Are the layers of wood that make up the heel of your boot separating? Is the boot still so young that you don’t want to have to spend more cash to get a new pair? If you are into do it yourself projects then this tutorial is for you. I learned this fix by example from skaters who have toured the world and needed such a fix while on the road.

CAUTION: Follow this tutorial at your own risk. You could cause irreparable damage to your boots, blades. Even worse, another skater’s boots or blades. When in doubt seek out a professional.

Materials

2 long machine screws
2 nuts, for the screws
A Drill
Drill bits
Phillip Head Screwdriver
Flat Head Screwdriver
Epoxy (optional)

Prepare the Boot

Remove the lacing
Remove the insole
Detach the blade

Procedure

1. Drill Through The Boot

This is the scary part. The entry point for the drill bit will be 2 existing holes where the screws were that held the blade to the boot. Do not make a new hole, this will cause the blade position to change and that will effect skating. It is assumed that this is repair work and not a new mounting. From the entry point, drill all the way through the heel until the drill comes through to the inside of the boot. Be sure to drill straight through. A misguided drilling could ruin your boot forever.

Depending on who manufactured the boot, there may be resistance when drilling through the heel. In the case of what I went through, Jackson boots have metal screws inside the heel that I had to drill through. This took some time but I made it.

2. Countersink Inside The Boot

This repair should fix a problem but not cause a new one. Using a drill bit that is at least the size of the head of the machine screw you are using, drill into the holes from the inside of the boot by about 1/8″ of an inch. This will allow the machine screw to sit flush or below the inside of the boot and not be stepped on by the skater. If this is not done, the screws may be noticeable by the skater and that could be painful.

3. Verify Work

Insert the machine screws through the inside of the boot.

Is the head of each machine screw flush or below the surface of the inside of the boot? If not, revisit 2.
Do the screws protrude through the bottom of the heel? If not, you probably need longer screws.
Through what holes on the inside of the boot? Remember that the drill must go through the entirety of the heel into the inside of the boot.

4. Re-Mount the Blade

Now it’s time to put the blade back on the boot. Insert the machine screws through the inside of the boot into the holes that have just been made. Re-mount the blades using all the old screws and use the nuts on the machine screws to tighten the blade to the boot.

Is there too much screw sticking out? Easy, cut it off. Use a dremel or some heavy duty metal shears to cut off the excess length of screw. Be sure not to scuff up those blades.

5. Optional Epoxy

The last step is to guarantee that the nuts will not come loose. Mix up the epoxy and apply it around the screw/nut. Self-locking nuts work as an alternative to epoxy. Let the epoxy dry before skating.

Conclusion

After doing this to my boots, they lasted for over another year. I never had a problem with heel separation. During my final show with these boots, the holes that mounted the front of the blade all mostly rotted out. So, I did this same procedure to the front of my boot and solved that problem as well.

Thinking more about this, I wonder why boot manufacturers don’t facilitate mounting like this. I’m sure the logistics are difficult to get around but I think this late in the game that there should be a solution. Many skaters have had to deal with a boot breaking down like this or similar. With the price of boots and blades at where they are, I find this unacceptable. But, it’s a relatively small industry so I guess these fixes will have to do for now.