Skate Sizing

[Woodsticks]

HOw do different skate lines size in comparison to each other? For instance, i wear a size 10 shoe and a size 8 RBK skate fit me perfectly, and I also tried on a size 8 Mission skate which fit well (besides being too narrow). However, I went online to order my skates and it says that Mission skates should be sized the same as your shoe size and I don't want to order skates that don't fit. So I was wondering what experience any of you might have with this. By the way, the Mission skate I'm looking at is the DSX and the RBK skate is the 5K. Thank you in advance for any help.

[althoma1]

Each foot is different so it's hard to tell without trying them on, but here's my experience:

Dress Shoe Size: 10W
Running Shoe Size: 10.5
Sandals: 10
Soccer Cleats: 9.5
KOR Shift 1: 8.5D (current ice hockey skates)
Bauer One90: 7.5E (based on a friends 7.5D I tried on)
Bauer One95: 7.5D (I've read the length is the same as the One90s, but they're wider...this is only an educated guess as I haven't had a chance to try these).
CCM Vector: 7.5E (based on trying on in a store)
Mission L7: 8.5EE (used boots for rollerhockey earlier this year and part of last year)
RBK 9K: 7.5 (tried on last year...7.5E was a little wide, they didn't have 7.5D in stock)
Bauer Vapor XX: 8EE (tried on a couple years ago before I bought the KORs)
Torspo Surge 221: 8.5D (just bought them with a sprung chassis mounted on them).
Nike V series (VForce, V12, V10 ect): 7.5D (used to use 8D Vforce skates that were a half size long).

As you can see the sizes range, but based on skates I've tried on and worn I'd say Missions are about 1 full size up from RBK skates and as you've discovered significantly more narrow in the forefoot (the EE L7s were just wide enough and still put a little pressure on my forefoot). I don't think Mission skates are sized according to shoe size anymore - those sites are outdated. If the 8 RBK skates fit you correctly then the 8 Missions should have been too short and too narrow based on my experience. I would try on a 7.5 or even 7 RBK to be sure you aren't missized in the RBKs if the Missions weren't too short. I was misized in 8.5D CCM Vector Pros a few years ago...they were a size too long, but I couldn't fit into an 8D since they were too narrow - the right size in that skate would've been 7.5E, but I didn't find that out until after I'd sold the Vectors.

Often you can go a whole size down or more if you increase the width, but on the other hand you don't want any unnecessary slop in the boot...you want it to be as snug as possible without hurting. Once the boot has broken in there will also be a little more room as your heel will sit back a little further so you don't want to buy a skate too long.

Someone on another site once gave me great advice which I'll pass on here - people often think they have the right size, but could've gone down a size. Keep trying on skates until you find a size that's too small and then go up a half a size. I think that's a good rule of thumb...you need to of course try different widths as well, but I remember trying on 9EE Missions and thinking they were the smallest missions I could fit, but then tried on 8.5EEs and I could actually fit them. 8 was a no go...or any D width around my size in that particular model as they were narrown and I have wide forefeet.

[RichardGraham]

Hi althoma1,

What a detailed and helpful response to a reader's question. Thanks very much! It's readers like yourself that help make Inline Hockey Central better than a sum of its parts. Keep up the great work!