Why is it important to measure your feet before the purchase
Measuring your feet to choose the right ice skates size is one of the key steps when buying ice skates.
This is a critical issue when it comes to purchasing your first skates. We encourage our customers to pay maximum commitment and consideration to foot measuring. Indeed, as experience shows, a properly chosen skates size will provide comfort, quality of jumps, and ultimately your safety (as misfit skates can cause a foot or leg injury). The following ice skate sizing guide is based on the long-term experience of our employees and the feedback from our customers.
If you are about to purchase ice skates online and have already chosen a particular manufacturer or a trusted online store, you should know that it is possible to choose skates without fitting.
But we advise you to be mindful of the size selection process.
There are two steps to smart ice skates sizing:
There are two methods that will help you choose the right ice skates size.
The first method is simply selecting a size from the manufacturer’s size chart, but it may sometimes be inaccurate. Although it seems simple, experts suggest thinking twice before taking to it.
We are also strongly against this sizing method, as it has proven unreliable and is most likely to result in choosing the wrong size. (Please note that there is a separate ice skates size chart and its sizes don’t match) regular shoe sizes.
Virtually all people are different, and their feet are different too. The foot length, as well as instep and other individual features, should be taken into consideration.
Sizes vary among different companies and manufacturers, while some customers need a special boot or other specific features. The manufacturer’s website or online stores usually provide special size charts which give insight into these specifics (more on this below).
Now let us help you with one of the most accurate ways of choosing the right ice skates size, which starts with measuring your feet.
The methods of choosing an ice skates size vary markedly among manufacturers. For example, established manufacturers like:
They have their own size charts, which are available on our website. Once again, let us draw your attention to an important fact. If you have already decided on the ice skates’ manufacturer, you should choose the size solely according to the chosen manufacturer’s size chart.
Step 1. Measuring both feet
As a rule of thumb, smart fitting of ice skates size requires measuring two dimensions of the foot – 1) foot length and 2) joint circumference. This is the most advanced and accurate way to measure the ice skate, as it considers the foot length as well as its width and fit. All you will need to get started is a hard surface, a blank piece of paper, a pen or pencil, a tape measure or a ruler, a metric tape, a strip of paper.
- Put the piece of paper on a hard surface.
- If you are going to skate in special socks, put them on. Then step onto the paper and place your foot firmly on the surface of the paper, leaving enough spare space to outline it.
- It is advisable to stand upright during the outlining – you can ask someone from your friends or family to help you outline your feet. If you have no one to ask, don’t worry, just sit down on a chair, relax your feet and focus on placing them firmly on the paper. Make sure that you have left enough spare space around your foot before you start outlining.
- Then, take a pen or pencil and outline your foot. Hold your pen strictly perpendicular to the paper and draw the line as close as possible to the foot, but do not go under it.
- Measure the distance from the end of your longest toe to the end of your heel. That will be your foot length.
Make sure to measure both feet!
Keep in mind that your feet can slightly differ in length. In this case you should consider the bigger foot’s measurements when choosing ice skates size. If the piece of paper you are using is not large enough to fit both of your feet, you can use two separate pieces of paper – each to fit one foot.
Now you have to measure the joint circumference of the widest part of your foot. You will need a metric tape (if you don’t have a metric tape, don’t worry – a narrow strip of paper will do).
The widest part of your foot is typically the area between the joint just below the big toe and the joint just below the pinky toe. It is quite normal if the joint circumference of the widest part of your foot is at angle. Take measures – this will be your foot’s joint circumference (foot width).
Inches or centimeters
Depending on the place of residence, our customers can use both inches and centimeters as measurement units when choosing ice skates size. Our web-site provides different size charts of various manufacturers which can have figures in different measurement units (*inches* normally refer to *international inches*, where 1 inch = 2,54 cm).
For our part, we try to provide our customers with size charts in both inches and centimeters. So if your country traditionally uses metric system, this will not pose any difficulty in choosing and purchasing ice skates in our online store.
Step 2. Finding the most accurate size in the size chart
You are already familiar with the two main foot measurements which are used to choose the ice skates size: foot length and width. Earlier we advised you to use the size chart of the chosen manufacturer. However, the most accurate and reliable way would be using the particular model size chart, not the general size chart. These size charts can easily be found on the page of the product you have chosen.
Find the best ratio of length and width on the chart – this will be your size.
Male, Female, Children
Typically, manufacturers use different sizes for men, women and children – this should be taken into consideration.
When choosing children’s skates, it is necessary to account for the fact that they grow fast. We recommend opting for a bigger size skates (with some room to grow), but not more than half a size. This will be enough at least for one season, until your child’s feet grow to the next size.
When buying ice skates, you should never rely on your old pair’s size – the safest way would be to take new measurements and use them to choose the most accurate size.