Ban the OTBT!!!!

[aftershocks]

I'm not a stickler for one way of presenting oneself on the ice over another. What is the reason given by most skaters for the over the boot look?

In any case, what's wrong with more variety depending on overall outfit, i.e., wearing tan boots, pink boots, red boots, blue boots, or even black boots for ladies too re whatever goes with the overall costume/ look. Why is it so ingrained that white boots exclusively are for the ladies? I noticed that Aliona Savchenko sometimes wears tan boots to go with her costumes.

[Yazmeen]

Vote for OTBT:
1) I'm short, short waisted and have a Rachel Flatt type figure on ice
2) I have small feet, size 5.5 shoe, size FOUR skate; an OTBT gives me a longer leg look on ice and takes away from the stubbiness that both 1 and 2 create
3) My boots are not exactly pretty after all these years, the tights cover the marks. And I keep the tights pretty pristine, no runs or hole
4) Preference of my coach, she likes the look

[skateboy]

I like white boots for performance.

[flowerpower]

Still prefer the white boots. OTBT do not do it for me, aesthetically. The boot-top protrusion at the ankle breaks the line, and the feet look unnatural, IMO.

[nuge]

There are other things to ban too.Having just seen photos of Elena Ilinikh FD costume .Very sad grey unflattering miserable costume.It may fit the programme but this is supposed to be a diva in the making
Also Solovievs grey FD jumper ugh
So BMC BAN MISERABLE COSTUMES

[pinky166]

Vote for OTBT:
1) I'm short, short waisted and have a Rachel Flatt type figure on ice
2) I have small feet, size 5.5 shoe, size FOUR skate; an OTBT gives me a longer leg look on ice and takes away from the stubbiness that both 1 and 2 create
3) My boots are not exactly pretty after all these years, the tights cover the marks. And I keep the tights pretty pristine, no runs or hole
4) Preference of my coach, she likes the look

Except Rachael Flatt wore white boots this season and she looked better for it. The combination of the white boots and flattering SP dress cut made a huge difference, IMO. I've never though OTBT lengthened the lines of skaters, if anything, they detract from the line. All skaters, regardless of body type, look better in white boots IMO.

[Rob]

The boot-top protrusion at the ankle breaks the line, and the feet look unnatural, IMO.

Yes, and even worse for people with shorter legs IMO. They do not make the leg line look longer; they just make it look lumpier.

[smileyskate]

I don't prefer to see OTBT either. What do you all think about the tights that just go over the top of the boot, just little bit over the laces? Seems a good compromise for warmth, coverage, hiding wraps and such.

[arakwafan2006]

"The only thing worse than OTBT is the look Qing Pang is sporting this season... "

It is so dreadful.

I dont like the OTBT unless you wear those Edea skates which look like casts to me. I hate the way those boots look. Add Risports to the list as well... that tight narrow laceup looks like its cutting off all circulation to the skaters. ANYWAY, Sasha Cohen was probably the only skater who wore that look well. Maybe Yu Na as well. Everyone else, it's got to go.

WHat about beige colored skates? Aliona wears them well. Penny coomes on the other hand... UGH...

[arakwafan2006]

Remember Petrova 's white over the boot covers ?

I could not wait for this team to retire. The boots were only the beginning of their problems

[DORISPULASKI]

I'm with this crusade...but I thought the title was something to do with Off Track Betting...

[ballettmaus]

They do not make the leg line look longer; they just make it look lumpier.

Seems to be a matter of opinion because I, too, find the over the boots tights can enhance the line. Having that said, I think it depends on the skater. There are skaters when I think OTBT would be better because their feet look just so large in white boots/their leg line is broken. Most of the times though I don't even notice what type of tights they're wearing.
On the other hand, my nemisis is when the OTBT go over the heel of the skate as well because then I find it the feet look chunky and heavy.

[hanca]

There are other things to ban too.Having just seen photos of Elena Ilinikh FD costume .Very sad grey unflattering miserable costume.It may fit the programme but this is supposed to be a diva in the making
Also Solovievs grey FD jumper ugh
So BMC BAN MISERABLE COSTUMES

Sure. So let's ban OTB tights, ban miserable costumes....where does this end? Maybe Speedy doesn't like this and that colour, let's ban clothes in those colours too. And what about make up? OR certain hair style? We could ban female having short hair and male having long hair... or why not to go even further, let's ban female with brown hair and have them all looking like Barbies ....

Where does this going to end? Is this really what we want? Should things be banned because someone does not like it?

[ioana]

Where does this going to end? Is this really what we want? Should things be banned because someone does not like it?

Erm, you do realize the 'ban' was purely tongue-in-cheek, expressing how much some posters dislike the look, not a literal suggestion to implement a rule getting rid of the tights. Right?

[nuge]

Lighten up it's the trash can We talk trash

[DORISPULASKI]

Indeed:

Trash is Good!

[hanca]

Erm, you do realize the 'ban' was purely tongue-in-cheek, expressing how much some posters dislike the look, not a literal suggestion to implement a rule getting rid of the tights. Right?

If you read above, some posters seem to take the topic of OTB tights far too seriously.

[ioana]

If you read above, some posters seem to take the topic of OTB tights far too seriously.

You mean, some posters were OTT with sarcasm and some half-serious about a minor issue? In the Trash Can?! Why, I'd never...

[aliceanne]

I don't normally care one way or the other, but I did think Sotnikova's white boots peeking out from under her OTBT during her FS at Rostelcom looked sloppy.

I generally think OTBT and tan boots look better under theatrical lights where the lumpiness and mismatched color with tights are not so apparent.

[madm]

Appearance is only one aspect of this conversation. Practicality is the other. My daughter was a pair skater and her boots were horribly sliced and diced. Polishing them before a competition did not cover up all of the damage. The only way to make them look decent was to cover them with OTB tights. And with syncro teams, OTB tights can hide ugly boots and tan boots, which some skaters might have. It is important in syncro to have a uniform look. So even though it might look nicer to have white boots showing, it is not always practical.