Skates that actually fit.
Like a glass slipper.
Badly fitting skates never break in. Our fitters measure, match, bake, and fine-tune until your skates feel like they were made for your feet — because at that point, they basically were.
THE SKATE WALLBad skates don't break in. Ever.
We understand the pain of playing in skates that just don't fit, no matter how many sessions you take trying to break them in. That's why we use the Source for Sports model for skate fitting: Pro-Formance Advantage.
With Pro-Formance Advantage, you can rest assured you're getting the best skates for your foot shape and playstyle. We test and sample all the new gear that comes in — including skates — so we know how it works and feels, and we can help you make the right call.
The game is getting faster, and skates are getting more complicated. We want to be part of the process, so we can help you get the perfect skates to enhance your game.
Four steps, start to finish.
A proper fitting is a conversation, a measurement and a heat bake — not a guess at your shoe size.
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Talk playstyle, level and budget.
About 5 minutesWe want to know your level of play and how you skate — agile and quick-footed, or fewer but more powerful strides. We'll ask about your budget too: Source for Sports has exclusive models that use high-end tech at a lower price.
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Measure everything.
Both feet, separatelyWe measure your foot from all angles to find a fit that suits its shape, and note the things that have made skates hard on you before — pressure points, arch height, whether you pronate or supinate.
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Try, bake and dial in.
Baking includedYou'll walk around in them so we can catch anything we missed, then we bake the skates and punch out pressure points to get the right wrap around your foot.
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Skate on them. Then come back.
No appointment neededSkates feel different on the ice than on our floor. Give them a few sessions, and if anything still feels off, bring them in — we'll keep working on them for you.
What it looks like in the shop.
Get fitted from your living room floor.
Most of our customers never set foot in the store. You can still get the measuring part right at home with a sheet of paper and two books — then tell us what you found and we'll take it from there.
Most skate manufacturers size differently from shoes. Skates normally fit one to one-and-a-half sizes smaller than your shoe size — but every foot has a unique shape, so treat that as a guideline, not a rule.
Measure at home
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Sit down wearing the same thickness of sock you'd skate in — we recommend a thin performance, moisture-wicking sock.
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Put one foot flat on a sheet of legal-size paper (11" x 14"). Slide a book up against the back of your heel and another against your longest toe, then mark the paper at the heel and the toe.
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Measure the exact distance between the two marks. That's your length — write it on the sheet and label it left or right.
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For width, slide the books against the widest part of your forefoot, mark both sides, and measure between those marks.
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Repeat with the other foot. Measure each foot separately — they're rarely identical.
What to send us
- Age, height and weight
- The brand, model and size of your last skates — length and width
- Your length and width measurements, for both feet
- Anything that's given you trouble before — pressure points, a high arch, a wide forefoot
If you're unclear on how to measure, call and we'll do it with you over the phone.
Two numbers, one starting point.
Put in the length and width you just measured and we'll show you which size to start from, and which of the three width groupings your foot is closest to. It's the same chart our staff work off.
Measure sitting down, with your weight off the foot. Standing flattens the arch and makes your foot read longer and wider than it really is.
Enter your foot length to see where to start. Add the width and we'll suggest a width grouping too.
Length and width get you to a starting point, not an answer. How wide your heel is, how high your instep sits and where your ankle bone falls all change which boot actually works - which is why two players with identical measurements can end up in different skates.
Send us your numbers before you order and we'll sanity-check them.
See the full sizing chart
| Skate size | Foot length (max) | US shoe |
|---|---|---|
| Youth Y06 | 14.5 cm | Y07 |
| Youth Y07 | 15.2 cm | Y08 |
| Youth Y08 | 16.2 cm | Y09 |
| Youth Y09 | 17 cm | Y10 |
| Youth Y10 | 17.8 cm | Y11 |
| Youth Y10.5 | 18.3 cm | Y11.5 |
| Youth Y11 | 18.7 cm | Y12 |
| Youth Y11.5 | 19.1 cm | Y12.5 |
| Youth Y12 | 19.5 cm | Y13 |
| Youth Y13 | 20.3 cm | 1 |
| Youth Y13.5 | 20.7 cm | 1.5 |
| Junior 1 | 21 cm | 2 |
| Junior 1.5 | 21.4 cm | 2.5 |
| Junior 2 | 21.8 cm | 3 |
| Junior 2.5 | 22.2 cm | 3.5 |
| Junior 3 | 22.6 cm | 4 |
| Junior 3.5 | 23.1 cm | 4.5 |
| Intermediate 4 | 23.5 cm | 5 |
| Intermediate 4.5 | 23.9 cm | 5.5 |
| Intermediate 5 | 24.3 cm | 6 |
| Intermediate 5.5 | 24.7 cm | 6.5 |
| Intermediate 6 | 25.1 cm | 7.5 |
| Intermediate 6.5 | 25.5 cm | 8 |
| Senior 7 | 26 cm | 8.5 |
| Senior 7.5 | 26.4 cm | 9 |
| Senior 8 | 26.8 cm | 9.5 |
| Senior 8.5 | 27.2 cm | 10 |
| Senior 9 | 27.7 cm | 10.5 |
| Senior 9.5 | 28.1 cm | 11 |
| Senior 10 | 28.5 cm | 11.5 |
| Senior 10.5 | 28.9 cm | 12 |
| Senior 11 | 29.4 cm | 12.5 |
| Senior 11.5 | 29.8 cm | 13 |
| Senior 12 | 30.2 cm | 13.5 |
| Senior 13 | 31 cm | 14.5 |
| Senior 14 | 31.8 cm | 15.5 |
| Senior 15 | 32.6 cm | 16.5 |
Foot lengths are Bauer's published player-skate size guide. CCM and TRUE run a little differently - send us your measurements and we'll confirm before anything ships.
Converting from a traditional width
Know the width of your old skates? Bauer replaced D and EE with a three-fit system, and CCM names the same three. Here is where the old widths land.
| If you wore | Bauer fit | CCM width |
|---|---|---|
| Vapor D | Fit 1 | Tapered |
| Vapor EE | Fit 2 | Regular |
| Supreme D | Fit 2 | Regular |
| Supreme EE | Fit 3 | Wide |
| Nexus D | Fit 3 | Wide |
| Nexus EE | Fit 3 | Wide |
| JetSpeed D | Fit 1 | Tapered |
| JetSpeed EE | Fit 2 | Regular |
| Tacks D | Fit 2 | Regular |
| Tacks EE | Fit 3 | Wide |
| Ribcor D | Fit 2 | Regular |
| Ribcor EE | Fit 3 | Wide |
A conversion, not a promise - the three fits differ in volume as well as width, so a heat bake and a fitter still beat a chart.
Skate fitting questions.
The things people ask us most on the floor.
Call the shop: 604-589-8299What size skate do I need?
Skates normally fit one to one-and-a-half sizes smaller than your shoe size — but every foot has a unique shape, and these are guidelines only. The measurement matters far more than the number on the box.
How should a properly fitted skate feel?
Lace them up and walk around for a few minutes to settle your heel into the back of the boot. Standing with your legs straight, your toes should be barely touching the toe cap; bend your knees slightly and they should pull back and clear it.
Your heel must not lift as you walk. Heel slippage is the number one cause of blistering.
My child is still growing. How much room should I leave?
Toes barely touching the end of the toe cap, with about the width of a ballpoint pen behind the heel. That gives the foot room to grow without letting the heel slip, which would cause an improper fit.
Do you bake skates?
Yes — heat baking is part of the fitting. We bake the skate and punch out pressure points so the boot wraps your foot properly instead of waiting for it to break in on its own.
Do I need an appointment?
Not for a standard fitting — walk in and a Skate Specialist will take it from there. Custom skate fittings with Bauer, CCM or TRUE are by appointment: email sales@thehockeyshop.com or call 604-589-8299.
How do I break in a new pair?
Spend time in them laced up at home — the more time before your first skate, the shorter the break-in and the better your feet will feel. A hair dryer can help warm them, but be careful not to overheat any one area, and let them cool completely before walking in them. Wear rubber skate guards so you don't damage the blades or the floor.
Do new skates come sharpened?
All skates purchased from thehockeyshop.com come with a free sharpening. Let us know what hollow you'd like them ground at — and remember that sharper does not mean quicker. Less hollow means more glide.
What if they still don't feel right after a few skates?
Bring them back. Skates fit differently on the ice than on our floor, so assess them over a few sessions — if something is off, we'll keep working on them for you.
Your feet will thank you.
Drop by the Langley store and let a Skate Specialist take it from there — measuring, matching, baking, and fine-tuning included.