Hockey skates are an integral piece of any hockey uniform, because they affect a skater's speed, balance and ability to stop and turn on the ice. It's important to know how to fit hockey skates to a skater's foot and skating style. Here are a few tips on how to fit hockey skates.
Steps:
1.Wear hockey socks.
Bring along any ankle or foot braces or wraps that you wear when you play hockey. These will alter how hockey skates fit, so put them on when trying out different skates.
2.Start with a size smaller than your shoe size.
Your skate size will probably be smaller than the size shoe you normally wear. Try a half-size or full-size below your normal shoe size and go into a larger size if needed.
3.Adjust your heel in the skate.
Tap the heel of the skate blade gently against the floor a few times after putting your foot into the skate. This will position your heel properly in the heel of the skate boot and help you size hockey skates correctly.
4.Evaluate your toe position in the skate.
Your toes should barely touch the front toe of the hockey skate. The skate is too small if your toes are bunched up or pressed hard against the front of the skate. Try a smaller size if your toe doesn't touch the front of the boot.
5.Lace the skates tightly.
A properly laced skate should not allow your foot or ankle to move. Try a smaller size if the ankle of the boot has gaps or bunches up when you lace the skate.
6. Try a skating position.
Bend at the knees and put your center of gravity over your feet like you would if you were skating. Evaluate how stable your foot feels in the boot and whether the hockey skate allows for any excess movement of your foot and ankle.
7.Walk around in the skates.
Take a few steps to see how your foot moves inside the skate. The skate could be too big if your foot moves up and down inside the skate while you walk. It's too small if your foot feels cramped.
Wear guards on the blades of the skates to avoid chipping or scratching them when you walk.
Article courtesy:http://www.wikihow.com/Fit-Hockey-Skates
FAQs
Proper Fit: Your toes should just barely brush up against the toe box and the forefoot should be wrapped comfortably inside the skate without a lot of pressure. The heel should be locked in the heel pocket and not be able to move when giving the knees a bend.
How do I make sure my hockey skates fit? ›
Slide to the edge of the seat so that you can see down the back of the skate. From this position, check how many fingers can be slid between the hockey skate and the heel. The ability to slide just one finger down and no more, is the optimum fit.
How do I know my hockey skate size? ›
A proper fit for hockey skates should fit 1-1.5 sizes smaller than your street shoes. Your toes should barely touch the toe cap, while having no more than 1/4 inch of space in the heel. When you're finished lacing up your skates, they should feel snug with the foot resting flat on the footbed.
How should hockey skates fit around ankle? ›
The toe area and the area high above the ankles should be tied so they are moderately snug or even on the loose side. The tightest area of lacing should be from a point above the ball of the foot back to a point just above the ankle bone i.e. the top 2 or 3 eyelets. This is where the most support is required.
How do I know if my hockey skates are too small? ›
The heel should be locked in the heel pocket and not be able to move when giving the knees a bend. Improper Fit: If there is an uncomfortable amount of pressure, the skates are too small. If the foot has too much room and is able to move inside of the skate, especially the heel, the skates are too big.
How do I know if my skates fit properly? ›
There should be no slippage of your foot in the skate boots. The skate boot should fit snug, not loose not like your slippers you wear around your house, or your slip on shoes. Your toes should either barely touch the end of your boot or be almost touching.
How do I know if my hockey skates are too big? ›
Take them out and check: The right size will be indicated by a clear foot imprint, no further than 10mm from the end. The toes will be distinct and the heel clear. A gap of more than 10mm indicates the boot is too big.
How do I know what size skate to wear? ›
Method #1. Generally speaking, youth and junior figure skates fit a half size down from your regular shoe size, while adult skates generally fit 1.0 size down from your regular shoe size. For example, a woman skater wearing a size 9.0 shoe would select a size 8.0 figure skate.
How should hockey skates feel? ›
One of the hardest things to understand for players who are new to the game of hockey is the way that their skates should fit. Unlike shoes, skates should offer a snug fit, tight but not painfully so.
How do you know if your skates are too loose? ›
Skates Are Too Big If: You can scootch your foot forward in the boot and make a space behind your heel. If you can fit your finger down the back of the boot and touch the bottom that's a size too big.
Sprains usually strike when a joint goes into excessive range of motion, stretching the ligaments beyond their capacity. Taping attempts to prevent your joint from going into these risky ranges of motion." Athletic taping primarily works by keeping your joint from moving too far in any one direction.
How do I make my hockey skates tighter around my ankles? ›
Lace skates up your foot just enough that there is little slack in the laces, then when you get to the mid three eyelets at the bend of your ankle, tap the heel of your skate on the ground and then tighten those three eyelets at your ankle as tight as you can comfortably get them and pull your heel into the very back ...
How do NHL players tie their skates? ›
The laces should be threaded under the two eyelets on each side, then crossed over the shoe and tied in a knot. From beneath, tie the lace diagonally across each eyelet, then down the tongue and around the next eyelet on the other side. Continue doing this until all eyelets have been lace tied.
How do I know if my ice skates are too loose? ›
Skates need to be tight in just the right place. You need to keep the laces above your foot loose, you should be able to move them easily back and forth and wiggle your toes till you get up your foot to the three eyelets right in the bend in your ankle.
How tight should hockey shoes be? ›
When fitting Hockey Pants, the general rule of thumb is that you want them to be snug, but comfortable while at the waist level. This will ensure that they do not slide down during gameplay. While standing with Hockey Pants on, they will usually rest one or two inches above the kneecap of your shin guards.
