Find your skate size
Type your foot length. You get your street sizes, then the skate size on each brand’s own chart, hockey and figure.
Hockey skate sizes
Hockey skates are sized smaller than street shoes. On the Bauer and CCM charts, a senior skate is 1.5 sizes below the US men’s street shoe printed next to it (2.5 below a US women’s shoe on Bauer’s chart), and youth and junior skates 1 below. The lines run from youth, through junior and intermediate, to senior:
| Brand | Line | Skate sizes | Street shoe | Foot length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bauer | Youth | Y06–Y13.5 | Y07–1.5 | 14.5–20.7 cm |
| Bauer | Junior | 1–3.5 | 2–4.5 | 21.0–23.1 cm |
| Bauer | Intermediate | 4–6.5 | 5–8 | 23.5–25.5 cm |
| Bauer | Senior | 7–15 | 8.5–16.5 | 26.0–32.6 cm |
| CCM | Youth | 6–13.5 | 7–1.5 | 14.5–20.6 cm |
| CCM | Junior | 1–3.5 | 2–4.5 | 21.0–23.1 cm |
| CCM | Intermediate | 4–6.5 | 5–8 | 23.5–25.5 cm |
| CCM | Senior | 7–13 | 8.5–14.5 | 26.0–31.0 cm |
Figure skate sizes
Figure skate boots have their own size scale. Jackson Ultima sizes by foot length, and for the same foot its skates come out about 1.5 below the standard street size, in both men’s and women’s. On mid- and upper-level boots, blades are sold separately and sized to the boot, so get the boot right first; beginner models usually come with the blade mounted.
Measure for skates
Step 01
Thin socks
Skates are worn with thin socks (or none, for many hockey players). Measure in what you’ll skate in.
Step 02
Standing, heel to the wall
Weight on the foot, paper on a hard floor against the wall.
Step 03
Mark and measure
Pen upright at the longest toe. Both feet; use the longer.
Step 04
Width, too
Skates come in fits for narrow, medium and wide feet. Your width narrows the choice.
The full method: how to measure your foot.
How skates should fit
Step 01
Toes brush the cap
Unlaced, standing, your longest toe should just brush the front.
Step 02
Heel locked, knees bent
Laced and in a skating crouch, your toes come off the front and your heel can’t lift.
Step 03
The pinch test
You shouldn’t be able to pinch much spare leather across the top of the boot when it’s laced.
Step 04
Heat moulding
Many hockey and figure boots can be baked by a shop to mould to your foot, which helps a snug skate fit sooner.
Kids’ skates
- Youth and junior hockey sizes are 1 below the street shoe on Bauer and CCM charts.
- Buying big to grow into is tempting, but half a size of room is the most a skate can take before it hurts their skating.
- Check the fit every few months while they grow; second-hand and adjustable skates make sense for young children.
Questions
Are hockey skates the same size as shoes?
No: senior hockey skates are usually 1.5 sizes below your US men’s shoe size on Bauer and CCM charts, and 2.5 below a US women’s size on Bauer’s. Use your foot length and the brand’s chart to be sure.
What’s the difference between junior, intermediate and senior skates?
They’re size ranges: youth for small children, junior, then intermediate for teenagers and smaller adults, and senior for adult sizes. The ranges for each brand are in the table above.
Do figure skates run small?
On Jackson Ultima’s chart, the skate size is about 1.5 below the standard street size for the same foot, so order by foot length, not by shoe size.
Should my toes touch the end of a skate?
Just brush it when you stand unlaced; when laced and in a skating stance your heel sits back and your toes come off the front.
Can I wear thick socks to fill a big skate?
No: thick socks let your foot move and get damp. Choose the right size and wear thin socks.