Does 5 year old need new skates?

[tammyk]

My 5 year old daughter has had the same skates since February, but has gone up one full size in street shoes since then.They are the Reidell 10. She is currently in Alpha, but can do lunges and spirals. She has an extremely narrow heel and wears very thick socks in her skates to minimize heel slippage. I expected to buy new skates for her by now, but she hasn't complained that they are too small yet. When I take out the soles and have her stand on them, it looks like they are fine, but the marks on them make it look her toes are going over. What I don't want to happen is for her to announce that they hurt all of a sudden and then I scrambling to get skates. It will take some major coordination to get to a fitter. Should I wait or make an appointment with a fitter? Do I need to upgrade her skates anyway when she gets to Beta or does it not really matter at her age?

I appreciate any advice. Thanks.

[sarahspins]

At her age/size those skates should be fine until she outgrows them - I wouldn't expect a need for an upgrade until she is experiencing a lack of support - that doesn't mean you couldn't upgrade, more that it just might not be required yet.  It is really tricky with little skaters to find that fine line between supportive enough and too stiff where they can't bend at all.  More often than not at my rink I see skaters in boots that are much too stiff for their ability because the price difference isn't very significant at that level and parents think it's a better deal to buy the "stronger" skates - usually when I see this it's kids in the 33 model (which is usually only $15 or so more than lower models) when they should have stayed in something lower, and they can't bend their ankles at all.

[twinskaters]

It's entirely possible she moved up a shoe size but doesn't need new skates, if they were big to begin with. And if you didn't buy them from an experienced fitter, that's a distinct possibility (says the woman whose skates are half-to-one size too big right now because of just that). From my experience with my own girls, if she doesn't have a hard time getting her foot in there and she doesn't complain, they are probably OK. But if it's a hassle to get to a good fitter and will take a lot of lead time, I would try and get on that now. If her current skates still fit, the fitter will tell you so, but you'll also have the opportunity to talk about what she might need next, at what skill level she will need more boot. and build a rapport with the fitter.

[Neverdull44]

 I agree, if you can get her foot into the skate, they are fine.  Once she stands up, if the skates are getting too small, they will pinch or hurt real bad . . especially when she stands up or skates.   Only ask her if her feet hurt once she's standing up.   An old trick on "too tight" is to take out the insole.   

Usually, skate shops keep plenty of little sized, beginner to intermediate skates in stock, but you may want to check as new styels/new year could have them out of stock (if you really think she's getting too close). 

Another clue is to look at her laces, are they super wide apart?  (But, that may not work if her feet are narrow to begin with and she's in a standard sized boot). 

[tammyk]

Thank you. All of these replies have been very helpful.

[jlspink22]

My first daughters skates were way too big for her. She wore the same size (length) for quite some time but different models because the Riedells were too narrow. As long as her toes are not scrunched and the blades are still able to be sharpened she should be fine.

My DD is doing forward and backwards crossovers in Jackson Artiste's (stiffness 20) and she is ~40 lbs. Freestyles (40 stiffness rating) were a tad too stiff and took way too much effort to break in. She outgrew them a couple weeks after they FINALLY broke in.  For riedell, I think the pearl/emerald are similar to Artiste's and the Diamond to Freestyles in terms of stiffness. The skates your little one has now have basically zero break in time... From experience, it was very difficult to explain the break in process to a then 4 year old.

Honestly, I have been buying skates gently used - usually only worn a few times to save some money. Since we are not dealing with split widths or overly expensive models yet, I got her sized once and have been able to figure out what she needs, and usually buy the next 1/2 size up as I find it. So far I have not spent more than $70/pair - lots of kids who quit after a few sessions..... For example, she was wearing a too narrow reidell size 11 and moved to Jackson 11.5 (~same length), wore those til they couldn't be stretched anymore and are now in a Jackson 12. Now if we were to switch brands to non-Jackson or Riedell, I would have to consult a fitter.   

[nicklaszlo]

wears very thick socks in her skates to minimize heel slippage

That's odd.  I find skating in thick or regular socks painful.  If the skates get tight, swap the socks for some Bunga Pads Achilles Heel Pads - if you can find some small enough.

[tammyk]

I followed twinskaters suggestion and made an appointment with the fitter in January. In the next 2 months we only had one date that lined up. Even if she doesn't need a new one, he can help with the heel issue. She was never properly fitted. I didn't know even know about that then and we just went to the pro shop.

I agree on the thick sock thing. I use sliopads for my heels and hers are much worse than mine. I have no idea how she's been skating like that.

Thanks everyone.

[jlspink22]

I followed twinskaters suggestion and made an appointment with the fitter in January. In the next 2 months we only had one date that lined up. Even if she doesn't need a new one, he can help with the heel issue. She was never properly fitted. I didn't know even know about that then and we just went to the pro shop.

I agree on the thick sock thing. I use sliopads for my heels and hers are much worse than mine. I have no idea how she's been skating like that.

Thanks everyone.

You can buy an adult sleeve and cut it in half for your little one.

[Neverdull44]

What I adore about little kids, is that they don't care what socks they are skating in . . . . as long as they are skating!   That being said, kids hate socks with seams.  Best are skating tights or true skating socks.

[twinskaters]

What I adore about little kids, is that they don't care what socks they are skating in . . . . as long as they are skating!   That being said, kids hate socks with seams.  Best are skating tights or true skating socks.

So true. And if they love skating they will put up with a surprising amount of discomfort. One of my girls complains about every single article of clothing that's even remotely tight, but not a word about her skates until the moment she's practically popping out of them.

[jlspink22]

What I adore about little kids, is that they don't care what socks they are skating in . . . . as long as they are skating!   That being said, kids hate socks with seams.  Best are skating tights or true skating socks.

I must have the wrong child then because my daughter is sooo ungodly particular about her skates. She tends to forget once she's out there but holy heck you better tie them right. I finally found small enough nylon knee highs for her, can't find skate socks all enough yet.

[ARoo]

I buy regular microfiber tights from Target or similar stores and cut them off near the top with a scissors. They're usually anywhere from $1.50 - $2.50 per pair depending on how many you buy and whether they are on sale. I've never had a pair run from the cut side and the seams on child sized tights are sized correctly for a child's foot. 

[sarahspins]

I must have the wrong child then because my daughter is sooo ungodly particular about her skates. She tends to forget once she's out there but holy heck you better tie them right.

Mine is too - if there is even the slightest thing wrong with her tights, how the skates are tied, etc, she'll break down in tears before she even gets on the ice.  She has, thankfully, gotten more articulate about letting me know what the problem is, but when she was only 6 or 7, it would often take me forever to figure out what the problem really was.  Breaking in her new SP Teri's recently has been a real test for both of us - we had them punched 3 different times before she stopped complaining loudly and often - thankfully her complaining was limited to her ankle bones, and not anywhere else more difficult to address.

My kids (my daughter, and my younger son) have always only skated in tights - but they have wide feet and it's hard enough getting a good fit with their skates, I don't need anything extra in there adding to the problem.

[Loops]

I must have the wrong child then because my daughter is sooo ungodly particular about her skates. She tends to forget once she's out there but holy heck you better tie them right. I finally found small enough nylon knee highs for her, can't find skate socks all enough yet.

I skate in nylon knee highs.  Cheapest skating socks you'll ever get.  I actually hate footed tights- they're too fiddly (especially as I wear gel sleeves....don't "need" to, but the skates don't feel right without them now!

On a tangential note though, while I'm glad you were able to find child sized knee high nylons, my eyebrows went up when you mentioned that- those are not for skaters, so who's the market for those, and why do kids that size need nylons (other than for skating, of course!)

[twinskaters]

My kids haaaaaate tights so actually nylon knee highs would come in handy for longer dresses in cooler weather when barefoot isn't an option (so, like twice a year.) The only kind of tights my kids willingly wear are skating tights, and generally only for competition/shows.

[jlspink22]

Jeffries socks makes the nylon knee highs - we wore them waaay back in catholic school. Got 3 pr for $10 on amazon.

[EricaDer]

My suggestion was going to be to get her properly fitted, especially to resolve the heel issue.  Heel lifting is bad for her feet, no matter the level!

In the early days, my DD skated in skates that were too large, then later in ones that were too small (she never complained so I didn't know).  I think her progress would have been so much faster and more enjoyable had she been in properly fitted skates.  She also has a narrow heel and wound up with a big bump on the back of her heel from boots that didn't fit right.  Once we switched her to her current Ice Fly's (after lots of trial and error), the bump has completely disappeared and she's skating better than ever. 

IMO, a good pair of skates is the only "real" piece of equipment a skater needs, so while it's not necessary to spend a ton of money at this level, it's worth the trouble to try on different brands and have a proper fitting done in order to choose the best boot shape for her feet (every brand is a little different). 

[skatingmum2]

If she is anything like my son - he doesn't complain at all - until - we've been on a holiday and once we're back he suddenly can't get them on! At which time we discover they are about 2 to 3 sizes too small. At which stage - when new ones are fitted he usually says something like "wow - these feel amazing - my toes love them."

And we are parents who regularly ask him if they're hurting/uncomfortable etc.

[skatemom189]

My daughter skates in Gymboree knee socks.  I get them from Ebay (new, of course!).  They are a tiny little bit thicker than skating tights.  Lots of fun patterns, and it's easy to put her ankle gel sleeves on inside them.  They don't actually come all the way up to the knee, but are easily above the top of her boots, and they don't show under her tight skating pants (Hailey B brand).