High quality roller skate parts such as boots, plates, wheels and bearings are an investment, which is why it is so important to take good care of them. Many skaters accidentally do things that damage their roller skate parts or reduce the life of them. We want to help you avoid these mistakes to keep your roller skates working properly for as long as possible before they need to be replaced.
10 Things Skaters Unintentionally Do That Damage Their Skates:
1. Skating on Wet Surfaces
- Damage: Rusted bearings
- Why it matters: Terrain that's too wet can introduce moisture into metal components, causing rust. It can also damage leather and suede boots, and even produce mold.
2. Neglecting to Clean & Re-Lubricate Bearings
- Damage: Bearings get dirty, rust, or seize up.
- Why it matters: Dirty or dry bearings reduce performance and can lock up entirely, making skating unsafe as bearings can fail.
3. Overtightening Axle Nuts
- Damage: Crushed bearings, restricted wheel spin.
- Why it matters: Wheels need slight freedom to spin properly. Too-tight nuts can compress bearings and lead to premature wear, and even cause bearings to fail in the middle of a skate session.
4. Not Rotating Wheels and Toe Stops
- Damage: Uneven wheel wear.
- Why it matters: Skaters often favor one edge or side. Rotating wheels and toe stops helps distribute wear evenly, extending wheel and toe stop life.
5. Storing Skates Improperly
- Damage: Warped boots, mold, rusted hardware.
- Why it matters: Leaving skates in damp or hot environments (e.g., car trunk, garage, basement) can deform materials, invite corrosion and lead to leather rot.
6. Using Indoor Wheels Outdoors
- Damage: a scratched, dented, and pitted wheel surface
-Why it matters: indoor wheels are harder than outdoor wheels, which means they are not designed to roll over rough terrain and debris. Instead, the rough terrain damages the wheel surface and ruins the wheel’s ability to roll smoothly
7. Dragging Toe Stops When Slowing Down
- Damage: premature wear of toe stops, damage to toe stop housing threads
- Why it matters: by dragging your toe stops to slow down, you will burn through toe stops fast as the rubber compounds will wear down quickly. You could also permanently strip the threads inside your toe stop housing, or the threads on your toe stop stems (bolts). Instead, practice a T-Stop, Plough Stop or Turn-Around Toe Stop
8. Using Excessive Force to Install Toe Stops
- Damage: stripped threads on toe stop stem (bolt) or toe stop housing
- Why it matters: Over-tightening the toe stop OR not applying lubricant before installing toe stops can put undue stress on the threads, causing them to strip. Stripped threads make it impossible to screw or tighten the toe stop securely
9. Dragging Wheels While Skating
- Damage: Dragging causes excessive friction, which creates flat spots on the wheels.
- Why it matters: Flat spots make skating bumpier and less smooth and reduces your wheels' lifespan. Not only that, but you are more prone to injury due to the imbalance created by the flat spots.
10. Tying Laces Too Tight or Yanking Them
- Damage: Ripped eyelets, stress to boot material, deformed boot upper.
- Why it matters: Excessive force can tear out metal eyelets or lace hooks, especially on leather or synthetic boots. Over-tightening compresses and warps the boot, reducing support and altering the fit over time. Laces may also get frayed and weakened and need more frequent replacing.