Skate Length Help Needed - CCM Ribcor 50k

[calixguy18 8]

Hey everyone, I just picked up two pairs of CCM Ribcore 50ks in a 8.5EE and a 9EE and I'm trying to figure out which one to keep based on length. The 9 feels about the right length but I'm worried that when it gets baked and breaks in, that it'll be too long. It also feels just a hair roomy overall. I think if the skates ended up fitting like this after baking and skating, it would be a good enough fit.

The 8.5 feels great around the heel but my toes are a little crammed in the front. Ideally, I'd want this skate but with a little more length (1/4" maybe).

There is a lot of padding in the 50ks so I'm not sure how much it'll condense. I think the perfect size would be 8 3/4 EE. Any advice on which one to keep?

*I do need the EE width as I have wide feet.

[jonesy9020 77]

Keep the 9. If it fits better out of the box it'll fit better after the bake. The only time baking affects length is when your heel doesn't settle in the pocket because the pocket is too narrow. The roominess you mention should also be reduced when you laced up after baking and things wrap a little better.

[AIREAYE 248]

Please lace up both pairs of skates one after the other as you would normally and stand with your knees bent, leaning slightly forward. For a perfect fit length-wise, your toes should be grazing the front of the toe cap (don't extend your toes on purpose of course, let them move naturally.

Then, report back.

[calixguy18 8]

Please lace up both pairs of skates one after the other as you would normally and stand with your knees bent, leaning slightly forward. For a perfect fit length-wise, your toes should be grazing the front of the toe cap (don't extend your toes on purpose of course, let them move naturally.

Then, report back.

I did as you instructed and the 9s are more of what you described as the perfect fit. With the 8.5s, my toes are touching way more and are almost curled. I'm just worried that the 9s will form or break down and become too big. Should that be a concern?

The 8.5s lock my foot in better and takes less pumps. Hopefully after baking the 9s will fit better like jonesy said?

[AIREAYE 248]

While I can't comment on the overall fit, I would go size 9. If heel lock is still good with moderate lacing, you should be fine.

[laserrobottime 149]

What time of day are you lacing these up and testing the fit? Remember your feet will swell and expand after a day's activity, so don't measure right away in the morning.

[jonesy9020 77]

If your toes are curled the 8.5 will not work. No skate will open up that much with a bake. Of the two, the 9 is clearly the better bet. Not saying they'll work for you better than any other skate out there, but if you've liked ribcors in the past or tried on multiple models this time, take the plunge on the 9.

[calixguy18 8]

What time of day are you lacing these up and testing the fit? Remember your feet will swell and expand after a day's activity, so don't measure right away in the morning.

I did the last fitting test at around midnight.

If your toes are curled the 8.5 will not work. No skate will open up that much with a bake. Of the two, the 9 is clearly the better bet. Not saying they'll work for you better than any other skate out there, but if you've liked ribcors in the past or tried on multiple models this time, take the plunge on the 9.

I'm coming to the same conclusion on the 9s. I'm just overly worried since these are the best fitting skate I've found in a while. Pretty much every skate I've worn in the past and the all the ones I've tried on in the current generation (pretty much all of them) have had some form of heel slippage. The 9s lock my heel in pretty well now so I don't want to lose it if the skates loosen up and end up being too big.

[jonesy9020 77]

I mean, you don't HAVE to bake them. If you like the heel lock and feel you can snug it up around your ankle now by just tying tight and using the pump, you can just stick with it that way. I highly doubt that baking them will make the heel lock worse, just the opposite in fact, but the Ribcors are among the softer top end skates out there, so you can definitely mold them "the old fashioned way" by just breaking them in with a lot of skating. I broke in my One.7s (granted, a softer boot) without baking and skated on them for 4 months before I got eventually got them baked. They're a bit more comfortable in the forefoot now, but not a huge difference.

[calixguy18 8]

I mean, you don't HAVE to bake them. If you like the heel lock and feel you can snug it up around your ankle now by just tying tight and using the pump, you can just stick with it that way. I highly doubt that baking them will make the heel lock worse, just the opposite in fact, but the Ribcors are among the softer top end skates out there, so you can definitely mold them "the old fashioned way" by just breaking them in with a lot of skating. I broke in my One.7s (granted, a softer boot) without baking and skated on them for 4 months before I got eventually got them baked. They're a bit more comfortable in the forefoot now, but not a huge difference.

Well I'm also concerned with them breaking in and becoming roomier as well. The heel pads in the Ribcors are like an inch thick. I'm worried that if my feet sink back 1/4 to 1/2 an inch, they'll be too big.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

You definitely want to bake any modern skate. They're specifically designed to be heat molded.

[Chadd 916]

Well I'm also concerned with them breaking in and becoming roomier as well. The heel pads in the Ribcors are like an inch thick. I'm worried that if my feet sink back 1/4 to 1/2 an inch, they'll be too big.

You aren't going to get anywhere close to half an inch in extra space, unless you have an exceptionally wide heel. At most, you will get 1/4 size longer after baking.

I mean, you don't HAVE to bake them. If you like the heel lock and feel you can snug it up around your ankle now by just tying tight and using the pump, you can just stick with it that way. I highly doubt that baking them will make the heel lock worse, just the opposite in fact, but the Ribcors are among the softer top end skates out there, so you can definitely mold them "the old fashioned way" by just breaking them in with a lot of skating. I broke in my One.7s (granted, a softer boot) without baking and skated on them for 4 months before I got eventually got them baked. They're a bit more comfortable in the forefoot now, but not a huge difference.

Not really, they are designed to be baked and no amount of use will replace baking.

[jonesy9020 77]

Not really, they are designed to be baked and no amount of use will replace baking.

You definitely want to bake any modern skate. They're specifically designed to be heat molded.

This is why I capitalized when saying that he doesn't HAVE to bake. I'd still highly encourage baking, but if he thinks they fit alright as is, and thinks the might not fit after baking, who am I to tell him what to do? Honestly just trying to help OP pick the right skate.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

If baking makes the skate not fit, it was the wrong skate to begin with.

[calixguy18 8]

This is why I capitalized when saying that he doesn't HAVE to bake. I'd still highly encourage baking, but if he thinks they fit alright as is, and thinks the might not fit after baking, who am I to tell him what to do? Honestly just trying to help OP pick the right skate.

If baking makes the skate not fit, it was the wrong skate to begin with.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the advice. The reason I'm so worried about the fit post baking and breaking in is because I've read and heard so much about how if skates fit right out of the box, then they're not going to fit later on. Also that skates should be a bit tight and uncomfortabel at first and so on. Having my last 5 pairs or so not fit right, I'm just overly cautious.

[jonesy9020 77]

Yeah, I think that rule of thumb may have applied better with older skates. It may have some applicability still, but only if your heel is really big and isn't backed up all the way into the heel pocket. If you wanna be 100% sure, put em on and kick your heels hard back into the pocket on rubber flooring. That's about where your toes are gonna be after baking.