How do you wear your skates?

[Shawn in Tampa 0]

I know the general consensus is to do the whole "toes barely touching", but I prefer a little room....Am I the only one? Am I REALLY sacrificing anything by doing that? Keep in mind, I am not a kid trying to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the skate..

Shawn in Tampa

[djinferno 2]

i do the same.... at the price skates cost now, i can't stomac making a there too small mistake... I also have one foot bigger...

[Oberon 0]

Keep in mind, I am not a kid trying to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the skate..

No, I'm guessing you're an adult trying to rationalize keeping your new white 9Ks that are too big.

[ajaxmt10 0]

I can't have my toes touch! I hate the feeling. My skates are 1/2 size up from my toes touching.

[Shawn in Tampa 0]

Keep in mind, I am not a kid trying to squeeze every last bit of performance out of the skate..

No, I'm guessing you're an adult trying to rationalize keeping your new white 9Ks that are too big.

Wrong. I actually like my skates a little big, just thought I'd try them a little smaller.

Considering I currently own every top shelf skate from CCM,RBK,and Graf, justification is hardly my motivation for asking.

[jjtt99 0]

Take the insole of your skate out and put your foot on top of it. Your toes shouldn't any more than a pinky width from the end. If the skate is well used, when you take the insole out you can likely see the imprint of your foot which tells you if they're too big or not.

My left foot is nearly at the end of the insole, my right is a bit shy of a pinky width away.

[Shawn in Tampa 0]

Take the insole of your skate out and put your foot on top of it. Your toes shouldn't any more than a pinky width from the end. If the skate is well used, when you take the insole out you can likely see the imprint of your foot which tells you if they're too big or not.

My left foot is nearly at the end of the insole, my right is a bit shy of a pinky width away.

Yeah, I understand that method, but what I am saying is, who is to say it's wrong to wear them a half size too big?

As a kid, I was always squished right up there. As an adult, affording what I want, I have found a hell of alot more comfort with a little space up there.

I would think as long as your heel is locked in there, it wouldnt make that much of a difference?

[number21 3]

I prefer to be big enough to not just touch the end of the toe cap. So I wear an Easton 9E, i can put some thicker socks on if i am just skating outside for fun, but i don't don't feel like i'm floating if i have wicking socks on for a game.

Next time a buy in a couple years, I might go 8.5.

My right foot is a little smaller and slightly more narrow than my right too.

[JPB_69 0]

Shawn,

Can you go into a bit more detail. Barely touching when? When you first slip them on un-laced? Laced up and standing up? Or, laced up, knee's bent & leaned forward in a skating stance?

I believe a skates fit is personal. I like my toes touching slightly when they are laced up & I'm standing. When I'm skating I don't feel my toes touching at all. Now keep in mind I'm 38 years old and my feet are not getting any bigger, so for me the snug fit is perfect.

[SickLife 2]

i have one pair i got really cheap thats a ccm size 10. thats my actual shoe size. so yes, it's big, but i don't mind it.

generally though, i get the closest i can to where it's wide enough but still has a little toe room.

[LkptTiger 1]

Ever since I was really little, I've always worn my skates a little - okay, very - snug; to the point where my toes could probably be considered 'crammed' (somehow, my feet have adapted to make themselves comfortable in such an environment). I feel that this better allows the skates to become extensions of my body - that my foot and skate become 'one' (I can't believe I just said that...). I also like my skates a bit small because it allows me to keep the bottom of my feet locked firmly in place without having to tighten my laces much, which allows my ankles and lower legs a greater range of motion.

The Grafs (I'm giving the G-35s another shot, but will probably be getting rid of them in favor of custom 735s in the near future) I'm wearing now fit my foot, by my standards, perfectly. I could probably skate without lacing them up at all...but I don't think I'm going to try any time soon.

[gman 0]

Ever since I was really little, I've always worn my skates a little - okay, very - snug; to the point where my toes could probably be considered 'crammed' (somehow, my feet have adapted to make themselves comfortable in such an environment). I feel that this better allows the skates to become extensions of my body - that my foot and skate become 'one' (I can't believe I just said that...). I also like my skates a bit small because it allows me to keep the bottom of my feet locked firmly in place without having to tighten my laces much, which allows my ankles and lower legs a greater range of motion.

The Grafs (I'm giving the G-35s another shot, but will probably be getting rid of them in favor of custom 735s in the near future) I'm wearing now fit my foot, by my standards, perfectly. I could probably skate without lacing them up at all...but I don't think I'm going to try any time soon.

I would hate to cram my feet into my skates. That being said, I started pretty late in life so I have not adapted to the medieval torture-type fit. Someone told me that Gretzky wore his skates four sizes too small. However, I also like to think that I have as much control and as little "slop" in my boots as possible. When I stand up I like to be able to move my toes but to have them just brush the end. When I bend my knees I no longer feel the end of the boot. This is one reason why internet buying SUCKS especially if you are changing skates to one you have never worn before.

[mack 44]

I'm in Lkpt's boat; I wear them smaller.

[BK 0]

Mine run a half size bigger than what I am supposed to wear (10 1/2). I really cant stand having my toes up against the toebox. Plus I have a larger foot where the inward curve doesn't fit right with a 10.

[KYHockey3 0]

i thought i liked them bigger, but i just bought some v-12s a half a size smaller then my other v-12s and vector pros and i can skate a lot better in the smaller ones. im a beleiver in the smaller skates now

[TBLfan 25]

I wear 1 1/2 size smaller than my shoe size and my left big toe brushes the toe cap. I'm in 11 1/2D CCM tacks btw.

[tomh7 2]

When I try on new skates in the store (in other words not broken in), I have my toe brushing the front when fully laced up. Once the skates begin to break in around my foot and ankle, my toes no longer touch when laced up but still touch after i kick my heel back and before I tighten the laces.

Thomas

[Jason 65]

I'm the same as tomh7. When fully broken in, I like my socks to be grazing the toe cap. That is an optimal fit for a fully grown person IMO.

[RadioGaGa 162]

I thought my Size 8E Tacks fit me...until I got fitted for my new Vector 6.0's...size 7D

Kicked all the way back my toes don't touch, but when I flex forward (walking/skating) they brush every so slightly.

[maestro 1]

I like my skates to be snug to the point of being cramped. I wear a 10.5 shoe and currently skate in size 8 Vapor 10s. Like others, I find that the skate feels more a "part of me" and is more responsive when they're tight.

[jjtt99 0]

Using skates that fit are more comfortable and perform better than ones that don't, period.

You're only kidding yourself if you think (or want to think) that poorly fitting skates make no difference.

[Maka 0]

I've always gone by the credo claiming that standing straight-legged, your toes should barely feather the toe cap of the skate. However, the second you bend your knees (like you should be doing while skating), your toes recede away from the cap. This has always given me a snug yet comfortable fit. But as a coach once said, these are work boots, not tennis shoes; as a result, I could never stand anything too sloppy fitting.

[SickLife 2]

when i was a kid, the first few skates i owned were TIGHT. crammed like people are saying, cause that's how they fit you. but i find i have much better balance & skating when they fit nice, instead of snug. i just felt like i was skating on toothpicks.

[Shawn in Tampa 0]

Using skates that fit are more comfortable and perform better than ones that don't, period.

You're only kidding yourself if you think (or want to think) that poorly fitting skates make no difference.

Oh, I dont think it makes NO difference. And I am not saying you should wear sloppily fit skates. I am just saying for Rec playing 3 days a week, 1/2 size bigger skates that are much more comfortable are the way to go for me.

The performance difference is probably negligible in most situations, despite the fact that most wouldnt admit it.

I would prefer to be comfortable for the hour and a half and skate PRETTY damn well than be crushed just so I can try to be the superstar of a rec league.

This probably doesnt apply to people who are doing this for a living. I'm not.

[mack 44]

Good point. I'd much rather put a friend starting out in hockey/skating into some of the Nike rec skates rather than tossing them into hockey skates. I've seen too many people get frustrated with footpain and the sort before they get to enjoy it.