Pair of Hockey Skates with Laces

Two hockey skates stand side by side, drawn from slightly above. The boots have crisscrossed laces, a padded tongue and a hard toe cap, and each sits on a blade held by a metal holder. The laces and eyelets give a little fine work, while the boot sides are open areas.

Ideas for coloring

• Colour the boots black, white or a team colour and the laces a contrasting shade.
• Use silver or light grey for the blades and keep a white highlight.
• Try a gradient on the boot sides by pressing harder at the toe.
• Add a small stitched pattern with a darker pencil along the seams.

Good to know

A skate blade does not glide on bare ice. Pressure and friction create a very thin film of water under the blade, and that film is what lets it slide. Hockey boots are cut lower at the ankle than figure skates so players can move quickly, while the blade is shorter so turns are tight.