Have Your Skates Fit Like The Pros With FREE Custom Fitting!
Now that I have your attention, let’s talk feet. When buying a pair of skates the most important thing you can do is to buy one that FITS your foot. I don’t just mean heel to toe, I mean a real custom fit. Any joker can take the measuring gauge, grab a size 8 from the back, put it on your foot and ask you how it feels. Feeling is nothing, fit is everything.
The most important part of skate fitting is achieving good heel lock. The heel dictates what skate will fit your foot. Poor heel lock causes blistering, pump bumps, heel spurs and total lack of energy transfer which will result in poor performance. So a wide heel skate may “feel” great out of the box, but once you get on the ice and use for a while, it may be a whole different story.
There are two types of heel shapes, straight and pronounced. (See image below) A straight heel is exactly as it sounds, the tendon is straight with the heel. A pronounced heel has a distinct curve or contour. Matching your heel to the right model of skate can be a tricky exercise, but it’s so important to get the right heel fit as it determines the effectiveness of the overall skate fit!
Once we’ve found out what heel shape you are then we look at forefoot width to aid in the fitting process (See image above). There are generally three widths of skates – narrow, regular and wide. Bear in mind that that just because you have a wide forefoot, doesn’t mean you need a wide skate. It all depends on the width of your heel! It’s quite easy for a fit professional manipulate the walls of the skate boot to accommodate unusual bone protrusions in the forefoot area.
The next part of the foot we look at is the instep- or in skate fitting terminology, boot depth (See image below). If the instep is not fit properly it could cause major damage to your foot and skate. A skate that is to shallow for your foot will result in lace bite. Lace bite is the result of the laces digging into the tendons and veins on the top of the foot which in turn cuts off the circulation to the foot (painful indeed). Similarily, if the skate is too deep for the foot that will result in a sloppy fit and encourage the player to overcompensate by tying the skate too tight, again leading to the dreaded lace bite scenario.
Once the heel is fit, that’s when the custom process begins. A true professional will fit the heel then heat fit the skate and then make any adjustment via boot press (stretch or punch), underfoot support, blade alignment, or contouring. Stretching and punching the skate will minimize the “break in” period and make the skate feel game ready. A bit a patience is usually needed to get the perfect fit. It may take a couple skates and some additional boot work but eventually that skate will become perfect.
Now that you know what you should expect when you are shopping for skates, make sure you don’t settle for anything less than a pair of skates that feel like a second layer of skin. Skates are a huge investment and are your most important piece of equipment. Whether you’re playing competitively or you’re a beer league superstar, fit is everything. Even if you’re on a budget, you can still have a custom fit skate. The best skate is not necessarily the most expensive, it’s the one that fits best.
So if your skates are giving you blisters, aches, pains, feeling sloppy or are just beaten up and ready to be replaced come in and talk to one of our skate fitting professionals that are always on site. Let us analyze your foot and deliver you game changing results!
May the Force be with you,
CHABBY WAN KENOBE
