It is good to know your skates fit properly, and if you are unsure about fit, do consult someone who knows about how to check the size is right. As skates are not meant to flex in the way that typical shoes are, skates typically will feel too tight to new skaters. This will change as you wear in your skates. The foam padding will gradually give over a few hours of skating to provide a customized shape for the feet. Your toes should ‘almost-but-not’ touch the ends of the toe box area, with your heel positioned against the back of the skate boot.

Correct skate sizing makes a big difference depending upon the type of skating you want to do. Slalom requires a very close fit to your foot so there is no ‘play’. This creates a skate that responds to very small movements of the foot. To much space will provide a sloppy response, especially noticable when performing toe and heel wheeling tricks.

Before I started slalom skating, my K2 fitness skates, bought second-hand, were a size too large. This never seemed a problem until I started requiring a higher level of response. I do however wonder whether I would have improved faster with better fitting skates.

Well fitting skates that are not too small are also more comfortable for long extended sessions. If you can still love being in your skates after 3 hours of skating then you are probably going to love your skates and your skating.