items I've created and find the perfect gift for any Rollergirl (including yourself!)!

The giveaway will happen at the end of June 2014, so if you are reading this article after that date, you missed out on this particular opportunity; however, I regularly run contests and giveaways either here, on FB, or through one of my other various media outlets, so keep stalking me and I'm sure you'll be able to get in on some Shocker action soon.


Until we skate again!
Shocker

P.S. The G Spot now has a FaceBook Page!  Keep track of new articles as well as current and upcoming contests by "Liking" the G Spot on FB...by doing that, you may be entered to win something in the future...

Stop, Toe Stop!

Well, hello there!  It seems like it's been ages since we've talked, and I must apologize.  I've been meaning to reach out and check up on you and don't have a good excuse as to why it has taken me so long to do so...oh wait, summer in Alaska is a great reason!  In case you have never lived in a region  close to the Arctic or Antarctic circles, daylight can be non-existent during the winter months.  During the near-24 hours of daylight in the summer months many of us try to get outside to enjoy it as much as possible.  Therefore, I hope you don't hold the two months I took off from updating my G Spot against me.

Short and Standard Stem Gumballs

For my first post-summer article, I wanted to talk about an issue that plagues many skaters: toe stops coming loose or popping off.


Over the years, I have heard the woes of skaters over and over again when it comes to toe stops coming off, often at the worst imaginable time.  There are a couple ways to prevent this from happening.


First, make sure you have at least 4 threads of the toe stop screwed into the plate.  If you are having trouble doing this and also having it come down far enough, you may need different toe stops.  I recommend Gumballs, Bionic Super Stoppers, or Crazy Big Blocs.  These all have nice long stems and thick stops that don't pop off.  I've also heard great things about the Crazy Bounce toe stops, but they are still in my queue of products to test out so I'll have to get back to you on those.  (Soon, my pretties!)

The next item to review is how your toe stop connects to your plate.  Is it a nut that goes around the toe stop or a screw that goes into the side of the plate?  For most of you having issues with your toe stops, it's probably going to be the nut.

Wrong Way!  Toe guard is between nut and plate.

To prevent the toe stop nut from loosening up, make sure you have the nut directly against the plate.  Many skaters that have come to me with the issue of their toe stop popping off have their skates set up like the pic to the right.  The leather toe guard is between the nut and the plate, which can cause the nut to loosen over time and eventually either the toe stop will turn to a strange angle or it will work itself completely loose.  Having a toe stop pop off in the middle of a bout, especially if you are jamming, is one of the worst feelings!  Here is a step by step guide on how to lessen the chances of that happening.

Toe stop stem being inserted through toe stop hole in toe guard.

Unlace your skate and take your toe stop off your plate and the nut off the toe stop.  Next, put your toe stop stem through the toe guard.

Screwing on toe stop nut after toe stop stem has gone through toe guard holes.

Screw the nut onto the toe stop stem.

Toe Stop Nut Under Toe Guard

Screw the toe stop into the plate, adjust to the correct height. 
Tighten down the toe stop with a wrench and lace those puppies up!








Those steps have helped many of my fellow skaters, but sometimes that isn't enough.  Whether you have the nut or screw, if your toe stop loosens or falls out, check all the threads (inner and outer) to ensure they are still serviceable.  If some of the threads are broken or you see metal shavings, you may need to replace that toe stop, screw, nut, or toe stop insert.  Unfortunately, some plates don't have replaceable toe stop inserts, so if you damage the threads on them you will need to replace the whole plate.

If your toe stop connects to your plate with a screw from the side and ratcheting down the screw just doesn't hold your stop anymore, you may have gunk in the space that normally gets smaller as you turn the screw, causing the plate to grip the stop.  I've found that the best way to clean out this crack is to unscrew the toe stop screw completely, then take something thin and hard such as a straightened-out paperclip to clean that sucker out.  If that doesn't do it, inspect your screw to see if it shows any signs of stripped threads, meaning you will either need to get a replacement screw or have to use a toe stop nut to keep your toe stop in place.

The last little bit of advice I can give you is to please, never use Red Locktite (permanent) on your toe stop threads.  If you have followed all of the above suggestions and your toe stop just won't stay put, Blue Locktite (temporary) can help you out and won't make it a pain in the rear to replace your stops.

Cosmo Wheels from Juice's Martini Series

I have quite a few treats for my G Spot fans in the coming months including reviews of wheels including Juice Martini, Radar Presto, and a bunch of the new wheels coming from Atom as well as other Roller Derby gear and, of course, I will be giving away prizes to reward my loyal readers.  To start this season out, I'm putting together a nice gift bag worth around $100 from 2N1 Skate Shoppe and all you have to do to be in the running to win is recommend an item 2N1 Skate Shoppe currently sells for me to test out and review in the comments of this article. 


While you are searching through 2N1's website, why not take a look at the new Wheel Library where you can check out a set for only $20, then when you return them you get a $20 gift certificate which you can use toward purchasing a set of wheels!  The Wheel Library has quickly become a huge hit and has helped skaters save time and money in the long run, so if you are in the market for some new wheels check out the selection, more are being added all the time.

Until we skate again,
Shocker