How to Compare Ice Hockey Skates
If you're an ice hockey player or looking to begin playing the sport, a pair of quality hockey skates is one of the most important items on your equipment shopping list. A good pair of hockey skates will protect and support your feet and ankles while giving you the control and agility necessary to play this high-speed sport.
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Instructions
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Focus specifically on hockey skates. Figure skates will not work for playing hockey, because the blades are designed differently and the boot is not protective enough. You may also find recreational skates that look similar to hockey skates, but they are not designed to hold up to playing a contact sport.
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Visit a specialty hockey store that carries a variety of brands and models. The staff at a hockey store will be able to measure your foot and direct you toward styles that are appropriate for your level of play in the correct size. Have a pair of socks that you will wear with your skates.
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Try on as many different skates as you can in your correct size. Put on both skates and lace them tightly--hockey skates are worn very snug--and walk around the store to get a feel for them. Bend your ankles and imitate skating strides.
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Consider these factors: What materials are they made of? Will they be durable? Are they lightweight, or do they feel heavy? Do they have enough padding and foot protection? Do they offer enough ankle support?
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Concentrate on how the skates fit. Different brands and models are built on different lasts (the shape the boot is built around), and often vary slightly in width and detailed fit, even in the same size. Make sure the skates don't poke, pinch or rub painfully.
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Tips & Warnings
Many mid-range to high-end hockey skates offer heat-moldable skates, which you can heat and then wear to form-fit. However, heat molding will not make up for choosing ill-fitting skates, so for the best fit, choose skates that feel as comfortable as possible on your feet before they are molded.
If you're in doubt about the fit of your chosen skates, do not have the shop heat-mold your boots or sharpen the skate blades--skates generally cannot be returned once this is done. Instead, take them home and wear them on protected floor surfaces to make sure they fit properly.
