Shop Local: The Skater's Edge

Carl Merkel knows how to skate, but his real expertise lies in fitting ice skates on problematic feet.

“It’s very satisfying when you solve problems for people, and they come back and tell you how well the shoe worked,” he said.

That’s what comes of 31 years in the ice skate business. He started to learn the art as a high school sophomore, and 13 years later he decided to give his first employer,
Nichol’s Sporting Goods, some competition on the West Side. He opened a shop near Cleveland Hopkins International Airport.

After several moves, his shop, The Skater’s Edge, settled at 5648 Mayfield Road, Lyndhurst. He’s been at that location eight years – and moved there after Nichol’s closed its store in Shaker Heights – and draws customers from neighboring states as well as the East Side. He also has a shop at 16211 Lorain Ave., Cleveland.

Give Merkel a foot problem, like pronation, supination, flat feet, high arches or wide feet, and he’ll work with it.

“These problems are more critical in skates because skates must fit really snug and conform to the foot to give you the control you need. We can solve these problems.”

He stocks skates for beginners to professionals – with prices to match, from $69
to $1,000 – as well as skating accessories, costumes, and such. “You can go into
skating relatively cheaply. It’s when you start taking lessons and competing that it gets expensive,” he said. “I’m not going to get rich, but I enjoy the work.”