Heat Molding Figure Skates: A Little Heat Provides the Perfect Fit
So you just got a brand new pair of ice skates? Congratulations! After choosing the perfect boots and having them sized, you can customize your new skates for a perfect fit. Quality ice skates like Riedell’s are built with materials that allow the boot to conform to your foot with heat activation. Heat molding is something we’ve offered for a long time.
Heat molding ice skates involves using low oven heat to soften the materials in your boots, so they conform to the unique shape of your foot as they cool. It’s a simple, effective method you can do at home or with your authorized dealer!
Why Heat Mold Your Skates?
Heat molding is among the most effective ways to get a comfortable fit right out of the box. A session in the oven can take less than 20 minutes and make a noticeable difference in how your boots feel on the ice.
Did you know Riedell boots are specifically designed to respond to heat molding? They’re crafted to soften evenly and hold their shape as they cool around your foot.
Baking Skates Yourself vs. Using an Authorized Dealer
Do it yourself: Heat-molding your new ice skates can be a valid option if you’re confident you can get the job done. It’s quick, relatively easy to repeat, and effective if you’re following the steps closely.
Go to a dealer: Dealers have the experience and equipment to catch fit issues you might miss at home. Competitive boots or skaters seeking a more precise fit may opt for professional molding.
Before You Bake: What You’ll Need for a Successful Molding
Before you get started, make sure you have everything on hand:
- A convection oven (preferred) or conventional oven
- An oven pad or towel to set your skates on
- A timer
One more thing worth noting before you start: Be sure to wear the socks you—or your child—actually plan to skate in during the molding process. Sock thickness affects fit more than most people expect. If you mold your boots with any old pair of socks, you might get a result that doesn’t quite match up with the needed contour.
Convection Oven or Conventional Oven?
It’s best to use a convection oven (one that has air displacement) instead of a conventional oven because the heat is more evenly distributed. If using a conventional oven, be sure the bottoms do not get too hot, since the heat source radiates only from the bottom.
How to Bake Your Skates, Step-by-Step
- Preheat oven to 165 degrees F
- Oven times
- Medium stiffness boots: 4-6 minutes
- Firm and extra-firm stiffness boots: 5-7 minutes
- Oven times
- Place your skates in the oven standing straight up
- After baking for the prescribed interval, remove your skates and flex the heel counters open for easy foot placement into skates
- Once your foot is in the boot, lightly tap the heels to set them into the heel cup of your boots
- Lace the boot up with very snug tension (snugger than you would normally for skating) to enable the boots to mold properly over your feet
- Leave your skates on for 10 minutes while they are molding to your feet, with feet flat on the floor, occasionally flexing forward and back to mold
- Remove the skates from your feet and allow them to cool for 5 minutes
Learn more from our fitting guide.
After Molding: Check Your Fit
After your skates have cooled off, go ahead and perform a quick fit check. Be sure to lace them up as well. A good mold means a snug heel, toes close to the front of the boot without curling, and no uncomfortable pressure points.
If something feels off, most Riedell boots can be re-molded.
Ice Skate Heat Molding Tips
Above all, be careful and stay safe when heat molding your new skates. If it’s something you don’t feel comfortable doing, swing by your local authorized Riedell dealer, and they can help you out.
- Caution: Stand your skates up—DO NOT lay them on their sides—the white urethane coating will melt!
- Place the soles (if no blades are mounted) on a towel or oven pad in the oven to avoid getting them dirty
- Make sure your boots are not touching each other when in the oven
- Be CAREFUL when removing the skates as the metal hooks will get very HOT
- DO NOT walk in your boots unless the blades are attached (you could overstretch them in a way they are not designed)
Yes. All you need is an oven (convection preferred) and an oven pad.
We cover the full process in the steps outlined above. However, the short version is: preheat to 165°F, bake for the prescribed time based on your support level, then lace up and mold while warm.
Most skaters shouldn’t need more than one or two sessions. If you have fit issues, you may want to take them to an authorized dealer.
Many are. If you’re skating in the Ruby or above, you can heat mold your skates at home. The Elara and Vega (discontinued model) are pre-molded and should only have fit adjustments done by an authorized dealer.