SKATE BOOTS

Not sure what size you need? Here are some guidelines:

Almost all derby skates come in men’s sizes, which generally run 2 numbers down from women’s. So for example, Romo wears a size 9 women’s skate, but usually wears a size 7 in men’s skates. However, shoe size doesn’t always tell the whole story, and you’ll want your skates to fit snug so you don’t feel like you have shoeboxes strapped to your feet.

Most “newbie” skates (skates under $250) and Vanilla boots only come in whole sizes.  Higher end skates like the 125, 126, 265 Wicked, and 965 Minx as well as Antik boots all come in both whole and half sizes.

Sizes also often run differently from brand to brand (for example Riedell vs Sure Grip). Even models from the same manufacturer can run differently. For example, Romo wore a size 7.5 in the Riedell 125 boot, a size 7 in the 265 boot, and wears a 6.5 in the 965 boot.

The very best advice when it comes to how a skate will fit your foot is to try them on. If you are not able to come to our shop to get fitted, ask around your league to see who is close to your size and see if they’ll let you try their skates on.

You can also measure your foot and either compare the results to the charts below us, or email us with the results and we can help you try and figure out what you need. You may also want to take into consideration the shape of your foot. For example, is your biggest toe your “big toe” or your middle toe? Does the ball of your boot stick out to the side? What about the bone behind the pinky toe on the other side? Have the start of bunions? We’ve also had people trace their foot and snail mail it to us before.

HOW TO MEASURE YOUR FOOT:

1) Place a ruler on the ground, with the 0 end of it against the wall.
2) Stand on the ruler with your heal against the wall.
3) Measure your foot all the way to the tip of your big toe.
4) Make sure to measure both feet, sometimes they can be different sizes.
5) PS – the best time of day to do this is at night, when your feet are the most swollen. Also, most of us skate at night, so that should give you a more accurate fit. Also, do it with socks on.

Width – Wrap a tape measure all the way around the widest part of your foot. Make sure you do this, especially if you know your feet are narrow or wider.

The Riedell “Ritz Stick” is really only a starting point. This does not mean this is the size you will wear in all Riedell boots. Whenever possible, we have tried ot put info with the product descriptions on sizing.

For more information about specific models of Riedell boots, and what size you may need, check out Riedell Sizing. I can tell you that this guide is not perfect, however.

One more consideration is how your foot is shaped underneath. Most people have arches going both laterally and longways across/down the bottom of your foot. The height of these arches can also make a big difference in comfort. Many people find they need some kind of insole, which of course also adds to the height (and possibly length as your foot raises up) that you need in the boot.

Sure Grip boots generally run a little bigger than Riedell. Vanilla sizing runs similar to Riedell (tho only come in whole sizes). For Antik boots, you should go down 1/2 to possibly 1 whole size down from what you measure (so far Romo has been finding it’s closer to 3/4 size, so if you measure just under a 7, you probably need a size 6. But just over a 7, go to a 6.5).