Packaging

The packaging of the Corepad Skatez is simple. They come in a small plastic bag that includes the mouse feet and a small card with instructions and miscellaneous information in both English and German.

Properties

Thickness of the skates may vary from mouse to mouse, mainly depending on the feet grooves' depth and sensor's lift-off distance. The usual thickness is 0.6 mm, which consists of the PTFE feet plus the glue on its underside. Most mice come with 0.6 mm thick feet by default, but there are some exceptions, such as the Logitech G PRO Wireless (GPW for short), which has mouse feet that are about 0.9 mm high.

New mouse feet need to break in. You will probably experience higher friction in the first few days of using your new set of skates. Once their contact points are polished, they will provide maximum smoothness and the fastest glide possible. The head of Corepad told me that this may take up to ten days with even heavy use. However, if you experience an unusually scratchy sensation on your mouse pad, the mouse feet might be faulty, or you could have misaligned them a bit.

In the next step, I will show you the application procedure for the Logitech G PRO Wireless and Dream Machines DM1 Pro S. As far as I know, the DM1 feet are compatible with the SteelSeries Sensei and Xai, and Red Square 1337 mice as well (and probably many others with the same shell design). The ones for the GPW are unique and not interchangeable with any other mice currently out there, including those from Logitech.

Applying

Applying mouse feet is no rocket science; however, it can get tricky. First, you need to remove the existing mouse feet using your nails, or something not too sharp and hard if you don't want to scrape up the feet sockets. Using a hair dryer can come in handy here as it melts the glue a bit, which has the feet come off easier.


The next step is to remove any glue residue. This step is extremely important as any residue beneath the newly installed mouse feet may cause an uneven glide or scratching. Removing the glue can be done in a number of ways, but the best ones involve using lighter fluid or WD-40. Simply sprinkle some on a preferably clean rag and start scrubbing it off; it should come off within seconds. You don't have to drench everything in the fluids, just a fair amount of it helps dissolve the glue. Afterwards, I tend to use some isopropyl alcohol pads to clean the chemicals off, but some wet wipes will do the job just as well.


You don't always have to go through this whole procedure, though, as some feet tend to not really leave any residue at all, which means you can simply clean their spots with the isopropyl pads mentioned above and be done, which is the case with the DM1 Pro S. I usually only use the WD-40 method on nastier feet sockets. These pads are dirt cheap and available everywhere, so I don't really see why Corepad doesn't include one in the set (Hotline Games does provide these and some microfiber cloth, for instance).


After the procedure, you should have a nice and clean surface to work with. Try not to touch the feet sockets with your bare fingers from now on out as the oils from your hand can compromise the glue's stickiness.


Applying the feet is easy, but the key is patience. After peeling off the backing from the skate you're installing, carefully place it in its socket. Try not to bend the mouse feet too much while doing so. Once they're all on, place your mouse on your mouse pad (or your desk, if you don't have one) and simply press down on the mouse for a few seconds. Once this is done, you're all set, and again, the feet might need some breaking in, so don't be afraid when you hear and feel a lot of friction just yet. It depends on how rough the mousing surface is, but generally, a few hours of use will do the job.