Fit, Fit, and Fit

These are the three most important things to consider when buying skates.  Skates that don't fit well will probably cause blisters and will be uncomfortable to skate in whether they are too loose or too tight.  When you go skate shopping, give yourself plenty of time to spend trying on the skates in an unhurried manner until you find the right skate for you that fits well and is comfortable.  Don't be pushed by the salespeople - if they are that insistent in hurrying you up, it's time to take your business elsewhere.  Take a pair of the socks you intend to use while skating, as that's what you should be wearing when trying out the skates.

Don't forget to try a bunch of different skate models from different manufacturers.  The experience of trying on these skates first hand will help to give you a much better idea of which skates fit you well.

When trying on skates slip the skates on, and while sitting down knock the rear wheel into the ground to ensure your heel is firmly back into the boot.  Now tighten the laces and/or any buckles on the skate so that they are firm but not tight.  Stand up and bend your knees until they're just over your toes.  OK, sit down again now, and check the fit of the skates:

• Your toes should be quite close to the end of the boot, but not crunched up into the end.  You may be able to touch the end of the boot if you stretch your toes out, but no more than that.
• Check the fit around your heel, ensuring that the skate doesn't squeeze your heel.
• Make sure that you can't move your heel around, and especially not up and down inside the boot.
• Check the width around the ball of your foot.
• Now retighten the laces and buckles as the liner may have changed shape conforming to your foot.

A good idea is to try on skates that are a half to a full size smaller and larger than your current shoe size.  That will quickly show whether you're getting the right size.  Once you've found the right pair of skates, make sure you spend at least 15 minutes or so standing in the shop wearing the skates.  This is because that 15 minutes will probably bring any fit problems to light that may not be so easily noticeable at first.

Remember that skate models are a little like shoes in that skates from different manufacturers don't always correspond in size, so use your shoe size as a guideline rather than an exact rule.  For example, the following skate sizes all fit me well:  Bauer inline hockey skates - size 8-9.  Salomon - size 10. Mission size 10, and Rollerblade size 9.5-10.  These are all US sizes, and my normal shoe size is a size 10.

Many people also find that the shape of skate boots is different between different manufacturers.  For example, some people find that they get a better fit from Salomon skates, whilst others prefer the fit of K2 skates.  This is another reason it's good to go to a real shop and spend time trying on lots of different skates from different manufacturers.