Do I need new skates?

[njd07 0]

first of all, im new here...my name is Ian..ive been playing for 16 years, im 22 now. ive been lurking these forums for the past few weeks and decdied to join today.

I recently just got back into hockey after 3 years of not playing, I dunno why I quit. anyways good thing is im back into it, and more then ever. so I go to use my graf 625's size 8.5R and my left toes are now squeezed up against the toe cap. my right foot feels fine...just my left foot is a bit longer. so I went and got them reheat molded today, I found it helped a bit but still I dont think I could play in them for an hours play without huge discomfort. I'm thinking of buying some size 9R grafs(tryed on a bunch today, I think g3 ultras fit my feet the best). before I buy a new pair of skates, does anyone know If I can stretch my current 625's maybe a half size in length??? I was reading on this website: http://www99.epinions.com/content_3832651908

When sitting with the boots first on and not laced, they might feel uncomfortably short. Don’t panic. First you should kick back into the boot. Kick the heel of the skate on the floor a couple of times to make sure your heel is settled back. Next lace the skates up and make sure they are tight. The forefoot area should be snug, but not crushing. As you get to where the eyelets start to turn towards the vertical portion of the boot, tighten these up a little tighter. This will pull your heel back into the proper position. When laced and still sitting, you might still feel like the skates are too short. Don’t make your judgment yet. With both skates on and laced tight, stand up. You should notice a little less pressure on your toes at this point. Pay close attention though as they should still touch the end of the skate. Now the important part, bend your knees so they are over your toes. You should feel your toes pull off the toecap or still be just lightly brushing against them. This is the perfect length of boot for you.

Keep in mind two things if this type of fit seems a little too short. First the heel pockets of the boots will compress as they break in and actually give you a little more room for length. Second, if by some chance the boots are uncomfortably short after breaking them in, you can still have them stretched for length. Had you erred on the side of buying a pair that was too long, you would have to replace your skates.

[schrempsky 0]

yes stretch half size will work

[big_bt 0]

stretching the width will help .. length is iffy. its either it works or it doesnt.

get your LHS to punch the heel of the bigger foot and hopefully it'll kick your foot back a bit and thus having more room in the front.

good luck to you!