size matters - Sin City Skates

gear
size matters
I VA N N A S . PA N K I N ’ , S A N D I E G O D E R B Y D O L L S
Chances are you’ve ordered at least some of your gear
online. Sadly, most skaters aren’t lucky enough to have
a derby gear shop in driving distance – some not even
on the same continent. Whether you’re just joining
a league or you’re a seasoned vet, you most likely
spend at least a few hours a week in that gear and
you want it to fit right and last. But trying to determine
your size can be very stressful, especially since
exchanges can involve costly shipping charges. It’s
especially tricky if you’re making conversions from
Metric to Imperial measurements or trying to judge
what you need based on shoe sizes. However, it
doesn’t have to be. You can cut down on the hassle
pretty significantly with a few of these pointers.
measure yourself
Most shops have some form of sizing charts, provided by the
manufacturers or, in our case, created through trial and error
with our own skater employees. First, check out the sizing
advice offered on the website. Are there directions for how
to get an accurate measurement? Start there. Unless the
charts say otherwise, you can usually get a pretty accurate
measurement if you start with recreating the condition your
feet are in when you are skating.
• What’s the Time? When you measure matters. Feet
can swell up to a size between morning and evening for
most people. If you measure in the morning, and like most
of us, practice in the evening, you’re a.m. measurement is
likely to put you in skates that are too small.
• Wear Socks: Unless you skate barefoot, you don’t want
to measure bare feet. If you like a particular type of socks
or combination of socks and tights, measure your feet
while wearing them.
• Get Up, Stand Up: Feet spread when you put your
weight on them, so stand to measure – unless you plan
to skate sitting down.
• Length and Width: Both matter, so measure both.
And most people aren’t symmetrical – so it is best to
measure both feet, as well. Size to your largest foot.
24 | Spring 2011 | fiveonfivemag.com
• For length, make sure you’re measuring from the back
of your heel to the furthest forward part of your foot (maybe
your big toe, maybe your next toe). I think the easiest way to
do that is to back a foot up to the wall, stand on a piece of
paper, then draw a line where the longest toe hits. Make sure
the pen is perpendicular to the paper. Trish doesn’t like how
paper crumples, so she recommends you stand on a ruler.
• For width, measure all the way around the widest part
of your foot where your toes attach. We call that your ball girth
(then we giggle). If you measured all the way around, your width
measurement is likely to be in the same general range as your
length measurement. An accurate width measurement will not
ever be anything like 3 or 4 inches (or under 10 cm).
general fitting advice
Skate sizes are generally equivalent to U.S. Men’s shoe sizes,
though there are variations (just like there are in shoes).
Skate sizes run about a size to a size and half different than
U.S. female shoe sizes. But there are variations in the fit of
each skate model and shoe sizes aren’t a reliable way to choose.
Most people wear their shoes looser than an ideal skate fit. For
example, a woman who wears American size 9 women’s shoes
will usually choose a skate in the 7-8 range, dependi ng on their
feet, how snug they like their fit and what skate model they buy.
Fit is in the eye of the beholder, but most skaters prefer
NEW skates to be snug as possible without compressing their
toes. Your toes are compressed if they feel squished together, or
if you can feel the knuckles of your toes bent and pressing on
the top panel of the boot. I like my skates to fit a tiny bit longer
than my feet (my toes do touch), with the skate’s front axle
under the center of the ball of my foot (so the pivot point for
quick lateral turns is in the same physical spot on my feet
and my skate trucks). I can almost always spot a skater in
overly large skates because they usually develop a very
distinctive stride (not unlike a person running in clown shoes)
to compensate for their skate axle (and the skate’s pivot point)
being in an awkward, not ideal place.
Too-tight skates hurt and can injure the small bones in your
feet (sometimes permanently) – and too loose skates can mean
your foot slides around inside the skate, leading to blisters,
callouses and pain. Really well-fitting skates may take time to
break-in comfortably. But after the break-in period, well-fitting
skates do NOT give you blisters or callouses. It can be difficult
to get a perfect fit off the shelf for some people.
We recommend that you try on teammates’ skates if
you can’t get fitted in person. There is no substitute for trying
on skates.
specs to compare for skates commonly purchased for roller derby
This information is based on our experience fitting skaters in
person and trying on every skate ourselves (every single
employee of Sin City Skates spends their first few weeks trying
on all the gear we stock). I switch to “we” at this point because
a bunch of us collaborated on this info.
General Length: Sure Grip and Riedell are the most common
manufacturers of derby skates and they use a different size chart.
Sure Grip skates are longer, about a quarter of an inch at skate
size 7, more for bigger sizes. Make sure you’re checking the
appropriate size chart. Unfortunately, we can’t give you reliable
info about the fit of the Antik skates yet, because at the time of
writing, only the prototypes were available for fitting. Production
skates often fit differently than prototypes.
Width: Every skate model is a bit different, including different
models from the same manufacturer.
• Rookie / Recreational (Chinese-Manufactured) Skates
• RW Outlaws and Sure Grip Boxers are vinyl and run
a bit narrow (B)
• Riedell R3s and Diablos are the same vinyl boot design
and fit, narrow to medium (B/C)
• Riedell Rogue / Phantom and Vixen are forgiving
leather mediums (C)
• Sure Grip Rebels are also leather, medium to wide (C/D)
• Sure Grip XL series skates run a little wider than Rebels (C/D)
• Rock GT-50s are vinyl and just wider than medium (D)
• Rock Flames are also vinyl and very wide (E)
• American-Manufactured leather stock Riedell Boots
• The 125, 195, 395, 595, 695 and 1065 boots are built
“C” width (on the “248” last), though design features
may make some of them “feel” wider or narrower. The
1065 boot (before the owner heat-molds the fit) feels
the narrowest and runs longer than the Riedell size
chart indicates.
• 395, 811, 911 and 951 boots are made on the “395” last,
which features a “D” toebox.
• 126 (She Devil), 265 (Vandal, Wicked) and 965 (Minx)
boots are built on a “split” last, with a “D” toebox and “B”
heel (which Riedell has determined is ideal for many
women). The 965 boot has a rounded toe that has almost
universally made people comfortable in a half size smaller
than they would in typical lace-to-toe speed boots (like
125 or 265). If you’re ordering a She Devil, make sure
you ask which boot it comes with because they were
made with 125s for a couple years; newer models are
made with the 126, which is the wider boot.
• WIDE WIDTH / ASYMMETRICAL FEET
• Customs
American-made Riedell and Antik boots can be custommade in narrow “B”, or wide “D” or “E” width if you can
bring yourself to wait an average 3-5 weeks plus transit
time and don’t mind paying customization fees. You can
also get two different sized skates for a customization
charge, as well. Custom skates are made to order
and you have more than just size choices, of course.
• Stretching
Leather boots can be *stretched* wider by the factory for
a fee (usually up to 1/2 inch), or you can take them to
a local shoe repair shop to have them stretched. We
recommend you skate in them at least once before you
get them stretched so that you can have them stretched
in the right places (the spots where your feet hurt, that is).
This process takes a day or more and is usually more
successful when done *slowly* so that the leather
stretches without stressing sewn or glued seems.
Stretching works best on higher end boots, because
higher-grade leather is softer and more pliable. It is
typically NOT successful on vinyl or cheap (coated) leather,
such as that found on most of the recreational skate
models. Stretching does not usually make skates longer,
though if you just need a bit of wiggle room for one toe,
most shoe repair shops (and awesome skate shops) have
a pop-out tool that can often help.
Hopefully this information helps you start to narrow down the
choices about what skate is right for you. A good fit can mean
you don’t have to think about your skates at all; they become an
extension of your body, so all your attention can be on the game.
fiveonfivemag.com | Spring 2011 | 25