How To Choose The Right Ice Hockey Skates & Find The Ultimate Fit

Well-fitted ice hockey skates not only help you to perform your best, but they’ll help you to avoid pain and injury whilst you’re on the ice.

It may seem a daunting choice from all of the available ice skate models in store and online, but we want choosing your next hockey skate to be an enjoyable experience, so we’ve put together this comprehensive hockey skate fitting guide.

A skate that isn’t properly sized can be uncomfortable and painful, impacting on your performance and enjoyment. An ill-fitted skate can cause blisters, damage the vital support in the boot, or ruin your enjoyment of the game.

We’ve used our expert knowledge to advise on how to choose the best ice hockey skate for you and to help you to avoid these issues.

• Don’t presume you require your usual shoe size! Typically, you will end up in a hockey skate that is smaller than your regular shoe size. Fit is key.
• When purchasing skates for younger players, compensating for growth and buying bigger skates may hinder your little one's enjoyment and development. It is better to choose a mid-price hockey skate that fits now instead of high-end professional ice skates that will fit next year.
• The ideal fit for ice hockey skates is snug with the least amount of negative space. This may feel strange to some people initially, as this is much more fitted than regular footwear.
• Top tip: when you’re trying on a new skate, make sure you wear the ice skate socks you plan on wearing during skating. We recommend a thin performance skate sock. Whether you opt for a low or high sock is down to personal preference.
• Ice hockey skates are designed for exactly what they say - playing ice hockey.
• Ensure you buy a player skate or goalie skate - don’t buy a recreational skate, a speed skate or a figure skating skate; they are used for different sports and require a different fit.
• Skate stiffness is important. Usually, the stiffer boots are a better choice for experienced or heavier players as they have strong ankle support and enhanced power. Although a reasonable level of stiffness is required for newer and lighter players so there’s enough support, a very stiff boot can impact movement on the ice for beginners.

There are two ways to find your hockey skate size if you’re ordering online. The first is quick and simple using your shoe size. The second is much more accurate and is our recommendation.

The simplest way is to use your shoe size to find what size skate is likely to be the best fit. Assuming your shoe size is correct, we would recommend selecting a skate box size half to one size below your shoe size.

However, in our experience, we have found that the majority of players are not wearing the correct shoe size. In most footwear, you can accept a little more space without any detrimental effects on performance. This is certainly not the case with ice hockey skates. 

Therefore, if you cannot visit a local store to be sized by fitting experts, we would highly recommend using the more accurate method below.

• Put on the socks you would wear to play hockey and trace around your foot onto paper (do so on a hard, flat surface). Make sure you keep your pen/paper straight so you don’t trace underneath your foot.
• Measure in millimetres (mm) from the furthest point of your toes to the back of your heel, giving you your foot length measurement. Using this measurement, take a look at our conversion chart below to find the most suitable size. 
• When selecting your width fitting online (regular/D/EE etc.), if you typically have no width issues with normal footwear, we would recommend selecting a regular/D fitting. 
• If you do have trouble with regular footwear widths, we would suggest trying the EE width option to cater for the wider foot.

It’s vital that your ankle is supported when you’re on the ice to avoid injury. The finger test is a great test used to check that your hockey skate fits properly around your ankle.

1. Loosen the skate laces to allow the foot to be pushed to the front of the skate with the toes brushing the end.
   
   
2. Slide to the edge of the seat so that you can see down the back of the skate.
   
   
3. From this position, check how many fingers can be slid between the hockey skate and the heel.
   
   
4. The ability to slide just one finger down and no more, is the optimum fit.
   
   
5. Should the skate be ill fitting, it will result in blisters, premature skate wear and a decrease in skating ability due to a lack of ankle stability.

1. As leaving room for growth is no longer necessary, we are looking for a snug fit.
   
   
2. With the heel pushed into the back of the skate, tie the laces as you would for skating.
   
   
3. When stood up straight, your toes should brush the end of the skates.
   
   
4. Once you bend your knees and adopt the skating stance, your toes should no longer be touching the front. 

When the hockey skates are tied, you should experience no heel lift when walking/skating. If your heel does move, this is a sign of an ill-fitting skate and your performance and comfort could suffer.

Alternatively, you can visit us in store to be assisted by our fitting experts who will scan your feet. We use 3D foot scanners from Bauer FitLab provide precise, accurate information to assist in finding the perfect skate fit for you.

MyBauer custom hockey skates are a one-of-a-kind customised skate engineered for your feet. Utilising laser precision with the 3D Skate Lab scanner, it can be tailored to every detail of your feet.

MyBauer creates a 3D model, the measurements are scanned and the skate is built to the exact shape of your foot, ensuring the best fit and performance.

What’s more, you can even customise them with your name and number on the tongue and also choose from a selection of liners, runners and eyelets.

Designed with a focus on performance, BAUER FitLab uses new, state-of-the-art 3D foot scanning technology to identify unique qualities of your feet, helping to build the perfect skate for you.

If you want to take your performance to the next level with a pair of perfectly fitting skates, our knowledgeable staff will be happy to take you through the process!

Learn more about our in-store Bauer 3D Foot Scanner.

Ice hockey skates come in a range of width sizes with EE being the widest fit. Generally for ice hockey skates the following letters correlate with different foot widths:

• C - Narrow fit
• D - Standard fit
• R - Slightly wider than D
• E - Wide fit
• EE - The widest fit

The perfect fit for ice hockey skates is tight and snug, with the least amount of room for any negative space. This takes some time to get used to as this is far more fitted than normal shoes.

There are a couple of effective ways to check your skates fit properly.

For junior players:

1. Start with a loosened skate, so the foot can be pushed to the front of the skate and the toes brush the end.
2. Look down the back of the skate.
3. From here, check how many fingers you can slide between the hockey skate and the heel.
4. If you can slide just one finger down and no more, this is the ideal fit.

For senior players:

1. This should be a snug fit as there is no need for growth room.
2. Push the heel into the back of the skate and tie the laces as you would for skating on the ice.
3. Stand up straight and now your toes should just brush the end of the skates.
4. Bend your knees into the skating stance, now your toes should no longer be touching the front.

Ice hockey skates shouldn’t generally hurt your feet. The most common reason for painful feet is an ill-fitting pair of hockey skates. Skates not properly sized to you are often uncomfortable and painful. A skate that doesn’t fit correctly can cause blisters, damaging the vital support in the boot. This isn’t ideal as it can also impact on performance and enjoyment of the game.

Heat moulding is a great way to help you avoid painful hockey skates. The process helps to break in your skates quickly so they are less painful, and fit the best they can.

The heat moulding process helps to form the firm top part of the boot around the shape of your foot. This shortens the break in period, and makes sure it’s the perfect snug fit.

The amount of time it takes to break in ice skates can vary, but it’s usually between 6-10 hours of ice time.

Heat moulding or baking your skates often helps to shorten this break-in period.

You may have your fit in each brand – but then how do you decide which brand and price point to choose?

Hockey skates are available at a range of price points. The more you pay, the more advanced the skate, but the choice depends on your budget and also level of play. As a beginner, you may not need a top of the range skate, and in fact will likely benefit from a softer performance level skate, whereas a competitive player may choose to invest in a top-quality skate.

At Puck Stop we stock the largest range of Bauer ice hockey skates in the UK.

Beginner players usually suit an entry level hockey skate while they learn to play (unless the beginner is a heavier build and needs more support – see below). 

For regular players that play at an advanced level, consider the higher level, stiffer skates with new innovative technology to enhance performance.

Entry level skates are ideal for the ice one or two times a week. If you skate more than this per week, it would be best to choose an intermediate or advanced skate as they’re more durable. 

The more weight you carry, the stiffer and more supportive your skates should be – whether you’re a beginner or not. Heavier players should consider a higher level of skate than entry level for extra support.

Having your skates heat moulded or baked helps to break your skates in quicker so they hurt less, and also fit your foot better. The heat fitting process helps to mould the stiff upper part of the boot to the shape of your foot. This helps to ensure an even better snug hockey fit, and aids in shortening the break-in period. We don’t recommend baking your skates at home.

Not all skates are suitable for heat moulding, but most mid-level skates up to high-end models are. We offer a heat moulding service at our hockey store.

With so many elements to consider when purchasing a pair of ice hockey skates, it’s worth prioritising what’s most important.

Here’s the priority order:

• Sizing
• Fit
• Budget/level of play
• Cosmetics

Entry level ice skates (priced between £64 and £110) are ideal for beginners. They have basic features, and are not too stiff - ensuring movement on the ice isn’t impacted. 

Mid-level ice skates (priced between £120 and £350) provide extra ankle support and are generally more durable than entry-level skates. They come with a few of the higher end features, such as trigger release on the holder. Mid-range skates are ideal for both beginners or more experienced players, who take to the ice fairly regularly.

High-level premium ice skates (priced between £350 and £870) will be the lightest, stiffest and most durable on the market. They benefit from a thicker, more protective tongue and the most innovative properties. They are suitable for experienced players who are looking for a high-performance skate with top-end features to enhance their play.

We hope this has helped you on your way to choosing the perfect ice skate fit! If you still need help or guidance, our team of experts is on hand to help you find exactly what you need. Just get in touch.