Do adult skater's feet grow?

[chowskates]

We all know that kids outgrow their boots very quickly, but once they get to late-teens, their feet would stop growing and the boot size would be the same thereafter.

Have any of you *adult skaters* experienced your feet "growing" so that you need a different size boot?

I have a friend, adult skater, who measured a size 4 1/2 for Riedell skates 5 years ago, now measures a size 5 1/2. And her feet have gotten wider too!

[icedancer]

Yes your feet do "grow" - I think they spread with age.

I had my old SP Teri's for 15 years - I fully expected that I would just get the same size and that would be fine... but when I got fitted for the new boots Mr. Spiteri pointed out how my old boots had stretched over time and so the new boots were a half size larger overall...

That being said I have always felt that the new boots were a little too big!!!

[chowskates]

Wow, I do recall my late coach tell me that her feet grew during pregnancy, but I had no issues after my first child, so I'd just dismissed that from my mind. And I am still comfortable with the exact same size I've always used, and yes, I did get new boots since, so its not just that the old boots had been stretched out.

[Skittl1321]

I don't think my feet -grew- but I think I was measured wrong the first time.  So after 4 years in size 3s, I now wear size 4s.
(For the record, I started skating as an adult in the skates I got as a young middle schooler.  They must have been a little big at the time, but I've been wearing a kids 4 or an adult 5 since about 7th grade.)

[Isk8NYC]

I had Klingbeils that fit great through my first pregnancy and grad school.  Once I had the twins, though, I had to replace the skates. I had gained a lot of weight in the years prior, so that's also a factor.

[Kitten23]

I had a pair of skates that were way too small.  The cuticles on my toes would bleed if I skated more than 2 hours without taking them off.  I lasted about 9 months in those puppies before I sold them to a skater just starting out, who wore shoes 2 sizes smaller than I did  .

I'm in Klingbeils' now and I think my feet have shrunk, not grown.  I had to put in additional innersoles because they felt so loose.  Haven't lost that much weight that it would be a factor, so I am confused.

[jjane45]

I'm in Klingbeils' now and I think my feet have shrunk, not grown.  I had to put in additional innersoles because they felt so loose.  Haven't lost that much weight that it would be a factor, so I am confused.

Padding compression? I slipped more in my (one size too big) skates when they broke down.

[turnip]

I don't think adults feet normally get longer, i think they tend to get wider as you get older and/or if you gain a significant amount of weight (or shrink if you lose a lot of weight i guess).

[SynchKat]

My feet widened a bit after I was pregnant.  Which is ok because I was a double or triple A width in Wifa skates which are known to be narrow.  Now I am just an A. 

I was told that I think a 7A in a europen brand is like an 8B in other brands. 

[Kitten23]

Padding compression? I slipped more in my (one size too big) skates when they broke down.

Pardon my ignorance, but what is "padding compression"? 

[icedancer]

Pardon my ignorance, but what is "padding compression"? 

I think the poster was referring to the padding in the skate compressing down with use -

I wanted to add that those old skates I had first of all had no padding (in the old days it was just layers of leather - WAY better than padding I might add) and that those old skates are really really tight on me now so yes, I think feet do get bigger - whether it would be considered growth or not is a question for another day.  I think of it as "spread".

[jjane45]

I think the poster was referring to the padding in the skate compressing down with use

Thanks! I am not sure about the terminology, but the inside of the skates definitely compresses over time.

[Rachelsk8s]

Thanks! I am not sure about the terminology, but the inside of the skates definitely compresses over time.

They totally do!!  My skates have become a bit looser over the past two years since I've had them.  My pro shop, whom I completely love and trust, assured me that they aren't broken down, however over time and use the padding does become compressed somewhat.

[AgnesNitt]

I wondered a couple of years ago if shoes had been 'resized' the way clothes were 'resized' in the 60's (A 12 became a 10 for example, it was vanity sizing gone mad).

I went from a standard 7 1/2 shoe size, that I had used for 40 years, suddenly to a 7, and sometimes a 6 1/2. I hadn't worn a 6 1/2 since I was 15. I know I'm getting shorter, but if something else has to shrink, why can't it be my butt?

Anyway, if it wasn't for silipos pads, I think my right boot would fall off the heel is so loose.

[supra]

My feet shrunk actually, I'm 21, though. What happened was I went from 230, to 215, to 180lbs. Now I'm at 195, and my feet are minisculely bigger now. Would like to get back to 180 again (then I'd have like veins popping out of my arms and it'd be really cool looking.) As far as feet spreading out with age, I got no idea, but losing and gaining weight will alter your shoe size quite a bit. I went down half to a whole size on some shoes. Partially it's just from more weight spreading the foot out more, and partially it's from added fat if you've added any in your weight gain.

[Isk8NYC]

I think you're in a different category than the OP since you started skating at 20 and are now 21.  Your feet may have shrunk when you lost weight, but that's different from skating for years with a sudden change in size but not weight.

[supra]

I think you're in a different category than the OP since you started skating at 20 and are now 21.  Your feet may have shrunk when you lost weight, but that's different from skating for years with a sudden change in size but not weight.

Well not a skating example, but Barry Bonds went from like size 11 shoes to size 13s, and gained like 2 inches in height. Whether or not it was a natural growth spurt or a chemically enhanced one, who knows...

[Isk8NYC]

Well not a skating example, but Barry Bonds went from like size 11 shoes to size 13s, and gained like 2 inches in height. Whether or not it was a natural growth spurt or a chemically enhanced one, who knows...

Again, off-topic and irrelevant.  Try to stay on topic.

[SkateToronto]

Adult's feet don't really grow.  If anything as you age they may even get smaller.  The pros I guess of being an adult because your skates will last longer.

[davincisop]

In the last three years I've skated I've found that my feet have widened. (Almost 25) however with weight fluctuations they have gone up and down. I'm 20 pounds heavier than when I bought my current skates and I find they're a bit snugger now. But my feet did widen. As a kid I had wide feet too and almost had to wear a men's skate when I got my first brand new boots due to width. Now if I tried to put those skates on I'd hurt like crazy.

I think though you also have to take into account bunions and such. I THINK I have a bunion (not totally sure bc my foot has always had a wide bone there) and that in itself could cause skates to not fit.

When I'm on my feet all day or wear heels before I skate I find my skates are tighter too

[sk8lady]

Last time I went to the skate shop my boot guy told me that adult's feet can spread and flatten over time. My boots are definitely feeling tighter than they did a couple years ago.

[FigureSpins]

Last time I went to the skate shop my boot guy told me that adult's feet can spread and flatten over time. My boots are definitely feeling tighter than they did a couple years ago.

I was thinking about this after reading the prior post claiming adults' feet don't change shape...mine absolutely did change, in both width and length.  It's not just weight gain/loss, I think you're right that feet can spread and flatten.  When they flatten, then the height of the boot inside is too loose. 

Maybe we need something to squash that boot height down to create more room across the width/length, lol.

[supra]

I was thinking about this after reading the prior post claiming adults' feet don't change shape...mine absolutely did change, in both width and length.  It's not just weight gain/loss, I think you're right that feet can spread and flatten.  When they flatten, then the height of the boot inside is too loose. 

Maybe we need something to squash that boot height down to create more room across the width/length, lol.

Easiest thing to do short term is take the insole out.

[sarahspins]

I agree that feet don't really grow, but pregnancy can certainly change the feet permanently.  I wear a half size longer shoe than I did before having kids, and my feet are also much wider too, and I was well UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight for several years after having my first so I can't blame extra baby weight for the extra width

I was still able to wear my old skates after my first baby without much discomfort (they did feel tight).. but after the 2nd and 3rd, no way. 

[FigureSpins]

Easiest thing to do short term is take the insole out.

You are mistaken.  The easiest thing to do is to buy properly-fitted skates.

Skating without insoles can make the problem worse since it could make the boot too wide AND too tall.  Without support/cushioning, your feet will hurt.  Plus, some brands are very uncomfortable to skate on without insoles because of exposed stitching and nail heads.