How To Choose The Right Ice Hockey Skates & Find The Ultimate Fit (2024)

09/06/2022

Why is getting the perfect hockey skate fit important?

Well-fitted ice skates not only help you to perform your best, but they’ll help you to avoid pain and injury whilst you’re on the ice. It may seem a daunting choice from all of the available ice skate models in store and online, but we want choosing your next skate to be an enjoyable experience, so we’ve put together this skate fitting guide.

A skate that isn’t properly sized can be uncomfortable and painful, impacting on your performance and enjoyment. An ill-fitted skate can cause blisters, damage the vital support in the boot, or ruin your enjoyment of the game.

We’ve used our expert knowledge to advise on how to choose the best ice hockey skate for you and to help you to avoid these issues.

The basics - how should ice hockey skates fit?

• Don’t presume you require your usual shoe size! Typically, you will end up in a skate that is smaller than your regular shoe size.
• Fit is key. When purchasing skates for younger players, compensating for growth and buying bigger skates, may hinder your little one's enjoyment and development. It is better to choose a mid-price skate that fits now instead of high-end professional ice skates that will fit next year.
• The ideal fit for ice hockey skates is snug with the least amount of negative space. This may feel strange to some people initially, as this is much more fitted than regular footwear.

• Top tip: when you’re trying on a new skate, make sure you wear the iceskate socks you plan on wearing during skating. We recommend a thin performance skate sock. Whether you opt for a low or high sock is down to personal preference.

• Ice hockey skates are designed for exactly what they say - playing ice hockey. Ensure you buy a player skate or goalie skate - don’t buy a recreational skate, a speed skate or a figure skating skate; they are used for different sports and require a different fit.

• Skate stiffness is important. Usually, the stiffer boots are a better choice for experienced or heavier players as they have strong ankle support and enhanced power. Although a reasonable level of stiffness is required for newer and lighter players so there’s enough support, a very stiff boot can impact movement on the ice for beginners.

Size up at home

There are two ways to find your hockey skate size if you’re ordering online. The first is quick and simple using your shoe size. The second is much more accurate and is our recommendation.

Shoe size to hockey skate size guide

The simplest way is to use your shoe size to find what size skate is likely to be the best fit. Assuming your shoe size is correct, we would recommend selecting a skate box size half to one size below your shoe size.

However, in our experience, we have found that the majority of players are not wearing the correct shoe size. In most footwear, you can accept a little more space without any detrimental effects on performance. This is certainly not the case with ice hockey skates.

Therefore, if you cannot visit a local store to be sized by fitting experts, we would highly recommend using the more accurate method below.

Accurate measuring of skate length and width

• Put on the socks you would wear to play hockey and trace around your foot onto paper (do so on a hard, flat surface). Make sure you keep your pen/paper straight so you don’t trace underneath your foot.

• Measure in millimetres (mm) from the furthest point of your toes to the back of your heel, giving you your foot length measurement. Using this measurement, take a look at our conversion chart below to find the most suitable size.

• When selecting your width fitting online (regular/D/EE etc.), if you typically have no width issues with normal footwear, we would recommend selecting a regular/D fitting.

• If you do have trouble with regular footwear widths, we would suggest trying the EE width option to cater for the wider foot.

Now you know what skate size you require, it’s time to choose a skate type based on your fit profile. The fit profile of a skate refers to the combination of volume within the skate, heel depth and fit dynamics.

Bauer Ice Skate Families

Bauer Ice Skate Fits

The Bauer performance skate fit system lets you choose the Vapor or Supreme skate that matches your style and performance AND be assured that you will be covered by one of our three distinct fits that encompass the widest range of foot shapes.

Fit 1 – Low Profile

Shallow heel depth, shallow instep height, minimal ankle wrap and a narrow forefoot

Fit 2 – Medium Profile

Standard heel depth, standard instep height, medium ankle wrap and medium forefoot width

Fit 3 – High Profile

Deep heel depth, tall instep height, large ankle wrap and a wide forefoot

CCM Ice Skate Families

CCM Ice Skate Fits

The CCM 3D Fit System offers Low, Medium and High Profile fit options in their elite price points so players can choose their skate that best suits their game.

How to test if your skate fits properly

It’s vital that your ankle is supported when you’re on the ice to avoid injury. The finger test is a great test used to check that your skate fits properly around your ankle.

Skate fit test for junior players

1. Loosen the skate laces to allow the foot to be pushed to the front of the skate with the toes brushing the end.
2. Slide to the edge of the seat so that you can see down the back of the skate.
3. From this position, check how many fingers can be slid between the hockey skate and the heel.
4. The ability to slide just one finger down and no more, is the optimum fit.
5. Should the skate be ill fitting, it will result in blisters, premature skate wear and a decrease in skating ability due to a lack of ankle stability.

Skate fit test for senior players

1. As leaving room for growth is no longer necessary, we are looking for a snug fit.
2. With the heel pushed into the back of the skate, tie the laces as you would for skating.
3. When stood up straight, your toes should brush the end of the skates.
4. Once you bend your knees and adopt the skating stance, your toes should no longer be touching the front.

When the skates are tied, you should experience no heel lift when walking/skating. If your heel does move, this is a sign of an ill-fitting skate and your performance and comfort could suffer.

Scan your foot in store

Alternatively, you can visitus in store to be assisted by our fitting expertswho will scan your feet. These foot scanners provide precise, accurate information to assist in finding the perfect skate fit for you.

Custom Ice Skates

Bauer Custom Ice Skates

MyBauer custom ice skates are a one-of-a-kind customised skate engineered for your feet. Utilising laser precision with the 3D Skate Lab scanner, it can be tailored to every detail of your feet.

MyBauer creates a 3D model, the measurements are scanned and the skate is built to the exact shape of your foot, ensuring the best fit and performance.

What’s more, you can even customise them with your name and number on the tongue and also choose from a selection of liners, runners and eyelets.

TRUE Custom Ice Skates

TRUE also offer a fully custom fit skate for ice hockey players. The state-of-the-art TRUE software scans your feet in-store, to produce a highly accurate and detailed, digital 3D model of your feet.

This technology highlights any problems with your feet, such as those from injuries or just where they may not be comfortable in other skates.

Next, you can further personalise your skates with a variety of colours, different tongue types, additional shot blocking protection and custom embroidery.

Your foot scans and personalisation requirements are then sent to the TRUE engineers to build them using a custom 3D foot last shaped to your exact foot.

Utilising either the in-store TRUE or Bauer scanners allows for the best fit possible to your feet - eliminating any loss of energy and helping you to experience maximum comfort and control.

Heat Moulding

Brand, level and price comparison

You may have your fit in each brand – but then how do you decide which brand and price point to choose?

Hockey skates are available at a range of price points. The more you pay, the more advanced the skate, but the choice depends on your budget and also level of play. As a beginner, you may not need a top of the range skate, and in fact will likely benefit from a softer performance level skate, whereas a competitive player may choose to invest in a top-quality skate.

At Puck Stop we sell ice hockey skates from leading brands such as Bauer, CCM and True.

Level of play

Beginner players usually suit an entry level skate while they learn to play (unless the beginner is a heavier build and needs more support – see below).

For regular players that play at an advanced level, consider the higher level, stiffer skates with new innovative technology to enhance performance.

Ice time

Entry level skates are ideal for the ice one or two times a week. If you skate more than this per week, it would be best to choose an intermediate or advanced skate as they’re more durable.

Weight

The more weight you carry, the stiffer and more supportive your skates should be – whether you’re a beginner or not. Heavier players should consider a higher level of skate than entry level for extra support.

Prioritieswhen purchasing ice hockey skates

With so many elements to consider when purchasing a pair of ice hockey skates, it’s worth prioritising what’s most important.

Here’s the priority order:

• Sizing
• Fit
• Budget/level of play
• Cosmetics

With that in mind, here’s an overview of the different levels of ice hockey skates:

Entry-level beginner ice hockey skates

Entry level ice skates (priced between £50 and £120) are ideal for beginners. They have basic features, and are not too stiff - ensuring movement on the ice isn’t impacted.

Mid-level ice hockey skates

Mid-level ice skates (priced between £120 and £350) provide extra ankle support and are generally more durable than entry-level skates. They come with a few of the higher end features, such as trigger release on the holder. Mid-range skates are ideal for both beginners or more experienced players, who take to the ice fairly regularly.

High-level premium ice hockey skates

High-level premium ice skates (priced between £350 and £780) will be the lightest, stiffest and most durable on the market. They benefit from a thicker, more protective tongue and the most innovative properties. They are suitable for experienced players who are looking for a high-performance skate with top-end features to enhance their play.

We hope this has helped you on your way to choosing the perfect ice skate fit! Still need help? Our team of experts is on hand to help you find exactly what you need - get in touch!

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