If your feet belonged to me, I wouldn't put them in boots I'd never tried on before. For instance, I wear Harlicks (custom because I have really oddly shaped feet). But when I was trying on different boots I couldn't get my toes to squeeze into SP Teri's in whatever size I was trying on at the time, size 6 maybe? I haven't tried Riedell in years, but I do fit a lot of young people for skates and haven't noticed an appreciable size difference between Riedell, Teri and Jackson. However, I have definitely noticed a *real* difference in the way each brand of boot fits the skater.
I have people come into the shop all the time and maybe they don't want to buy boots from me, maybe they just want to do a size check and order off the internet. I don't mind helping them in either case. Maybe I can sell them something else later, and they'll remember my helping them with the boots they didn't buy. If they're honest with me (or sneaky and say they're just looking right now) I will help them to the best of my ability. I don't care if you buy from me, but as a skater myself, I want everyone in the world to be skating in the best boot they can get for their level, money and comfort. If you haven't already done so, could you get to a boot fitter and try on a pair?
Good luck with your boot quest.
