I just bought my second pair of Riedells. With my first pair, I did not have them professionally fit, but they felt really good. I did have some issues with signs of premature breakdown which I improved using a few techniques. I did some more research prior to getting this new pair and discovered that Riedell fit is supposed to be very close and snug, with very little room at the end of the boot. My old boots had, probably, too much room....when I look at my foot print on the liner there is a good 1/2"-1" between the end of my big toe and the end of the liner. My boots were pretty narrow and I think they kept my foot so stable, plus I enjoyed having a little wiggle room for my toes, so I felt the boots fit great, but according to Riedell, this kind of room in the boot can contribute to breakdown.
With the new boots, I got a 1/2 size shorter and just a shade wider (9 A/B as opposed to 9.5A with the first pair). I also had them professionally fitted, the tech found three areas to punch out on the right boot and they were heat molded. The break in process is going well. I found that the Edea method of lacing slowed the breakdown in my old boots so I am using that with these. I am also using a method Harlick advises during my break in period for the first 10-15 hours, don't lace to the very top hole, also, skate about 15 minutes and then re-lace the top. Hopefully all this plus having better fitting boots will help avoid early breakdown.