Fitting Skates: What makes the perfect fit?

[Skittl1321]

I recieved a recommendation for where to go to get fitted for skates from a few people at my rink. They all say that this place has trained fitters (but don't get your blades sharpened there...). This extra warning makes me wonder a bit about the quality of the recommendation- are the fitters trained well, or just the best around- but not the best.

Anyhow, at my level, I don't need great skates, I just need ones that will work. So when I go for my fitting what should I look for? What makes a good fit.

Should my toes touch the very front of the boot? My heel the very back? How should the width feel? How much should I be able to move my foot- wiggle my toes? Lift the front?

When they are laced all the way, what should they feel like? How will I know if the boot strength is right for me?

I plan to go with the Reidell level recommendation list from their website so I can have an idea if it is "too much boot", but Jackson doesn't have anything similiar to that. They also have Grafs- which my google searches have not lead to much information about.

My hope is the Jackson freestyles will fit and I'll get them, but I've done the "perfect" fit for pointe shoes and ended up trying on shoes for 2 hours before finding the right ones.

I just need to know what to look for.

(And then I promise I will stop posting questions about new skates)

[beachbabe]

it is somewhat of a personal preferance. I always buy my skates as tight as i can get them without limping, becasue they always seem to stretch out quickly for me. Some people like a roomier fit. From what i've heard..if you get riedells it is vital to get a good heal fit b/c apparently it get compressed...alot.


the freestyles are a great choice, i had a problem with mine breaking down quickly, but since i upgraded to the jackson elite plus i've been fine.


stick with the recommended fitter...other skaters probably know what they are talking about.



genrally, the less foot movement the better, i am a prety extreme case in that i like my skates very very very tight, because I hate the feeling of stretched out loose skates after 2 months.

[Skittl1321]

it is somewhat of a personal preferance.

aka: I'm not going to know until I end up with a pair that I either love or hate 2 months down the road :)

I'll keep in mind what you said though :)

[Rusty Blades]

Well I am certainly not an accomplished skater and "fit" is VERY individual but I have wide feet (duck feet) that spead out when I put my full weight on them and I CAN NOT stand boots that are tight on the sides. I also need a more "squared out" toe rather than tapered otherwise my big toe gets pushed to the outside.

My preference (which I have not achieved yet) is to have enough room "east/west" that the sides of my feet just gently touch the sides of the boot - I like the bottom of my foot to spread out comfortably on the bottom of the boot. The toe should, ideally, be high enough that you don't feel it with your weight on your foot but not high enough to wiggle your toes. I wouldn't want my toes to touch the front of the boot but rather rely on the laces and a good heel fit to keep my foot from sliding forward. Heel fit is important. I'd rather have the heel a touch narrow than have my heel move up and down as I skate.

I had the perfect fit 36 years ago but still working on it this time around. I am on my second pair of boots now (customs) and just did the first hour in them tonight. Now I know all the places that need to be bumped out! (Next time I take my old boots and a screwdriver in case I need to switch boots at the rink!!!!)

Good luck!

[beachbabe]

aka: I'm not going to know until I end up with a pair that I either love or hate 2 months down the road :)

I'll keep in mind what you said though :)


lol, thats 1 way to put it. I have been on the endless quest for the perfect skates for what it seems like my whole skating career lol. I finally think i am getting closer to comfortable boots. I have been in constant frustration by my beloved low level boots breaking down too fast but not wanting to use advanced models because i hate breking them in.


if you go to a good fitter, you can pretty much trust them to some extent. But definately don't look for a boot where you have wiggle room, especially if it is brand new. New skates have a tendency to stretch and compress in the padding so be super careful not to get skates too big. And if you have to special order your size and wait...its worth it! Patience is critical...as hard as it is lol:P

[flippet]

I wouldn't want my toes to touch the front of the boot but rather rely on the laces and a good heel fit to keep my foot from sliding forward. Heel fit is important.

Actually, your toes should just touch/brush the end of the boot (standing), but they should not be scrunched or crowded in any way. This is with your heel well seated in the heel of the boot. You should 'kick' your heel down/back into it.

The boot should be very snug, but not painful. The exception might be a teensy bit of 'hmm, that could get sore' at the ankle bone area, but this area can and often should be 'punched out' for a more 'custom' fit. But it still shouldn't be 'ouch ouch ouch' when you're trying on. Ever had a paraffin wax dip (hand or whatever)? Snug like that. :D A little squishing of the skin/fat pads is okay. But if your foot bones are being 'encouraged' to move or rearrange themselves from their natural positions, then it's not good. But again, it is a very individual preference kind of thing. And you really won't know what works best for you without a little trial and error (read: you've gone all the way through your first pair or three).

You do know to wear extremely thin socks (what you wear skating) to be fitted, right? And if you've done pointe shoes, then you also know the value of extra-short toenails, I presume. :lol:

[Skittl1321]

You do know to wear extremely thin socks (what you wear skating) to be fitted, right? And if you've done pointe shoes, then you also know the value of extra-short toenails, I presume. :lol:

Yes, I was planning on wearing socks- but I wouldn't have thought about my toenails at all. Since I'm not standing on them! But I can see how if my foot is supposed to be snug against the boot toenails would make a difference.

Thanks for pointing that (and everything else from your post) out.

[Rusty Blades]

Actually, your toes should just touch/brush the end of the boot

Like I said, fit is very personal. If my toes touched the ends of the toe cap while standing, even lightly, I'd be crippled within a few hours. I buggered up my toenails many decades ago with poor fit and HAVE to have clearence in front of the toes. My ideal boot would be open at the front like a sandal!!!

[phoenix]

Also different brands fit different foot shapes better, so try a lot of different brands on, as well as different models. For example, Reidell fits a narrower foot, Jackson fits a wider foot.

I also don't like my toes to touch the ends. They come close, but they don't touch.

[quarkiki2]

Since you've had dance training before, you'll have a better idea of how much support your foot will need once you start trying on skates -- I know I did. I was also very quickly able to tell when the skate fit snugly and when my foot felt like it wasn't going to slide around. My toes wiggle just the eensiest bit and my heel fits perfectly in the back -- that was the part I was nervous about because I have disproportionately narrow heels and ankles. My fitter was pleased that she didn't have to "convince" me to get a smaller size as she does most adults who aren't used to the fact that skates (and dance shoes) are supposed to fit much more snugly than street shoes.

[phoenix]

My fitter was pleased that she didn't have to "convince" me to get a smaller size as she does most adults who aren't used to the fact that skates (and dance shoes) are supposed to fit much more snugly than street shoes.

Yah, and I do the opposite--I buy street shoes (especially sneakers) to fit really tight, as if they were dance shoes!