It is amazing to me that companies like Riedell have not caught on to the fact that roller derby utterly and completely destroys the toes of your skate boots. Very quickly. Those toe guard things they sell do not do the trick. If you look at the toes of roller girls you will likely see a lot of duct tape. Some folks do get more creative. I've seen bike tire tread, for instance, which is pretty cool.Right now my skates look like this: I have the traditional Riedell toe guard (black) over a hand made leather toe cover (blue) that I bought at ECE. The toe covers looked cool but did not last very long, although I heard that they were selling versions with more durable leather, but had sold out by the time I got there. So there is a lot of duct tape in addition to those two things. And I can tell that this won't last very long either. So I am in the market for new toe protection.
Here are some other options I have found:
A couple of enterprising souls have made their own wrap around toe covers. Dandelion Factory has some handmade toe covers for sale at Etsy (http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=16986912) that look pretty good.
I found this interesting toe cover from Skechers (http://www.skates.com/Skechers_Toe_Covers_p/sctc.htm) that I might try out:
There are also a couple of products out there that you can brush directly onto your boot that are supposed to create a hard layer on your boot toe. For instance, A.L.21 Sports Toe Guard Hockey Skate Protector and Pro Guard Hockey Skate Toe Protector. I don't know anyone who has tried these, but at around $5 it seems like it might be worth a try. Anyone else out there found a better (or cooler) way to protect yor toes? I'd love to hear about it.
11 comments:
i went to lowpriceskates.com and bought the toe covers they sell. they're holding up so far and don't seem to move around too much
I have thought about using pitcher toe dip,
http://www.tufftoesports.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21&products_id=35
My brother was a pitcher through college and alwas "dipped" his cleats. it holds up really well.
Though, it will not protect your laces.
Rollergirlskates.com came up with these neat vinyl covers they call Toesavers and have made them available to a bunch of other vendors. At least half a dozen vedors were selling these at Nationals. They also come in a matte black not shown on the page. They look like they'd be super durable and resistant to the turning and sliding that make traditional toe covers pretty useless. Take a look.
http://www.rollergirlskates.com/product.php?productid=16336&cat=257&page=1
I haven't tried them yet, but I plan on buying a set from the pro shop at the rink we practice at. The guy who owns the rink ordered some just for us and he was super excited to show them off, it was funny!
I'll report back on how well they work once I get some.
Rei
fishnetburnns.blogspot.com
a girl on our league was using these and thought they were too tight on her toes, so she is going to give them to me to try. I'll keep everybody posted!
I just got some toe savers (quite literally) 5 days ago. 2 falling/kneeling/crashing-practices later and they've developed a hole in my right (dominant/dragging) toe.
I tried the toesavers, but they didn't hold up very well. Mine have already started to fall apart. Another girl on my team bought some, too and hers fell apart after just a couple of practices. The vinyl just doesn't hold up. I heard they were making a leather version, but I have not seen any for sale anywhere yet.
I've seen something for sale called the Boot Aid, made by a skater from Hard Knox Roller Girls. Its a toe guard that wraps over much of the outside of the skate. Looks like it could work well.
thanks for sharing! I found the address for the boot aid:
http://bootaid.com/index.html
looks great. If anyone is using these let us know how it is!
--Mayhem
I bought the boot aids, they were a nightmare to try and fit, took ages to arrive (but they are in US and i'm in UK) but they didn't fit properly and had to be taped on, the wrap around bit didn't fit right either, they were a waste of money if you ask me.
Got some etsy snout covers for the toe instead and they're lasting well.
A lot of girls in my league swear by the Riedell toe caps. The ones that cost $20. These 'uns: http://www.rollerderbydepot.com/images/toe/riedell_toe_caps_lg.jpg
The color selection is not as great, obviously.
One particular seasoned vet in our league has these caps and the leather strip toe guards over top of that.
I use the tuff toe pitcher's product. Got it at at Red Wing store for like $12 its an epoxy you paint on works great
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