Boot fitting questions

[newbiesk8r]

Hi!

(TLDR questions at the end, the ramble is just for context lol)

I just got a fitting today, and the fitter measured my foot with one of those things you step on, and then had me try on a Jackson freestyle in size 6 wide. It fit pretty well, but on my smaller foot, I was feeling some pressure on top of my foot slightly further down from where the tounge meets the toebox. The fitter did say that I had a high instep. I asked if this was something that could be fixed by heat molding, but she said no. I did also feel like my feet were slightly having a sliding/sinking down feeling, but I had trouble describing it. She then tried adding another insole, which I think may have made the pressure on the top worse, so she cut off half of the second insole she added, but I forget how that felt. She then had me try on the Elle in a half size bigger, and I think they felt a bit more comfortable, so she is going to order that size in the freestyle for me to try on. I'm just concerned about them being too big. when I asked about my different sized feet, she said that they fit it to the bigger sized foot, which threw me off because I thought that you usually fit it to the smaller and stretched the other one for the bigger foot. She did also gave me step on the insole for the 6z but I did see that there was still some room at the end, so I'm not sure if the 6's are too big as well... I did not feel my toes touching the end of the boot in either of them.

Anyways, I appologize for the long ramble lol, my TLDR questions are:

1. Are fitters able to punch out the area where the tounge meets the toebox?
2. Is it normal for the back collar of the boot to be putting pressure on the ankle? Will this go away with breaking in the boots?
3. Should I request to try on a 5.5? I'm unsure if the seam on the tounge of the 6 is lining up weirdly with my toes, if the boots are to long?
4. How can I tell if a pair of skates are too big while trying them on in store? Should I be able to touch the end of it with my toes?

I apologize for all of the questions and rambling, I'm just very anxious about buying the right thing, and spending so much money on them lol. I struggle with shopping for regular shoes so idk why I expected this to be easy lol. Thank you in advance!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Hi!

(TLDR questions at the end, the ramble is just for context lol)

I just got a fitting today, and the fitter measured my foot with one of those things you step on, and then had me try on a Jackson freestyle in size 6 wide. It fit pretty well, but on my smaller foot, I was feeling some pressure on top of my foot slightly further down from where the tounge meets the toebox. The fitter did say that I had a high instep. I asked if this was something that could be fixed by heat molding, but she said no. I did also feel like my feet were slightly having a sliding/sinking down feeling, but I had trouble describing it. She then tried adding another insole, which I think may have made the pressure on the top worse, so she cut off half of the second insole she added, but I forget how that felt. She then had me try on the Elle in a half size bigger, and I think they felt a bit more comfortable, so she is going to order that size in the freestyle for me to try on. I'm just concerned about them being too big. when I asked about my different sized feet, she said that they fit it to the bigger sized foot, which threw me off because I thought that you usually fit it to the smaller and stretched the other one for the bigger foot. She did also gave me step on the insole for the 6z but I did see that there was still some room at the end, so I'm not sure if the 6's are too big as well... I did not feel my toes touching the end of the boot in either of them.

Anyways, I appologize for the long ramble lol, my TLDR questions are:

1. Are fitters able to punch out the area where the tounge meets the toebox?
2. Is it normal for the back collar of the boot to be putting pressure on the ankle? Will this go away with breaking in the boots?
3. Should I request to try on a 5.5? I'm unsure if the seam on the tounge of the 6 is lining up weirdly with my toes, if the boots are to long?
4. How can I tell if a pair of skates are too big while trying them on in store? Should I be able to touch the end of it with my toes?

I apologize for all of the questions and rambling, I'm just very anxious about buying the right thing, and spending so much money on them lol. I struggle with shopping for regular shoes so idk why I expected this to be easy lol. Thank you in advance!

Hi: If you have a high instep, then you probably have a high arch as well, in which case Jacksons aren't the right boot for your foot shape. What shape are your toes? Slanted, straight across, the second longer than the big toe, etc.? You may be needing a different brand, like Risport or Graf. Give us a bit more detail about your overall foot shape, not just its length or your street shoe size, and we can offer more specific advice. Your height and weight would help, too, and your skating level. (We're not being nosy, everyone with questions about choosing new boots gets asked that .) And where do you live? There are people all over the world on this forum who can point you to the best place near you to be properly fitted for boots. You're quite right -- skate boots are too expensive to just keep haphazardly buying and having to discard improperly fitted ones. We can answer your specific questions once we've settled on which boots are right for you!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Hi!

(TLDR questions at the end, the ramble is just for context lol)

I just got a fitting today, and the fitter measured my foot with one of those things you step on, and then had me try on a Jackson freestyle in size 6 wide. It fit pretty well, but on my smaller foot, I was feeling some pressure on top of my foot slightly further down from where the tounge meets the toebox. The fitter did say that I had a high instep. I asked if this was something that could be fixed by heat molding, but she said no. I did also feel like my feet were slightly having a sliding/sinking down feeling, but I had trouble describing it. She then tried adding another insole, which I think may have made the pressure on the top worse, so she cut off half of the second insole she added, but I forget how that felt. She then had me try on the Elle in a half size bigger, and I think they felt a bit more comfortable, so she is going to order that size in the freestyle for me to try on. I'm just concerned about them being too big. when I asked about my different sized feet, she said that they fit it to the bigger sized foot, which threw me off because I thought that you usually fit it to the smaller and stretched the other one for the bigger foot. She did also gave me step on the insole for the 6z but I did see that there was still some room at the end, so I'm not sure if the 6's are too big as well... I did not feel my toes touching the end of the boot in either of them.

Anyways, I appologize for the long ramble lol, my TLDR questions are:

1. Are fitters able to punch out the area where the tounge meets the toebox?
2. Is it normal for the back collar of the boot to be putting pressure on the ankle? Will this go away with breaking in the boots?
3. Should I request to try on a 5.5? I'm unsure if the seam on the tounge of the 6 is lining up weirdly with my toes, if the boots are to long?
4. How can I tell if a pair of skates are too big while trying them on in store? Should I be able to touch the end of it with my toes?

I apologize for all of the questions and rambling, I'm just very anxious about buying the right thing, and spending so much money on them lol. I struggle with shopping for regular shoes so idk why I expected this to be easy lol. Thank you in advance!

Hi and welcome. You should never been measured by stepping on the same kind of measurement tool you'd use to get running shoes, etc.

A real pro fitter for figure skates would be measuring and tracing your foot to make sure you have the proper fit.

 

[newbiesk8r]

Hi: If you have a high instep, then you probably have a high arch as well, in which case Jacksons aren't the right boot for your foot shape. What shape are your toes? Slanted, straight across, the second longer than the big toe, etc.? You may be needing a different brand, like Risport or Graf. Give us a bit more detail about your overall foot shape, not just its length or your street shoe size, and we can offer more specific advice. Your height and weight would help, too, and your skating level. (We're not being nosy, everyone with questions about choosing new boots gets asked that .) And where do you live? There are people all over the world on this forum who can point you to the best place near you to be properly fitted for boots. You're quite right -- skate boots are too expensive to just keep haphazardly buying and having to discard improperly fitted ones. We can answer your specific questions once we've settled on which boots are right for you!

My big toe is the same length as my second toe, and the rest of them slant downwards (like an Egyptian foot). I have trouble with pronation, and my feet are wide-ish seeming, but I've never had to wear wide shoes. I used to wear custom orthotics in my regular shoes, but haven't been lately. I am about 5'8 and probably weigh somewhere around 100kg. I am currently working on basic skating skills, like forwards and backwards swizzles, two foot turns, two foot jumps on the spot, etc. I live in southern Ontario, Canada, but I do not drive, so I am somewhat limited in where I go. I also don't want to just ditch this fitter because idk if I'm already involved with them or not. Thank you all for you your help.

 

[silverlily1]

My big toe is the same length as my second toe, and the rest of them slant downwards (like an Egyptian foot). I have trouble with pronation, and my feet are wide-ish seeming, but I've never had to wear wide shoes. I used to wear custom orthotics in my regular shoes, but haven't been lately. I am about 5'8 and probably weigh somewhere around 100kg. I am currently working on basic skating skills, like forwards and backwards swizzles, two foot turns, two foot jumps on the spot, etc. I live in southern Ontario, Canada, but I do not drive, so I am somewhat limited in where I go. I also don't want to just ditch this fitter because idk if I'm already involved with them or not. Thank you all for you your help.

I can see no one responded to you, so I'm going to try.

At 100 kg (not lb), I don't think you should be in Freestyles. Something stiffer is needed. The person you went to does not sound like the right person to go to, as they didn't consider whether the brand's shape was right for your feet or whether the boot was stiff enough for you. Those are big red flags. Do not proceed. They are not looking out for your best interests. You don't have an obligation to be "nice" to someone who isn't doing what's best for you.

I can't recommend a boot, either, but think that previously when Jackson was a good fit for someone's foot (which it may not be in your case) IceRabbit recommended Jackson Debut for about your weight and skill level. Or higher. You're going to need to buy a separate boat and blade. I know Risport has more height over the arch, which is one of the reasons it's a better fit for me. I think you'd want at least an RF3/Royal Pro in that brand. I know nothing of Graf and Reidell or Edea and such, but they may be options depending on how they fit your foot shape. I hope now that this thread has been updated someone will step in and make more concrete recommendations.

The wrong stiffness of boot will not support you properly, leading to injury, and will break down very quickly, which is a waste of money for you. Saving money now will cost you much more in the long run.

I can't recommend someone in particular, but I can say that you have options to travel in southern Ontario to get to somewhere decent that a lot of the rest of the country doesn't have. Take a train. Take a bus. Use the GO system in the GTA, the subway, the streetcars, the buses, once there. You don't have to drive to get to a decent fitter there. Yes, it will take a while, but considering that I have to spend $200 return on a ferry and travel 5 hrs each way to get to a fitter, from Vancouver Island, I think you can manage. I've lived in rural SW Ontario, too.

My skates are fit between the size of my two feet. I think it depends on your feet. In my case I had the ankle and forefoot slightly punched on the left (bigger) foot and wear an ankle jelly on the right (smaller) foot. I tie the right boot tighter than the left. The combination is the best fit for me.

Best of luck.

 

[newbiesk8r]

I can see no one responded to you, so I'm going to try.

At 100 kg (not lb), I don't think you should be in Freestyles. Something stiffer is needed. The person you went to does not sound like the right person to go to, as they didn't consider whether the brand's shape was right for your feet or whether the boot was stiff enough for you. Those are big red flags. Do not proceed. They are not looking out for your best interests. You don't have an obligation to be "nice" to someone who isn't doing what's best for you.

I can't recommend a boot, either, but think that previously when Jackson was a good fit for someone's foot (which it may not be in your case) IceRabbit recommended Jackson Debut for about your weight and skill level. Or higher. You're going to need to buy a separate boat and blade. I know Risport has more height over the arch, which is one of the reasons it's a better fit for me. I think you'd want at least an RF3/Royal Pro in that brand. I know nothing of Graf and Reidell or Edea and such, but they may be options depending on how they fit your foot shape. I hope now that this thread has been updated someone will step in and make more concrete recommendations.

The wrong stiffness of boot will not support you properly, leading to injury, and will break down very quickly, which is a waste of money for you. Saving money now will cost you much more in the long run.

I can't recommend someone in particular, but I can say that you have options to travel in southern Ontario to get to somewhere decent that a lot of the rest of the country doesn't have. Take a train. Take a bus. Use the GO system in the GTA, the subway, the streetcars, the buses, once there. You don't have to drive to get to a decent fitter there. Yes, it will take a while, but considering that I have to spend $200 return on a ferry and travel 5 hrs each way to get to a fitter, from Vancouver Island, I think you can manage. I've lived in rural SW Ontario, too.

My skates are fit between the size of my two feet. I think it depends on your feet. In my case I had the ankle and forefoot slightly punched on the left (bigger) foot and wear an ankle jelly on the right (smaller) foot. I tie the right boot tighter than the left. The combination is the best fit for me.

Best of luck.

Thank you so much. unfortunately I did just call the fitter back, asking for an update on the ones she ordered in for me to try, and and requested to possibly try on other sizes so I can get a better feel for how they should fit. If anyone has any recommendations for good fitters in Ontario that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Diana Delafield]

Thank you so much. unfortunately I did just call the fitter back, asking for an update on the ones she ordered in for me to try, and and requested to possibly try on other sizes so I can get a better feel for how they should fit. If anyone has any recommendations for good fitters in Ontario that would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I haven't lived in Ontario for some time (Toronto and Ottawa) but skating is big there so you'll have more than a few choices of fitters in a wide area, I'm sure. Can you be a little more specific than "southern Ontario", anywhere between, say, Chatham to Ottawa? If the fitter you've been going to is going to the trouble to get other boots in for you to try and not just dismissing you with "These are all we've got", then at least meet her halfway and try her others on to, as you say, get a better feel for the differences between boot models. You can always say you'll have to think about it because it's such a big expense, and then see what another fitter suggests. You may find a boot that's just right somewhere else but from a location that's difficult for you to reach (travelling in that region by public transportation can be no picnic I know, having been stuck in both trains and inter-city buses in winter there myself), so when you then need to replace your boots as they inevitably break down over time, you know specifically which model of which brand is right for you and can then see if your more conveniently-located fitter can order a replacement in for you.

Keep the relationship with your local fitter cordial. You don't want to alienate someone who can be an ally down the line in your skating career! A fitter you can work with is a useful person to have on your team.

 

[newbiesk8r]

I haven't lived in Ontario for some time (Toronto and Ottawa) but skating is big there so you'll have more than a few choices of fitters in a wide area, I'm sure. Can you be a little more specific than "southern Ontario", anywhere between, say, Chatham to Ottawa? If the fitter you've been going to is going to the trouble to get other boots in for you to try and not just dismissing you with "These are all we've got", then at least meet her halfway and try her others on to, as you say, get a better feel for the differences between boot models. You can always say you'll have to think about it because it's such a big expense, and then see what another fitter suggests. You may find a boot that's just right somewhere else but from a location that's difficult for you to reach (travelling in that region by public transportation can be no picnic I know, having been stuck in both trains and inter-city buses in winter there myself), so when you then need to replace your boots as they inevitably break down over time, you know specifically which model of which brand is right for you and can then see if your more conveniently-located fitter can order a replacement in for you.

Keep the relationship with your local fitter cordial. You don't want to alienate someone who can be an ally down the line in your skating career! A fitter you can work with is a useful person to have on your team.

Thank you for your advice! I'm located around Halton/in the GTA. Everyone at my rink seems to say she is good, so I'm not sure what to think. It did feel like she was somewhat dismissive at times (like when I asked how much the sk8 tape was she asked me why I would need that). I definitely agree I want to still have a good relationship with her as the sharpener there Is apparently good. Although unfortunately, I'm not sure that I'll be willing to spend >$500 (on top of lesson costs) on something I'm not sure if I'll lose interest in or not. Im currently using my mom's old rec skates that are too big, so I was hopeful the freestyles would be enough for me (And would be able to hopefully last a couple years). I only just finished learning all of my canskate 1 skills (except for snow side steps on one foot as it is too pronated, and my blade is not aligned properly so that I am not stuck on my inside Edge)