By Chaya | February 2020
In order to make the most of your Chaya boots and ensure a truly customised fit and an out of this world skating experience, there are a few steps you need to go through before you skate.
WARNING: You must mould your Chaya boots before skating!
- Use an oven to heat mould your boots - a heat gun will not have the same effect. If you do use a heat gun at any point, please take out the insoles as they will shrink with this kind of direct heat.
- Pre-heat your oven to 100 Celcius / 212 Farenheit - be accurate.
- Heat for 10-15 minutes - ensuring the upper of the boots do not touch the hot metal parts of the oven.
- Squeeze - the shell/heel of the boot to test if they are ready for moulding. The shell should be easily squeezed together with two fingers, the more plyable it feels the better the moulding result will be.
- Pay attention to metal parts (eyelets etc) on the boot when removing from the oven - they will be hot! - Lace your hot skates up nice and tight to ensure the boot wraps around your foot and conforms to your foot shape, however allow some movement for your toes and ankle area - don’t lace up so tight that it starts to hurt!
- Overheat your boots. Pretty please don’t burn up your new pretty boots.
- Rush. Take your time and enjoy the process, it will be worth it we promise!
- Burn. Do not allow the upper of the boots to touch the hot metal in the oven. - Lace up too tight - it shouldn’t be painful
- What kind of skater are you? What kind of fit you would like to achieve? What movements do you personally make when skating? Blockers & jammers often skate differently. Try ‘active moulding’ by standing in a specific position while moulding to achieve the perfect fit and find freedom of movement as required.
- Sit on the edge of a chair with weight through the heel and ball of your feet in order to create a derby type stance - sit as low as you would normally skate so that you create room at the collar/ upper of the boot as needed.
- Mould more than once - your boots can be moulded time and time again to create your perfect fit.
- Experiment. If you have any ‘special’ areas e.g. bunions/long toe/protruding ankles, you can put material into the boot (under your sock) while you mould, to push out extra space in this area (e.g. tissue/foam/rubber). Experiment with the amount of material used and mould multiple times if needed, to ensure your perfect fit.
- Need some room at the toe box? Stand on your toe stop/push weight/pressure through the toe area while moulding to push out space.