My son will be 3 in February and really wants to skate! He has just moved into a size 8 shoe (it is a bit big). I believe most skates start at size 8, but a few stores have recommended that he be in a size 9 shoe before a size 8 skate will fit correctly. (Ie. skate should be one size smaller than a shoe). I guess my skates are usually 1/2 a size smaller. Any advice on this??? I don't want him in ill fitting skates and then have a bad experience.

Thanks!!!

Will he be taking lessons? I highly recommend a tot's class to get him off to a good start. It should be a class in which the kids are allowed to just sit on the ice if they want to, games are played, and there is no pressure at all. If you yourself are taking him on the ice for the first time, stand next to him. Hold one of his hands out to the side & front, and put your other hand in the middle of his back to prevent a backwards fall. In any case, HE SHOULD WEAR A HELMET!

You may want to rent his skates to begin with, but only if the rink has leather rentals with well maintained blades. DO NOT PUT HIM IN HOCKEY SKATES. Both Riedell and Jackson make a kid's skate with velcro closure. The Jacksons only come in pink and white, but you could probably use markers to fix that. The both start in size 8, however, you should have him try them on. For a tot, thick socks are no problem, and as long as they are not so big that he cannot "march" off ice, they will be OK.

Hope this helps.

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Hi:

I've got a four year old male and I've looked into this so I can tell you that Jackson makes the Mystique in Tots sizes (size 8 through 11) and it does come in black. The skate shop near where I live has them for around $80. Canadian.

Hope that helps.

-- sheilagh

Why not hockey skates?

My daughter, when she was three years old, started out in hockey skates and then later that year switched to figure skates because she wanted "white skates" like her skating teachers. I know that the blades are shorter and more curved, but I think that they helped her get her balance and stride better, rather than depending on the pick to push her along. It was a very easy and quick transition for her to switch to figure skates.

After all, we are only talking about preschoolers and learning to skate here. My daughter is doing just fine in her currently Canskate group lessons and is probably the youngest one in her group, so she adjusted just fine.

I don't recommend the Mystique for tots because it is a "regular" boot, somewhat stiff, with laces. I really much prefer the beginner tots and kids in a soft boot with velcro closure. They are much more secure on the ice, and are wider and more comfortable. I've seen kids take off after switching from a real figure style boot to a soft boot. When they start doing freestyle, they can go to a real figure boot and blade.

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Hockey skates are much harder to learn in because the blades do not have a tail or toepick, so the least bit of leaning forward or backward will send the skater to the knees or back of the head. The blades are also thinner and higher off the iced. I've taught tots for five years, and it is the rare kid who gets a good start on hockey skates. More likely, they get turned off totally.

BTW, pushing with toe picks is a big no no, and there are teaching techniques for that, so no need to put a kid on hockey skates for that reason.

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Your daughter is definitely in the minority. I have taught preschoolers who do ok on hockey skates right from the beginning, but I've taught a lot more who try to "walk" on them. In figure skates, this works, although it's not good technique and it's something we discourage. Most kids get the hang of picking up their feet and marching within a few minutes. What happens when kids try a walking motion on hockey skates is that they roll right over the curved front of the skate and fall flat. Again, some kids have the idea of gliding right away and do fine with hockey skates, but most don't, which is why most coaches I know encourage figure skates for at least the first session of learn-to-skate.

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Shae-Lynn and Victor: We knew you were champions, and on 3/28/03 the whole WORLD found out! Thank you for twelve wonderful years!

Regarding the hockey skates for beginners: your daughter probably had great balance from the start. She is the exception, however.

Most beginners do not have great balance, so we focus on getting them up straight on their blades and moving forward. That's side to side balancing.

Hockey blades are shorter and more curved than figure skates. Kids tend to "rock off" the blades front and back. Then they have to focus on front-to-back balancing as well as the side-to-side. It also teaches them to fall on their knees since it's so easy to "rock off" forward. The toe pick makes them more careful about how they move forward.

If your child is taught properly from the beginning, they don't pick up the "toe pick pushing" habit easily. (Although it is a lazy habit, I agree.) We teach them to push from the blade edge, regardless of what type of blade they're wearing.

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