I think my new boots are too big!!

[im_sk8_mad]

Hi everyone, there is a bit of a long inded explination as to how i got to the point that i think my skates are too big but if you have any help or advice im all ears!!! Thankyou everyone in advance!!!

So a few months ago i was on the quest for a new pair of boots because mine were very old and the padding was all squished out. Of the 3 rinks in my town really only 1 has a proper pro shop that sells skates, but that's not the rink i usually skate at so i had a chat to the girls at my rink and got sized up for what size and width of skate i was looking for. The skate i had at the time were a size 245 and c width and the lady sized me at a 255 and c width. We thought it was a bit weird because the pair i had fit perfectly. I took the size in mind and went to the rink with the pro shop and got sized again. They sized me at 255 with a c width as well.

I wasn't convinced the new size was right so i tried on a 245 and it didn't fit, couldn't even get my toes in it (however i did not confirm what width the boot was). I tried on a 255 (c width) which is what i was sized at and they were WAY too big, like gumboots. They didn't have a size 250 in any brand but we decided if 245 was too small and 255 was too big then it had to be a 250 right? So i order a 250 and i try them on and i compare them to my 245 pair and i compare them to a 255 pair and the 250 seems to be the go. I walk around in them and i wiggle my toes and we did the "can i fit a pen/finger in the back of the boot" and it all seems fine. So i buy the 250 pair and have my blades mounted. I kept the same blade and it fit pretty snugly on the new boot

With my first skate i didn't really like them, they didn't feel right and i was immediately worried. My feet were lifting up (not forward) from the sole of the boot. I thought i just needed to break them in and get used to them because i mostly only remember having my previous pair of skates as i was in them the longest and thi was a stiffer boot than i previously had. But the more i skated the worse they got, and the less i liked them. I went back to the proshop to confirm the size and they were again happy that the 250 fit and that they sized me properly. They told me the boots were too stiff still and thats why i wasnt able to tie them tight enough to lock my heel in place and so they recommended heat molding the skates to fit my heel shape better and soften the tongue and the laces which DID help some but not a lot.

A few more skates later they are improving but ive had to change from tights/barefoot to socks to skate in and my feet are still lifting up. I went back to the ladies at my usual rink and she was puzzled too, so just out of curiosity she put my foot on the size tool again and today i measured a 245 (WHAT?!) She asked me to put my foot in the boot and wiggle my toe all the way forward and bend my knee over my toe, and stuck a finger in the heel. When she got to the top of my ankle she ran out of room, but as she pushed a little further and got her finger all the way to the bottom of the skate she noted i had a LOT of room in the little concave where the heel sits, and she estimates that my boots are indeed too big and that possibly the size 245 skate i tried on was not a c width but infact an a width which would explain not being able to get my foot inside.

Armed with all this new and infuriatingly confusing information i come home and ask my mum to try my skates on as her feet are 1 size bigger than mine. She puts her foot in the boot and laces it all the way up and wiggles her toes and said they fit her comfortably, not too small at all...

Im so confused and so frustrated that i just dont know what to do anymore!! If anyone has any information/advice on what i can do or try i would be forever thankful!!!

[Bill_S]

I'd say that substantial evidence is mounting that they are too big. With the heel sliding up and down inside, it's a possibility that you'll develop heel bumps on your feet.

It's expensive to play "boot roulette" to find something right, but it might be what you have to do.

[AgnesNitt]

Okay, first off, skates are not sized perfectly. You can end up with a boot that's mismarked or planned to be one size, but end up being made incorrectly.
Secondly, if you put a second insole in (on top of the existing insole) you can sometimes get a pair of boots that are too large to fit to actually fit.  Usually this is done when a boot is stretched out after years of wear. I had a pair of customs that came with one boot too big and after skating in them for a week with the second insole to get me through a test period, I sent them to the company to be rebuilt.

You can use a lace bite pad behind the tongue to push the heel back in the  boot. You can also use a gel tube to widen your heel to get it to fit. This is not uncommon and skaters can skate like this in a boot for years. If you have a narrow heel and a wide forefoot, you'll have to use the gel tube/lace bite pad OR you'll have to get customs.

Whatever you do, make a decision quickly. Most companies will accept a return if you do it quickly. My experience is wide heels is less of a problem than a boot that is overall too big.

Here's my tip sheet for superfitting your boots. http://icedoesntcare.blogspot.com/2014/08/super-fitting-your-boot.html

Honestly, I have given up the idea of getting perfectly fitting boots out of the box. I get the forefoot to fit, and the length right,then I can 'fix' the heel width.  You may need to do that too,

[Casey]

I'd say that substantial evidence is mounting that they are too big. With the heel sliding up and down inside, it's a possibility that you'll develop heel bumps on your feet.

With my first skates purchased from a pro shop, the blade length was 3/4” longer than my current boots can fit.  I developed bumps on the outside of each heel; it was devastating when I finally realized it, and they’re sadly still there ~15 years later.

If I could go back and do it all over again, I would have never bought non-custom boots!