Front of the ankle rub

[inlinejinn]

New problem that arose with increasing distance. I have Bont Semi-Race skates and have been fine at distances of 26 miles or so. But last week I skated 36, and ended up with some skin rubbed off from the front of both ankles. I believe this stems in part from bending my knees more so that the ankle presses more against the tongue at the top of the boot. I'm using the thin ankle booties under thin-ish running socks. Some of the rub seems to be from the center seam of the ankle bootie.

Any suggestions for helping with this? I tried putting the ankle booties over the socks, but that wasn't at all comfortable.

[Villy57]

Originally Posted by inlinejinn

... the ankle presses more against the tongue at the top of the boot. ... Some of the rub seems to be from the center seam of the ankle bootie.

I do suffer from "Lace Bite" , using my Vaypors.

I use some 'neoprene pads with a large slit' (similar to the pictures mentioned in article), and a special lock lacing.
(Sry, no photos available yet, but i plan making a tiny article about my experience 'someday'...

br Villy57

[pjmariner]

I put duck tape on all my "hot spot" before I go skating/blading. usually a smaller patch covered by a larger patch. after that I powered feet and put on socks.

[inlinejinn]

Hi Villy57 - I don't think it's lace bite, from what I read at the links you sent (but thanks 'cause I wasn't sure about lace bite before).

pjmariner - Duct tape sounds handy. Do you have problems with removing the duct tape? I skate 4 times or more a week, and I'd hate to start peeling the skin off with the tape. Perhaps I could get by with using it only for the longer skates.

[pjmariner]

I use it every time, Duct tape is great because it sticks very well to skin and is very slick on the outside but peels off easy enough without removing skin , hair might be a differnt story, but one you yank that off it won't happen again .

I put it on every time and if I don't I am fine for the first hour or so, but once you socks/boots get wet and you rub the skin raw it is already to late.

I put it on before I skate, make sure feet are really dry, I cut duct tape with sciorrors so it has nice clean edges. I put two patches on the ball of my foot, and make 2 passes (not tight, just enough to prevent wrinkles) around my big toe. when boot were new I did my instep as well. Distance runners have been using duct tape for years so it is definetly a proven concept.

[BWI-Sheldon]

I have/had that problem on one skate. I split the laces. The bottom long lace goes from the bottom up to the second from top holes. This is tied tight. Then I put a very short lace just to tie the top holes enough for basic support but not enough to bite the skin.

[online inline]

if you have a seperate lace just for the top eyelet as Sheldon suggests, you might try what i do, whcih is to lace up to the second eyelet and leave the top one un-used. It takes a little more ankle support, but allows for greater manipulation of your edges.

[inlinejinn]

Originally Posted by pjmariner

... I put it on before I skate, make sure feet are really dry, I cut duct tape with sciorrors so it has nice clean edges.

Guess I messed up some part of that. The duct tape ended up coming loose, bunching up, and giving me some very interesting looking new rubs, almost hieroglyphic in appearance. Wonder if I would have to wrap it all the way around my ankle (like a duct tape cuff).

I'll try the loose or un-laced top hole. The Semi-Race skates also have a velcro strap across the top above the top lace holes that I can leave loose. I'll have to see how the ankle support works out.

[inlinejinn]

Follow up:

Gave up on duct tape. When the temperature is above 60 F, I must sweat subliminally, because the duct tape always lifts off before I even leave the house. Once it's loose, it slides and wrinkles, creating its own rub spots.

Moleskin seems to stick a little better to my ankle, but it also lifted off easily at the end of skating. The difference seems to be that the moleskin is quite thick compared to the duct tape, and doesn't wrinkle. Since it's got that fuzzy texture on top, the friction with the ankle booties seems to hold it in place. Comfortable too - didn't notice it once I started skating. No new rub spots from yesterday's 14 mile skate, and the scabs on the old spots were still intact. Much more expensive than duct tape (cut one sheet in half and round the corners to do both ankles), but well worth it.

Also tried leaving the top lace hole undone, as o/i suggested. Didn't feel a difference in support, but I was able to get onto the left outside edge a little more than before. I fear this unlacing business is a slippery slope toward a pair of Jets or Zs that seem to be so popular on this forum.

[bjvircks]

Not all duct tape ahesives are created equal! I've known some brands to be really poor and not stick to ANYTHING.

What I've done to deal with rubbing is apply a base layer of athletic tape (designed to stick to skin) and add an overlay of qualty duct tape.

Of course, it is important to make certain that the tapes are of appropriate size and positioned well to resist the scrubbing effects in the shoe which work to dislodge the tape and make problems worse.

[Susu]

I have had really good luck with stretchy sport wrap - the disposable kind. It has a light wax coating so it sticks to itself and is reusable. You can even wash it - though it loses its stickiness. Its not cheap though
Yes, do wrap it all around your ankle. Wrap it heavier where you want more protection.

[MNGreene]

If your Semis are like my Apaches, be sure the problem isn't the tongue getting too vertical rather than anchored slightly off to the outside by the velcro like it should be. I had front ankle rubbing issues and that was the problem. I consiously made sure the tongue was off to the side a bit and the velcro was anchored securely and the problem went away.

Good luck!

[inlinejinn]

Originally Posted by MNGreene

If your Semis are like my Apaches, be sure the problem isn't the tongue getting too vertical rather than anchored slightly off to the outside by the velcro like it should be. I had front ankle rubbing issues and that was the problem. I consiously made sure the tongue was off to the side a bit and the velcro was anchored securely and the problem went away.

Good luck!

Thanks MNGreene. I believe the tongue is OK--it seems to stay anchored, slightly off to the side as you wrote. It appears the seam on the ankle bootie (or any other edge like wrinkled duct tape) is the culprit. I have been using the moleskin for over 60 miles, and the fronts of my ankles are almost healed up from the earlier rubs. The stretchy sports wrap also sounds interesting, and probably no more expensive than the moleskin.

[ONOU]

http://www.tractorsupply.com/equine/...-black-5051412

Horse tape from the farm store.

[InlineWarehouse]

I didn't read all the posts, but rub around the ankles is best remedied with EzeeFit boots. They work tremendously.

Link here.
http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/searc...chtext=ezeefit

[inlinejinn]

Originally Posted by InlineWarehouse

I didn't read all the posts, but rub around the ankles is best remedied with EzeeFit boots. They work tremendously.

Link here.
http://www.inlinewarehouse.com/searc...chtext=ezeefit

Ah, you should'a read the posts. It's the seam on the EzeeFits that is rubbing away the skin. We're working on what to put under the EzeeFits.

[Banzai]

Ok this may sound funny but have you thought about a nylon knee high stocking? I've known a lot of runners that use them to reduce friction.

[Jan van Deinze]

Hi all,

I never had blisters after starting use Ezeefit.
The ideal neoprene sock to prevent any blistering.

http://www.ezeefitsports.com/

Greetz,

Jan van Deinze

[inlinejinn]

Originally Posted by ONOU

http://www.tractorsupply.com/equine/...-black-5051412

Horse tape from the farm store.

Got a roll from my sister the horse person and tried it today. First observation is that is was easy to put a single-layer wrap on each ankle. The stuff is nicely stretchy and really sticks to itself. I also liked the look of the bright purple Vetwrap showing above my Ezeefit booties

I then took my spiffy wrapped ankles out for a 16 mile trail skate. Careful examination after the skate showed that the Vetwrap didn't budge at all. No wrinkles, no rolling, and best of all, no skin rubbed off by the seam on the Ezeefits. Yay! I'll try 32 miles this weekend.

Best of all, it's much cheaper than moleskin - less than $2 a roll at Amazon, and it comes in a half-dozen colors to accessorize with your skates, wheels, or helmet