Boots sizing...

[Chiyori]

Hi everyone!

I have a question about Risport sizings. I'm currently in the market for new boots (could never adjust to GAMs so I'm throwing them over) and I've been heavily advised to buy Risport RF2. Now, I don't know anything about sizing and stuff and, as I'm currently in Japan (meaning that most people in stores can't understand my as-of-yet mediocre japanese and they speaker neither english nor french so we just don't get each other), I'm falling back on ordering them over the Internet and simply going to the store to get them heated and fitted (requires much less technical talking :mrgreen: ... sorry for this long life story).

What I need to know is what size to order. I don't remember what I wore as a teenager, but right now, I have GAM 400 in size 4.5, width C. Those are too tight and hurting me around the ball and toe area but I'm told that Risports are larger there. I'm not so thrilled about ordering online but I'm not in any position to do anything else. Can someone advise me about what size would be preferable in Risport?

Thank you!! :mrgreen:

[Sessy]

Did you ever actually try on Risports? If you haven't I suggest you do first. Some love them (they are the boot of choice around here), some hate them... They're rather harsh as boots go (as in, some folks at my rink claim they wear through before they break down) and risport RF2 is rock hard (2-axelish I think? but they are heatmold) and Risports have a particularly specific shape of the foot. I was just not having enough grip on the floorbed in mine! Nor in my mother's RF3's either. Also, my mother and me were/are having a gazillion ankle and heel problems in the risports, as in it's hard on the bones and heels seem to "hang". Which can be solved with bunga pads and denting out to a degree, and not everybody has this problem.

I'd agree that they're wider around the ball of the foot area than other skates, not necessarily around the toes though. But Risport RF2 also comes in different widths, of course.

As far as sizes go, my risports are my european shoesize (actually, a half under it), where as Graf are a half a size up from my shoesize. Didn't try Gam so I can't advise there.

I'd really, really say "try before you buy", as in try on...

[Chiyori]

:mrgreen: Thanks for the advice... Reading my post, I should have been clearer. I did wear Risports all my life but switched over to GAMs when mommy was no longer the one required to pay (cheaper... still bloody expensive, but cheaper). But as she was the one in charge before, I never really bothered to check the sizes of my skates or to listen to the prattling lady when we bought them (believe me, she was really annoying :roll: ) And now I'm stuck with a lady I can't understand and who can't understand me, not even knowing what I need :frus:

I think I'll follow your advice though and face the few hours of awfully awkward ??? at the store. I'd like to get an idea of what I need first though.

My shoe size (US) is 5.5 and my feet, though not exceptionally large, are rather square (meaning the toes do curve down towards the smallest toe, but not as much as most people... does that even make sense? lol) and very slightly on the thick side at the top (near the ankle... I don't know if that area has a name :mrgreen: ). I guess I'll always be a C (stupid Flinstones toes...) but I saw that Risport were from size 23 to 2... something. What's that? Aren't european sizes in the 30s? Are italian sizes different?

Thank you again for your help! It just gives me a sense of security, knowing what I need and what I want in the face of such a high language barrier ;)

[Sessy]

Risport sizes are actually 3-numbered. They are the measurement of the inside in millimetres, which is one tenth of a centimetre, 2,54 of which is an inch...

Try the size chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.inlinefigure.com/order%20Snow%20White.htm
(view page in Internet Explorer, not firefox) and it should give you an idea of what size range you're looking in.
Not sure if Riedell is an american or an English size...

[montanarose]

Just a suggestion that you might get more and/or more knowledgeable replies by posting this in the "On Ice/Skaters" forum."

[Chiyori]

Just a suggestion that you might get more and/or more knowledgeable replies by posting this in the "On Ice/Skaters" forum."

Thank you, I'll do just that ;)

[Isk8NYC]

Thread moved.

[Ice Dancer]

I know a few people in Risports, including myself, and we all have the same size in skates as we do in shoe size. Mine are a 7 UK which is a 270 in their measurements.

[aussieskater]

Chiyori, if your feet are squarish (toes fairly straight across), you might find the modern Risports too narrow in the toe area. A friend, who is nominally the same boot size as me, recently bought RF2s size 275 C (wide), which would be my size if I could wear them. She then used me as the subject feet when she heat moulded them, as the boots in their unmoulded state were too narrow even for her dainty sloping dancer's toes. (My farmer's feet are much wider than hers at the toe end. Comes from chasing rabbits on the farm as a kid :P )

[debrag]

Risport sizes are actually 3-numbered. They are the measurement of the inside in millimetres, which is one tenth of a centimetre, 2,54 of which is an inch...

Try the size chart at the bottom of this page: http://www.inlinefigure.com/order%20Snow%20White.htm
(view page in Internet Explorer, not firefox) and it should give you an idea of what size range you're looking in.
Not sure if Riedell is an american or an English size...

Riedell is American size, at least mine are.

[doubletoe]

Chiyori, if you'd like to come up with a list of specific questions to ask the boot fitter, I can translate them to Japanese for you and structure them so that the answer must be either yes, no, or the name of a boot manufacturer. :lol: Fortunately, the shoes tend to be wide in Japan anyway, so they are probably used to ordering wider widths.

Do you know what brands the skate shop actually carries?
Did they measure your feet and if so, did they show you the measurements?

[Chiyori]

Wow! I got so many answers :D Thank you all for being willing to help me!

Chiyori, if your feet are squarish (toes fairly straight across), you might find the modern Risports too narrow in the toe area.

Thanks for the advice, aussieskater! How did you ever manage to get your feet into her skates if they were too narrow for hers? Must have been horribly painful... From square-footed to square-footed, what brand of skate do you own? I've long ago settled on Risport but there's never been a pair of any brand that I could truly be 100% in... even the ones that are wide at the ball narrow down around the toes and squash them sometimes so badly I get wounds (or whatever they are called) between my toes.

Chiyori, if you'd like to come up with a list of specific questions to ask the boot fitter, I can translate them to Japanese for you and structure them so that the answer must be either yes, no, or the name of a boot manufacturer. :lol: Fortunately, the shoes tend to be wide in Japan anyway, so they are probably used to ordering wider widths.

Do you know what brands the skate shop actually carries?
Did they measure your feet and if so, did they show you the measurements?

Thank you for offering to help with my embarrassing japanese :mrgreen:
I went back today and was actually lucky enough to come in just as the shop owner's daughter, a girl about my age who speaks nicely in english, was dropping by!! Couldn't believe my luck :lol: Still haven't bought anything but I got measured and everything. To confirm the square thing, my feet are 22 cm long, 9 cm wide at the largest point of the ball area, and 8 cm across the toes ;)

So I'm dropping this whole Internet thing and I got an appointment back at the skate shop next week so that the girl can be there to interpret :mrgreen: I feel so lucky!
But thank you so much for offering to help me! I'll get back to you if I run in anymore problems :D

I know a few people in Risports, including myself, and we all have the same size in skates as we do in shoe size. Mine are a 7 UK which is a 270 in their measurements.

So being a US/Canada 5.5, I'd be a UK 3.5 (that seems ridiculously small 8O), meaning it would probably be around a 235? Makes sense since my feet are 22-ish cm in length. Thank you!!

[doubletoe]

Oh, that's fantastic! :D Let us know what you end up getting and how they work out for you! What part of Japan are you in, by the way?

[Chiyori]

I'm actually in Nagoya right now but I'll also be going to Tokyo sometime soon. I also plan to make all I can of my free time. I've dreamt of visiting Japan since I was a teenager so I'll make the most of it :D