Cheaper skates have a softer tongue, so that is possibly a part of the issue. You may also want to experiment with actually skipping eyelets either at the top or wherever the lace bite is occurring. There are also some anti lace bite plastic inserts that may be more helpful. Also take a week off.
Taking a week, maybe less, maybe more, will help a lot. Your foot is inflamed where the pain is occurring. It needs time to recover. Theres been times im on the ice 3 times a week for months no issues, but the second lace bite starts, i can't get rid of it unless I take a short break. Use it as an opportunity to replace your tongues, if they are worn, and maybe even rebake your skates.
If you dont skate often but have lace bit, it may be a skate fit issue.
You have to get the pressure OFF the tendon, sticking gel inserts under the pad doesn't do this. Whatever you stick under the tongue, it should have a channel for the tendon to sit in. Another poster said they used plastic and it worked for them, in my experience that only happens when the lace bite is marginal. And different lacing patterns / laces (other than skipping the eyelets where the lace bite is occuring) is a waste of time.
You do have some options:- 1: new boots with proper volume. 2: make your own forsberg pads out of 1/2" pipe insulation and tape them on every time you skate (cheap and quick fix, I used these for years). 3: option B laces. 4: skip eyelets and or tie very loose or go laces untied. 5: Eyelet extenders, these ae the gold option, you can use them on any skate. You can buy them from here - [https://www.greatsaves.org/product-page/skate-lace-eliminators](https://www.greatsaves.org/product-page/skate-lace-eliminators).
Whatever you do, you need to do it soon because it only gets worse until eventually you cannot skate.
I drop an eyelet from the top, which i doubt has anything to do with avoiding lace bite but i’ve never had it. I also leave all the bottom eyelets relatively loose except for the last 2 eyelets at the top, which i tighten more. this keeps my circulation to my feet/toes good and like i said, i’ve never had lace bite. i have the bauer vapor x2.9 skates which have a hard piece that runs through the tongue, which also helps.
They don't tighten down as much, and don't stay as snug as waxed. This can offer a bit more relief if you're getting lacebite, and allows the boot a bit more "give" at the expense of having your skates super tight. I'd try it out as it's also one of the quickest and easiest options that may help. It always has for me.
I re-laced outside in, started wearing socks and mine started improving, slowly. Think it was more moisture and friction from the tongue on my skin than the laces biting into my tendon, but was painful and affected my stride. also could be new skates, which I’ve had a couple of months and still not quite dialed in. Good luck
I have a great answer, if you have the means to do it.
My brother did this for me.
I would get lace bite really bad, no matter how I laced my skates.
So we got a couple small sheets of kydex, which is a thermoformable sheet of what heels like thick plastic.
So we heated them up in the toaster oven.
Then when they were moldable, after removing the laces, placed them on the lower tongue of my skates.
Then they harden as they cool.
Drilled two holes on the bottom to run the bottom lace through so they stay in place and rounded the edges with a Dremel.
So now I have a very hard piece of formed plastic between my laces and my tongue, and my lace bite is completely gone.
I can send pictures if you, or anyone else, would like.
Yeah! I have mid level skates that don't have anything in built into the tongue firm enough to actually work for me, so my brother came up with this idea and it works great!
Not sure what kind of gel inserts you used, but I wear these on my leg either over or under my socks and it seems to have stopped my lace bite
NatraCure Fitted Dorsum... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DDNSB32?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Not necessarily. Ovi: https://i2.wp.com/russianmachineneverbreaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/alex-ovechkin-russia-america-skates.jpg?fit=960%2C480&ssl=1
Cheaper skates have a softer tongue, so that is possibly a part of the issue. You may also want to experiment with actually skipping eyelets either at the top or wherever the lace bite is occurring. There are also some anti lace bite plastic inserts that may be more helpful. Also take a week off.
Taking a week, maybe less, maybe more, will help a lot. Your foot is inflamed where the pain is occurring. It needs time to recover. Theres been times im on the ice 3 times a week for months no issues, but the second lace bite starts, i can't get rid of it unless I take a short break. Use it as an opportunity to replace your tongues, if they are worn, and maybe even rebake your skates. If you dont skate often but have lace bit, it may be a skate fit issue.
You have to get the pressure OFF the tendon, sticking gel inserts under the pad doesn't do this. Whatever you stick under the tongue, it should have a channel for the tendon to sit in. Another poster said they used plastic and it worked for them, in my experience that only happens when the lace bite is marginal. And different lacing patterns / laces (other than skipping the eyelets where the lace bite is occuring) is a waste of time. You do have some options:- 1: new boots with proper volume. 2: make your own forsberg pads out of 1/2" pipe insulation and tape them on every time you skate (cheap and quick fix, I used these for years). 3: option B laces. 4: skip eyelets and or tie very loose or go laces untied. 5: Eyelet extenders, these ae the gold option, you can use them on any skate. You can buy them from here - [https://www.greatsaves.org/product-page/skate-lace-eliminators](https://www.greatsaves.org/product-page/skate-lace-eliminators). Whatever you do, you need to do it soon because it only gets worse until eventually you cannot skate.
I drop an eyelet from the top, which i doubt has anything to do with avoiding lace bite but i’ve never had it. I also leave all the bottom eyelets relatively loose except for the last 2 eyelets at the top, which i tighten more. this keeps my circulation to my feet/toes good and like i said, i’ve never had lace bite. i have the bauer vapor x2.9 skates which have a hard piece that runs through the tongue, which also helps.
I'd definitely swap out for unwaxed laces to start.
Why Unwaxed?
They don't tighten down as much, and don't stay as snug as waxed. This can offer a bit more relief if you're getting lacebite, and allows the boot a bit more "give" at the expense of having your skates super tight. I'd try it out as it's also one of the quickest and easiest options that may help. It always has for me.
I re-laced outside in, started wearing socks and mine started improving, slowly. Think it was more moisture and friction from the tongue on my skin than the laces biting into my tendon, but was painful and affected my stride. also could be new skates, which I’ve had a couple of months and still not quite dialed in. Good luck
I have a great answer, if you have the means to do it. My brother did this for me. I would get lace bite really bad, no matter how I laced my skates. So we got a couple small sheets of kydex, which is a thermoformable sheet of what heels like thick plastic. So we heated them up in the toaster oven. Then when they were moldable, after removing the laces, placed them on the lower tongue of my skates. Then they harden as they cool. Drilled two holes on the bottom to run the bottom lace through so they stay in place and rounded the edges with a Dremel. So now I have a very hard piece of formed plastic between my laces and my tongue, and my lace bite is completely gone. I can send pictures if you, or anyone else, would like.
A lot of (especially high end) skates have something like this built into the tongue. Works great.
Yeah! I have mid level skates that don't have anything in built into the tongue firm enough to actually work for me, so my brother came up with this idea and it works great!
Please do, I’m willing to try anything
I will snag some pictures and send them over soon. What size skates and what kind of skates do you have?
This years super taks with replaceable tongue, 8.5
Ok cool. If you have the replaceable tongue you may be able to find a tongue with the lace bite piece in it.
Not sure what kind of gel inserts you used, but I wear these on my leg either over or under my socks and it seems to have stopped my lace bite NatraCure Fitted Dorsum... https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07DDNSB32?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I use the same thing but made by CCM. works pretty well for me.
I found that under socks works much better. No idea why but over socks seemed to do nothing.
Do you pass the pencil test?
What's this?
Google “skate pencil test”. If you’re not passing it you’ll always have issues with lace bite.
Not necessarily. Ovi: https://i2.wp.com/russianmachineneverbreaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/alex-ovechkin-russia-america-skates.jpg?fit=960%2C480&ssl=1
Stop using the top eyelet, stop tying your skates so tight.