PLAYER TIPS: How to care for your hockey shoes?

When selecting your hockey equipment it is as critical to know or get good advice concerning your hockey shoes as when selecting your hockey stick. Your hockey shoes need to function correctly to help your body alignment, support your playing movements, and absorb shock. A failure to do so may result in short or long term injuries.

However just choosing the correct hockey shoe is not the only consideration. Hockey players need to provide ‘loving’ care for their hockey shoes through procedural maintenance. This article is focused on how to care for your hockey shoes. Not only to ensure their longevity but also to maintain their function. What can you do? Here are the tips.

DRYING YOUR SOGGY SHOES

While it might be tempting to throw soggy shoes into the dryer, resist. April shower bring damp, wet shoes, but putting them in the dryer or on a radiator cooks them. The high temperatures can melt the glue holding the tread and the midsole together and crack the shoe.

Instead: Remove the inner sole, unlace your shoes, put them in front of a fan, and let them air dry. You can also stuff paper towels or newspapers into the shoe to help absorb the moisture. It may take about a day to completely dry out, but it’ll add miles to your shoe’s lifespan.

HOCKEY SHOE CLEANING

Musts’ for cleaning hockey shoes

KEEPING YOUR HOCKEY SHOES FROM STINKING OUT YOUR HOCKEY BAG

Baking soda helps neutralise hockey shoe odour

If the smell of your shoes causes you to keep your hockey bag closed don’t try to cover up the odour with a fresher smell. It only creates shoes that smell like a bed of flowers trampled by sweaty feet. Airing out your hockey shoes is the first step. In doing so ensure you take out the inner sole. Next, the goal is to neutralize those odours. Sprinkling a layer of baking soda overnight can do wonders for a ripe pair of shoes. Shake out the baking soda in the morning and you should smell a considerable difference. If your feet are extra stinky you can try putting them in the dishwasher.

SAVE YOUR SOLES

When you combine the wearing of soles on water based and sand based synthetic playing surfaces with the ‘dragging’ back foot action when executing hockey tackles and slaps it is a recipe for ruining your soles. You may often notice the inside of the right foot sole lifts. This is caused by the back foot drag. To counteract damages to your hockey shoe sole it is suggest you apply shoo goo to the sole seams. This has a dual purpose of helping to prevent water from penetrating the seams and damaging the shoe.

Shoe Goo is a footwear adhesive to help resole your shoes Apply the glue to the worn spot, let it sit a day or two to cure, and you’re ready to get back on the hockey field.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN TO REPLACE YOUR HOCKEY SHOES

It is common to wait until your hockey shoes look like they are falling apart before you decide to buy new ones. However this decision may need to have been made earlier. Why?

• Running in old or worn-out hockey shoes is a common cause of running injuries. Your hockey shoes lose shock absorption, cushioning and stability over time. Continuing to run in worn-out hockey shoes increases the stress and impact on your legs and joints, which can lead to overuse injuries. The easiest thing you can do to prevent those types of injuries is replace your hockey shoes when they’re worn-out.
• So how do you know when shoes need to be retired? Don’t use the treads of your running shoes to determine whether you should replace your shoes. The midsole, which provides the cushioning and stability, usually breaks down before the bottom shows major signs of wear. If you’ve been feeling muscle fatigue, shin splints or some pain in your joints — especially your knees — you may be wearing hockey shoes that no longer have adequate cushioning.
• A good rule of thumb is to replace your hockey shoes every 400 to 500 kilometres, depending on your running style, body weight, and the surface on which you run. Light runners can get new hockey shoes at the upper end of the recommendation, while heavier runners should consider replacement shoes closer to the 400 mark. If you run on water base synthetic surfaces, you’ll need to replace your hockey shoes sooner.

FINAL TIP: How to tie your hockey shoes – a new way for better results.

In 1997, John Kagwe of Kenya had to stop to retie his shoes during the New York City Marathon. He still won, but nothing is more annoying than having to interrupt the zen of your run to tie your shoes. If you’re still tying your shoes with “bunny ear” and your laces chronically unravel on your runs, then you might be tying your shoes with a “Granny Knot” or “Slip Knot.” Instead, try Ian’s Knot, a super quick way to tie your shoes that won’t come undone.

Source: various