Smaller skates=Better skating?

[Chadd 916]

--Directed at younger kids--

Keep in mind that you're still growing and this idea won't work for you. If you buy skates that small it'll be a waste.

Ya I would really like to know when is the exact age for male that your feet stop growing. I want to get skates and shoes but since I am on a tight budget Ill probally end up buying 1 or 2 sizes larger.

I heard it was 14 am I right?

If you get skates two sizes too large, it will hurt your skating.

[CBJ 0]

--Directed at younger kids--

Keep in mind that you're still growing and this idea won't work for you. If you buy skates that small it'll be a waste.

Ya I would really like to know when is the exact age for male that your feet stop growing. I want to get skates and shoes but since I am on a tight budget Ill probally end up buying 1 or 2 sizes larger.

I heard it was 14 am I right?

there is no certain age in which your feet stop growing. It's going to be different for everyone. My foot didn't stop growing until i was around 17 or 18...when i finally settled into a size 13 shoe or a 10 1/2 skate.

[avalancherock 0]

I tried wearing a skate that was 1 1/2 sizes smaller than my normal and it always felt like i was going to fall forward. these crammed my toes just a little and i could hardly skate. Like crosskore i tried putting tape around my ankles for more support and i stepped on the ice to move a net and the 10 wraps of tape i put on instantly snapped. <_<

[flaming_june 2]

i started with 8d skates

now im getting 7es

ive only skated once on the smaller skate, but id have to say im a way better skater in 8D (larger skate)

[blues_91 0]

I moved from an 8.5D easton to a 6.5 W graf, and the first few skates I did feel like i was going to fall, but after a while my skating did improve.

[stevoc 0]

I feel like I am some sort of freak after reading everyone's experiences. I wear a size 9 tennis shoe, but wear a 9.5 in my mission skates. I tried 8's and 8.5, both way to small. My foot fits in the 9 boot, but my toes and wide part of my foot are totally crammed and make my feet hurt in a matter of minutes, which hurts my skating ability.

A 9.5 gives me a good fit with a little room at the toe.

I'd like to address two specific sets of rh skates I have: Mission D2c's and Mission D-limiteds. Although both are 9.5 in size, the D2c's have a snugger fit than the limiteds. (I don't know if this is because the limited boot is designed after the purefly, but I fit in a 9.5 purefly skate also, not a 9) I just wear thicker socks and ankle braces to give me a snugger fit in the mid to back part of my foot with the limited boot.

Maybe I'm just wierd. My front part of my foot and toes are fairly wide based.

[Shrek 0]

I think Coffee (like Kosy said) wore skates 2-3 sizes smaller, I heard he turned Gretzky onto the idea as well. I think those were only for games though and they used the proper sized skates for practice.

I think Gretzky may have used the small skates all the time - I ran into a guy once who used to work in a rink in LA where Gretzky was shooting a TV commercial. Gretzky left something in his car, and had to walk out into the parking lot with his skates on because if he took them off, his feet would swell up and he couldn't get them back on again. The guy I talked to had to sharpen the skates while they were still on Gretzky's feet!

Gretzky's skates: The Left skate is size 6-DAA and the right skate is size 6.5-DA

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

I remember reading Gretzky's autobiography - he mentioned that his dad would watch him play on TV and assess his skating style and would tell him to switch to smaller skates when his stride got a little sloppy.

[Accord 0]

I feel like I am some sort of freak after reading everyone's experiences. I wear a size 9 tennis shoe, but wear a 9.5 in my mission skates. I tried 8's and 8.5, both way to small. My foot fits in the 9 boot, but my toes and wide part of my foot are totally crammed and make my feet hurt in a matter of minutes, which hurts my skating ability.

A 9.5 gives me a good fit with a little room at the toe.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe that Mission uses a completely different sizing system than any other skate company and Mission skates run 1 to 1.5 sizes larger than other brands. For example an 8 in a CCM skate would be approximate to a 9 or 9.5 in a Mission skate. JR, can you clarify this since you're the resident MSH Mission expert?

[duckjob 1]

From what I recal, missions rh skates run the same as your shoe size, their ice run a half size smaller.

[MDE3 0]

As far as skate tightness goes around the ankles...the fastest skaters I know wear their skates pretty loose around the ankle for the most toe kick, as well as having more feel from side to side to control edges. However the foot being tight to the sole of the skate is also needed to get the best energy transmission. Any movement of the foot relative to the sole of the skate will tend to bleed off energy during the stride. So I guess a tighter fit will tend to give you the most efficient transmission of energy to the blade/wheels, but a flexible upper can help in generating maxiumum speed.

However, if the skate is small enough that you get cramps or lose feel in your feet, obviously this is not your most efficient condition either. If the skate creates pain in your feet, you may also lose some efficiency, as you will tend to adjust your stride to reduce the pain..

[asdfa 0]

again, this is who whole deal with mission's S series skates, keep the actual foot locked. and allow the ankle to move. when i went from 9.5 missions to a 7 bauer, i felt like i could turn alot sharper, because the blade was shorter, and it really helped me with agility.

[Neo5370 132]

As far as skate tightness goes around the ankles...the fastest skaters I know wear their skates pretty loose around the ankle for the most toe kick, as well as having more feel from side to side to control edges. However the foot being tight to the sole of the skate is also needed to get the best energy transmission. Any movement of the foot relative to the sole of the skate will tend to bleed off energy during the stride. So I guess a tighter fit will tend to give you the most efficient transmission of energy to the blade/wheels, but a flexible upper can help in generating maxiumum speed.

However, if the skate is small enough that you get cramps or lose feel in your feet, obviously this is not your most efficient condition either. If the skate creates pain in your feet, you may also lose some efficiency, as you will tend to adjust your stride to reduce the pain..

I would've totally agreed w/ your ankle movement comment a week ago.

Even power skaters teach that knees are almost bent at 90 degrees and ankles are bent at around 60 degrees for proper posture and stride.

And that's how I always skated.........deep knee and ankle bend and I had good form.

However I recently tried taping my tendon guards to my leg a la paul coffey, and after about 30 minutes I could still achieve proper posture and stride, albeit more knee bend to compensate for a little less ankle bend.

I was sprinting just about as quickly I thought.

I guess it's whatever you get used to. But yes, technically ankle freedom is paramount for mobility and toe flick.