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1Practice Tights
2Competition Tights
3Recreational Skating
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Last Updated: October 11, 2022
Picking tights for figure skating can be difficult, if you don't know what to choose. This article will help you know what you need for the sport of competitive figure skating.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:
Practice Tights
1
Wear footed or footless skating tights for practice. The choice is up to you in terms of comfort and warmth but the basic qualities of each are:
- If wearing footed tights you don't need anything else between your foot and skate.
- If you wear footless tights, it is a good idea (but not necessary) to wear another sock or pair of tights. If you don't, you may find your feet are rather cold and/or uncomfortable inside the skating boots.
- Over the boot tights are optional. While they help protect the boot when practicing, they tend to rip very easily and are not necessary for practice.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:
Competition Tights
1
Ask what is required. If the competition requires specific tights (color, style, etc.), then you need to oblige and use that type. Your coach will be able to inform you best on any such requirements.
2
Wear tights compatible with your costume. Sometimes, the color or style of your costume might determine the type of tights you're able to wear, in which case, you'll just have to do as required.
3
Consider wearing over-the-boot tights. The over-the-boot tights look nice on the ice and cover the boot. This might be a better look, depending on your costume.
- If you do choose to wear over-the-boot tights, they should not have any holes in them so you can't see the boot through the tights. That looks shabby!
- Some skaters wear footed tights under the over-the-boot tights for what they consider a "neater" finish.
4
Wear footless tights and socks. One possibility to allow for maximum comfort is to make a pair of socks from footed tights, then combine both footless tights and the "socks". This makes for high comfort and good mobility.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:
Recreational Skating
1
Wear socks when skating for fun. If you are just skating for fun then you don't even need tights. Socks will feel better on your feet and will definitely be warmer, especially outdoors. Plus, if you're wearing pants, tights aren't even an issue!
- Choose the socks that fit best when the boot is on. Trial various pairs sitting in your bedroom first; the initial feel will give you an idea of which seem too tight and which feel good. That said, it can be a good idea to take along a spare pair when skating, to change over to if your first choice doesn't work out so well in action.
2
If you do wear tights for recreational skating, choose ones that have plenty of give and are warm. Your boots will pull on the tights and make it feel tight around the foot. Test the tights for feel before heading out to skate. Make sure they have plenty of give and won't strangle your feet.
- Some recreational skaters love wearing normal warm and textured tights because of the added warmth for the whole leg, not just the foot.
- Consider combining footless warm tights with socks for the best of both worlds––warmth and flexibility.
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Tips
No tights is a possibility too, if you feel the tights just don't match your skin tone. For example, France's Surya Bonaly wore no tights. This would be for competition purposes, as practicing without tights would be a fairly cold option and offers less protection for ice falls.
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Some skaters choose to layer tights, for added protection and warmth (one footed, one footless).
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Footed tights with skating pants is a good training option.
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Warnings
Unless you have a strict coach or specific competition rules, the tights issue is about personal preference. Experiment to find which combination works for you rather than getting hung up on arguments about what other people prefer!
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Over-the-boot tights tear easily. Unless you want to spend a fortune, these are not ideal for practice sessions. Boot protection can be "hacked" by cutting dollar store tights and stretching the cut portions over your boots.
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wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 9,330 times.
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Co-authors: 7
Updated: October 11, 2022
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