Equipment: Looking for advice on skate sizing

[slewjis]

I'm new to ice skating, and am trying to pick up my first pair. I've only been a few times now, but I did a lot of rollerblading when I was younger so I have a pretty good sense for what I'm feeling in my feet/legs when on a blade. I went to my local pro shop and had the CCM 3D fit scanner done on my feet and was recommended a size 11 Ribcor, with the jetspeed as second. Unfortunately they didn't have any size 11's so I actually ended up in a 11.5 jetspeed. The jetspeed felt ok at the time, reasonably snug with enough room for my toes. I thought they felt fine but I didn't know better, so they got baked and sharpened. Now that I've been on the ice a few times with them though, I think they are too big. When i walk around on the padding outside the rink, I don't feel stable in them--I feel like I have too much tendency to wobble one way or the other. Out on the ice I don't feel solid and I think my foot is moving around too much inside the skate--they feel too much like a shoe and not like a tight boot. I'm sure I'm not great at tightening the laces yet, but I get them as tight as I can with a lace puller and still feel the roominess. I did try skating with a superfeet insert but found my feet were twice as sore twice as fast--didn't feel right.

SO, I decided to order a size 11 Ribcor. Imagine my surprise upon sliding them on and feeling my toes slam right up against the toecap. I measured my feet before ordering just to confirm, I'm right around 11.5 inches or 29.2cm. For CCM size 11 is 29.4 and size 11.5 is 29.8, for reference. After lacing up tight I definitely get a small amount of relief for my toes but I still can feel the edge more than just a 'feathering'. I haven't skated on these yet, but walking around the house (with blade guard on) seems much more stable than the 11.5 jetspeeds. Having my knees bent of course also helps to create a bit more room, but I'm still adjusting to that stance as a newbie. I also tried the superfeet inserts with the Ribcors, but I found that the heel lock inside the boot no longer hit my foot right, and also no significant toe room was created.

I'm not sure what to do. Part of me wants to go ahead and bake the 11 Ribcors to see if they feet my fit a bit better. Will this have any substantial impact on the fit from a toe perspective? The (lack of) toe room is very noticeable and concerning, but I can also tell how much better these are at fitting the rest of my foot than the jetspeeds. Do i suck it up and deal with the toe pain to get better stability and response, and/or will the skates loosen up and fit better over time? Or do I stay with the larger jetspeeds and just learn how to control them better? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks in advance guys!

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[HansonBro]

You do not want your toes touching. Thats a stinger waiting to happen.

If your current 11.5 is your only other option (which sounds odd) try a thicker sock, wax laces and a few wraps of clear tape just above the ankle.

Wax laces stay tighter throughout the game.

I dont have the skate fit problem you have or the need for wax laces, but i definately feel naked without the clear tape say at a public skate or something. The extra support is noticeable in keeping edges etc...

 

[AIREAYE]

You do not want your toes touching. Thats a stinger waiting to happen.

If your current 11.5 is your only other option (which sounds odd) try a thicker sock, wax laces and a few wraps of clear tape just above the ankle.

Wax laces stay tighter throughout the game.

I dont have the skate fit problem you have or the need for wax laces, but i definately feel naked without the clear tape say at a public skate or something. The extra support is noticeable in keeping edges etc...

Disagree with this. There should be that feathering feeling. I outline a proper skate sizing in page one of the Skate Buying Guide that's stickied.

slew, when a skate is baked and broken in, more length will inevitably be felt due to the foams/materials compressing and contouring with your foot. When you skate, you are almost always going to be knees bent anyways. All of these factors make me think that the size 11 Ribcors are the best bet.

 

[HOPE]

easy short and sweet answer:

the sizing needs to be as tight as possible without being too small, while foot flat you don't want your toe to be touching the edge or BARELY even feel it, but you want your toe to flirt with the edge when your raising it!

as for how tight your laces needs to be thats all preference, some like to have a bit of a loosen feel, some like VERY tight feel, personally i tight my skate as much as possible and want my ankle to be one with my foot. as for the size the trick i told you is standard. the better the fitting the less power you lose.