Heat Molding Directions for Graf 301 Skates

With oven heat, you can mold your GRAF 301 skates for a custom fit.

Hockey skates used to be crudely made from stitched leather and screwed-on blades in the game's infancy; thanks to modern materials, skates are now lighter, more durable and can be molded to the wearer's foot using heat. Hockey manufacturer GRAF's 301 series of skates are popular among players at the recreational and club levels of the game, and like skates offered by competing gear companies, the 301's can be molded for a custom fit.

Things You'll Need

• Clean cloths
• Cookie sheet
• Egg timer
• Towel

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and monitor the oven; once the oven heats to 180, turn it off. In the meantime, clean the skates with a clean and dry cloth if you're molding skates for the first time in order to remove any debris from the shell.

2. Pull out and remove each skate lace in each GRAF skate and set aside. Remove the inserts in the soles of the skates and set them aside. Pull the tongue outward from the boot of one of the skates to allow the heat better access to the interior boot.

3. Lay the skate on its side and place this skate on a cookie sheet. Open the oven door and place the skate inside. Close the door and set an egg timer for 8 minutes; after time expires, carefully remove the skate (do not touch the skate blade or metal lace eyelets, as they will be very hot and may burn you).

4. Feel the inside of the skate: you're looking for the interior sole and sides of the boot to be soft, warm and pliable. If not, place the skate back into the oven for another 2 minutes and retest. Once ready, place a towel on the floor in front of a chair, re-lace the skate, replace the insert, tighten the laces and sit down with your skate resting on the towel to avoid damaging the blade's edge and the floor.

5. Remove the skate after about 20 minutes of sitting. Prep the remaining skate in the same manner as you did the first (you'll probably have to reheat the oven to maintain the 180 degree mark) and repeat the entire process the mold the 301's to your foot form.

Tips & Warnings

• Be sure to turn the oven off prior to inserting the skate. "Baking" is only a term; leaving your skate in a fully heated oven may cause irreparable damage to the skate boot.

References

• "Hockey for Dummies"; John Davidson; 2006
• GRAF Canada: Official GRAF Product Page

Resources

• HockeyGiant.com: Basics of Baking Skates