Hi everyone...I'm new here and I have a question about Riedell Skates....are they good?? I'm not a very good skater...just started again...I need something for recreational use...Does anyone know how the sizing works with these boots? Do they run small or are they about the same size as regular shoes..

Any info would help

Thanks

Depends on which model you get. My first skates were recreational-level Riedells, which lasted until I was doing single salchows and then they just wore out so badly I couldn't do backward crossovers because of the lace bite.

In my experience, they run kind of long, if you know what I mean. Given, I have wide feet, and I went to a sporting goods store to buy them (don't do that..) I got mine in a stock size that was 1.5 sizes too big since the boot wouldn't fit on my foot otherwise.

I was wearing size 7-7.5 shoes at the time, and when I got proper fitting skates, they were size 5.5. So I'd say you should go down at least one size from your regular shoes. My feet shrunk because of skating and now they're size 6.5, but it's still a one-size difference.

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"The ice is finer when the zombie goes over it!" - said by an excited 5-year-old at the rink

"The life you've led is in fact not the totality of what is possible for you." - John Partridge of Wheaton College (and a Matrix philosopher )

Riedells run narrow, which is why Anita18 had to go up a size to get them to fit. Not a good solution, since it makes the boot too long for your foot. It's like steering a ship at that point! LOL

They do come in different widths and a good pro shop will measure you to determine the right width. (It's a special, Riedell-only, measuring tool.)

Don't buy skates at a sporting goods stores - the quality is less and the service is poor to non-existent. Spend the extra $30 (really, that's all it is!) and buy them from a pro shop. They usually throw in the first sharpening and adjustments for free. If the pro shop doesn't have your size/width, ask them to order the skates or try another brand/style.

Jacksons are also a good brand-name skate.

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I wore Riedell (high testers i think) for a long time even thru Axel attempts. Now in Harlicks (which I HATE), I would do anything to go back to my wonderful Riedells. Now, quite a few years later...even with supposed better skates, I still don't have an fully-rotational axel.

One thing that was great about Riedell's, is my heal runs narrow, but the rest of my foot is average, and I was able to send them away for them to make the heal a smaller size. I had been told that they're not custom, but they can make one adjustment like that on your boots.

I agree with the other posts, in that they a size to a size and a half smaller than shoe size.

Here is the standard info we give our new students about buying skates (minus the "Where" portion, since I don't know your area).

HOW AND WHERE TO BUY SKATES

The skater should wear thin socks or tights when trying on skates and when skating. Skates are usually a size smaller than the street shoe size. Blades should be sharpened before skating the first time, and many stores will include a sharpening in the purchase price.

Recommended skates
Riedell - model 12 for children or 112 for adults (this is a narrow boot)
Jackson - Softec, Soft Skate, Artiste, Glacier, or Mystique (the first two are sneaker style and very comfortable)

DO NOT BUY HOCKEY SKATES FOR BEGINNERS. DO NOT BUY PLASTIC BOOTS.

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I was thinking of getting the Reidell 117....do those run wide or narrow..?

i have never skated on a brand other than riedell. currently i have a gold star boot which just recently broke down (i had them when i was 16 and took them through most of my double jumps). i wear a size 9 1/2 in street shoes and just ordered a boot in a 7 1/2 with a C width.

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the truth lies in between the 1st and 40th drink - tori amos

All Riedells run narrow compared with other brands. That doesn't mean that you can't order some of the models in wider widths. BTW, High Testers are a Harlick model.

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