Toe ties on goalie pads are used to keep the toe of the pad close to and centered on the front of the skate when in a standing position. They are also meant to allow the toe of your skate to turn towards the ice when in a butterfly position. This is meant to relieve stress on your knees and hips as well as give you the ability to engage your skate blade with the ice when in the butterfly position. Most goalies that use the butterfly style of goaltending will benefit from leaving slack in the laces between the skate and the pad. Different people have different preferences with regard to this. It is recommended that you experiment with your toe tie length before tying and cutting the laces for your pads as it will be difficult to replace the strings if you decide they are too short.
