What skating issues are related to skates that are too big?

[eillie]

Hi, I'm new to the forums!    I'm in my mid-20's, and have taken group lessons for about 18 months.  Unfortunately when I bought my first skates (Riedell 110), I didn't know how snugly skates should fit and bought whatever was comfortable while wearing my thick athletic socks.  At some point, I switched over to wearing much thinner socks that feel like thick pantyhose, and while they were comfortable, I started to suspect that my skate might be too big.  When my toes were at the front, my heels weren't fully in contact with the back of the boot, and vice versa.  I recently went to a rink to get my foot properly measured for Riedell's sizes, and I found out that the skates I have now are a full size too big for my foot.  (The width however feels right; I have a wide foot.)

My question is, does anyone here have experiences skating in a boot that is too big for them?  If so, what issues with skating are related to too-big boots?

I ask because I've been having a lot of trouble getting a one-foot spin and some turns (backwards outside 3-turns for example--I think that's what it's called), and I'm wondering whether it's a pointless to be trying these in boots that are a little too big.  I can usually prevent my heel from slipping by tying my skates tightly with my heel all the way in the back, but this means there is probably too much room in the toe area and I wonder if this means the curvature of the blade isn't properly aligned with different parts of my foot ...

Or maybe I'm just making excuses and need to practice more!

Thanks in advance,

eillie

[hopskipjump]

The boots can break down faster
jumps with your foot sliding is dangerous
It could be too that since the skates are 18 months old they have also stretched/flattening in the padding so they feel looser.

[sarahspins]

Turns and spins are harder with too big boots because on a too long blade it's harder to balance on the correct portion of the blade - the spin rocker is further forward for you than it would be in a correct fitting pair of skates.

Back turns will also be more difficult because of the increased blade length - it's harder to find the "right" spot to turn on.

[jjane45]

Ankle pains when learning new jumps, hagmund's deformity on the heels too.

[eillie]

Thanks for the replies!

hopskipjump: My foot isn't sliding when I attempt jumps, because I usually tie the laces such that my heel is stuck in the back of the boot, and my boot is actually a size too big for me if the boot fitter I saw recently is right.  Do you know why it is that bigger boots break down faster?


sarahspins: OK, it's as I figured then.  I'm currently shopping around for new boots that fit, so maybe I'll see noticeable improvement in my turns and spins in the near future!


jjane45: I've been fortunate enough to never have had any blisters or foot pains, but I have been experiencing some ankle pain, particularly after attempting to land under-rotated jumps.  It actually freaked me out a little bit because I'd never felt that kind of pain before, so I've sworn off more jumps until I can get new boots.  It might have also been because I think my current skates don't have much ankle support.

[iomoon]

Having switched from a 7 1/2 Riedell to a 5 1/2C Jackson, I experienced it.  Your skates are too long, and therefore the profiling won't support your body in the correct position. I had to do advanced backwards crossovers because whenever I picked the foot up, I'd fall over. Also, if I tied it too tight to compensate, my feet would get numb. Turns and spins were the worst. So yeah... it's best to change skates!

[eillie]

iomoon: Two full sizes, wow.  That must have been quite an adjustment to make!  I'm hoping to spend the next week or so getting used to boots and blades that fit, and I'm hoping it won't be too tough.

[Query]

Most people would say the bottoms of your feet should not be able to shift at all inside the boot - they should be that snug.

You can possibly compensate by using thicker insoles - though a full size is a lot. In your place, I'd do that, and wear thicker socks. Thick socks are sub-optimal, but slipping around is a lot worse. You can't control precisely what the skates are doing if your foot position isn't constant inside the boot.

The way I see it the curvature of the blade isn't aligned right to most people's feet - because blade shapes don't take into account foot shapes, and because (as far as I can tell, on major blade brands), the distance from the toe pick to the sweet spot is the same, independent of blade length. That's why the more expert pro shops adjust the shape of the spin rocker (the forward end of the blade). But if your pro shop was that expert, they wouldn't have let you be fit in thick socks, unless you insisted. I wouldn't trust them to adjust blade shape.

You could also try to mount your blades back further on your skates, so you can reach your toe picks and the sweet spot (the point just behind the spin rocker, where the curvature changes a little). But many pro shops won't be willing to try that, because they think it looks unprofessional. Plus, that will make the tails of the blades too long - which means your tails might accidentally cross and trip you, and jump landings might be weird.

If you can, your best bet might be to first go to a good pro shop and see what they can do.

[eillie]

Most people would say the bottoms of your feet should not be able to shift at all inside the boot - they should be that snug.

You can possibly compensate by using thicker insoles - though a full size is a lot. In your place, I'd do that, and wear thicker socks. Thick socks are sub-optimal, but slipping around is a lot worse. You can't control precisely what the skates are doing if your foot position isn't constant inside the boot.

The way I see it the curvature of the blade isn't aligned right to most people's feet - because blade shapes don't take into account foot shapes, and because (as far as I can tell, on major blade brands), the distance from the toe pick to the sweet spot is the same, independent of blade length. That's why the more expert pro shops adjust the shape of the spin rocker (the forward end of the blade). But if your pro shop was that expert, they wouldn't have let you be fit in thick socks, unless you insisted. I wouldn't trust them to adjust blade shape.

You could also try to mount your blades back further on your skates, so you can reach your toe picks and the sweet spot (the point just behind the spin rocker, where the curvature changes a little). But many pro shops won't be willing to try that, because they think it looks unprofessional. Plus, that will make the tails of the blades too long - which means your tails might accidentally cross and trip you, and jump landings might be weird.

If you can, your best bet might be to first go to a good pro shop and see what they can do.

For my first pair, which are the ones that are a full size too big, I didn't go to a shop before buying them.  Recently though, I've visited a pro shop to get boots that are properly fitted, so I'm not anticipating having to use insoles, thicker socks, or changing the position of the blades.

[Orianna2000]

My first pair of skates were an 8, and I later measured at a size 6.5. The problem I had was that my feet would scrunch up inside the boots, trying to keep from slipping. It made my arches spasm after a few minutes and was my first clue that something was wrong with my skates.

[eillie]

My first pair of skates were an 8, and I later measured at a size 6.5. The problem I had was that my feet would scrunch up inside the boots, trying to keep from slipping. It made my arches spasm after a few minutes and was my first clue that something was wrong with my skates.

This seems like it would be a natural problem to have, but somehow I was able to avoid having this issue with my too-big skates, probably because I laced them up really tightly.