Fitting skates as a LHS worker

[YouTuuk 0]

Here is another "trick" of mine for fitting, before you goto LHS take your "best fitting old skate" totally unlaced ( no laces ). Put your foot in and see how it "fits" taking special note of extra room in the back, when you push your toes to the front.

Keep this "space" in mind, then goto LHS and do the same thing. Try to match the "space" for length. Most people say you should have at least "one finger" of space in the back for a good fit, and do this for your smallest foot.

Anymore than "one finger" and you may get slippage in the heal....

What do others think? Any more tricks, we all could use them.

[cougarscaptain87 12]

i use one finger to one and a half for growing children. for adults who want a "performance fit" i use the same as when i was working in a ski shop. when you stand up your toes should barley graise the toe cap. when you skate your knees are always bent which drives your heels back which inturn pulls your toes away from the toe cap making it a comfortable snug fit once properly broken in.

[YouTuuk 0]

I think reducing volume in the toebox would only cause problems with your toes and not force your foot further back in the boot.

You maybe right, I guess it depends on what material you use and if you get the exact curature of the toe box correct. Any way you slice it if somebody is putting "foam" or anything in the toebox they are already in desperate straits for fit - and are one step away from the call "We have a problem Houston..."

But believe me when you buys skates for $$$$ people will do crazy things before selling them on ebay for $ take it from me. LOL

Give me heat, give me pressure, give me a toe punch, give me duct tape...but don't give me ebay!!! --- but sometime it better to take your loss and move on.

[VakarLajos 5]

Even if a customer says, "I wear a size 10 shoe", I still measure. People wear their shoes differently, so what they feel comfortable in may not be their true shoe size. It's my job to make sure they're getting a correct fit so I'm not going to half-ass it.

In growing children once the skate is on we have them push their toes all the way up so they lie against the toe-box. If there is room for the width of a finger in the heel than it's a pretty good length. We've found that giving kids a half-size is usually the best way to go. It allows them to grow enough so their parents aren't forced to buy a new pair in 3 months, but also snug enough where they can skate properly and safely.

With older customers, we recommend going smaller because a smaller skate can always be made bigger. I say "recommend" because the final decision is up to the consumer.

As for foam in the toe-box. This is not something I would do. Anybody with a 3/4 size difference is in a bit of a quandry. I think it would depend on the level and frequency they are skating at, and how much they are able to spend.

[Sprungster 5]

Here is another "trick" of mine for fitting, before you goto LHS take your "best fitting old skate" totally unlaced ( no laces ). Put your foot in and see how it "fits" taking special note of extra room in the back, when you push your toes to the front.

Keep this "space" in mind, then goto LHS and do the same thing. Try to match the "space" for length. Most people say you should have at least "one finger" of space in the back for a good fit, and do this for your smallest foot.

Anymore than "one finger" and you may get slippage in the heal....

What do others think? Any more tricks, we all could use them.

All of my experience is as a consumer. I've always bought different boots to mount for samples. And gotten freebie boots from companies. And from mounting customer's boots. I try on everything that comes through and the first thing I look for is the above mentioned "space". This has taken me to a lot of LHS's where I tried on a lot of different boots.

With that said, if somebody (including my self), has a broken in boot that fits them "perfectly", I can think that maybe half the battle's won. That's the footbed, including the width, length and shape. Almost all the wrap info is there, too.

This can get weird however, as a lot of heels do sink in correctly when cooked, and there is more toe space when it happens. And the "space" isn't there until it does happen.

Having samples that are already cooked and demoed can give a true look at the real fit. We've proved it at tournaments, where players actually discover a new brand because there are samples there to use. And our samples always sell quickly. This is pure early Nike marketing, and it's where I got this most excellent idea.

[Hockeydog 8]

I'm not a LHS pro but I've gone thru a lot of skates. I have fit for the smaller foot and lost a toenail on the bigger foot because of one pair of skates, but one another I could fit to the smaller foot. I think once a buyer and their LHS pro have the model isolated they should try a pair for each foot length and see which works the best. People think skate buying doesn't take that long but if one wants the best skate and the best fit for their given price point they need to spend some time with a LHS that is knowledgeable and also willing to spend the time. I do know a few players who skate like the wind and have skates 1 size too big and I have run the gamut of skate sizing myself. I skate better with skates that fit as close as possible

[YouTuuk 0]

Here is another little trick for length at least. You look at the number on the holder and that is the size of the holder in millimeters. You can use this as a guide. As JR once said, "millimeters never lie"...

But I may add to that, "mm's never lie, but skate padding always lies..." LOL

So just use it as a guide for length.

For example my Bauer 6500's ( used 5 years ) 11.5 D the holder is 296mm

I used a caliper to measure the inside from heal to toe and its 11 12/16"

My Vapor XXV's ( new ) 11.5 D the holder is 296mm and the inside measures

11 11/16"

My old CCM 952's 12.0 D the holder is 304mm and measure 12", so they are a little big and the space in the heal it pretty large.

So whenever I buy a new brand, I look at the holder size, but also good to have a pair of cheap calipers ( from local hardware store $1.99 ) and bring it right in the LHS....

Hey when your paying $300 bucks for skates, who cares who laughs at you!!!

You will have the last laugh with a good fitting pair of skates.

[tsanga 0]

Is each holder length used on two sizes of boots?

For example, your 296mm holders on 11.5, and maybe 11.0?

[YouTuuk 0]

Is each holder length used on two sizes of boots?

For example, your 296mm holders on 11.5, and maybe 11.0?

thats a good question, quick who is working in a LHS right now - give us some holder numbers on lets say Vapor XXV's on size 11.0, better yet I am sure somebody will have an answer off top of their head. Thats why calipers is good, if you had a perfect fitting skate in the past, just measure the inside length and that number is GOLDEN!!!

...but GOLDEN for lenght, because FIT is a compliated business.

...also GOLDEN if you stopped growing. LOL

[Oberon 0]

Is each holder length used on two sizes of boots?

For example, your 296mm holders on 11.5, and maybe 11.0?

Yes, and (depending on manufacturer) maybe also on a 10.5E

[tomh7 2]

i use one finger to one and a half for growing children. for adults who want a "performance fit" i use the same as when i was working in a ski shop. when you stand up your toes should barley graise the toe cap. when you skate your knees are always bent which drives your heels back which inturn pulls your toes away from the toe cap making it a comfortable snug fit once properly broken in.

When I fit myself for skates, without lacing them up, I kick my heel back and want my toes to be barely touching the toecap while sittng down. This results in the same feel (at least for me) when I stand up with them laced up. This is my personal preference.

[Rustpot 1]

Be sure to pencil-test them for depth as well.

After using my Vectors it's not apparent until I've been in them for ~15 minutes that there is a fit issue, something that probably wouldn't have come up during fitting at my LHS.

[SolarWind 23]

I was always told to fit for the smaller foot as the boot can always be stretched and adjusted. A larger skate cannot be shrunken.

just curious if foot length is the issue (one foot if 1/2 size longer then the other - big toe I guess), and I hear that plastic toecaps can not be punched then what?

How much size increase could one expect from stretching a boot?

[YouTuuk 0]

just curious if foot length is the issue (one foot if 1/2 size longer then the other - big toe I guess), and I hear that plastic toecaps can not be punched then what?

How much size increase could one expect from stretching a boot?

prolly 1/2 size for a stretch...

[SolarWind 23]

so technically how does stretching work if the plastic toecap isn't stretchable? the quarter stretches instead? what about the possible integrity issues (the joint between the cup & the boot rips off like a few people posted)?

[YouTuuk 0]

so technically how does stretching work if the plastic toecap isn't stretchable? the quarter stretches instead? what about the possible integrity issues (the joint between the cup & the boot rips off like a few people posted)?

Lets put it this way, when stretching the boot - What streaches is the weakest material beetween the ToeCap and the Heel, your hope is that it stretches pretty evenly among the boot - Or LHS guy can determine where it stretches by only heating a certain area.

Now I had a pair of Mission rollerblades stretched once and I guess the toe cap was glued to the boot in some way, because when he stretched it ( about 1/2 size ) there was now about 1/4" gap between the toecap and the boot, but it rehardened and I had no trouble with the toecap - only looks funny with the gap.

A boot stretch is like playing playing the lottery, sometimes you win - sometimes you lose. Go in there with a stiff uppper lip.