Ahh, yes. Those boots. Without them, you'd be nothing. Skatingly-speaking, of course.
So how do you know when a pair of skates are finito, and what then, needs to be done about it?

Skating boots aren't unlike us humans really: they better with age up to a certain point, then start having mechanical problems. No matter whether you wear entry-line boots or a $500 pair, you need to know when it's time to change them up.