How to temporarily survive a tight fit
Nearing the end of the hockey or skating season and suddenly have kids complaining their skates are too small? Here are some tips to get kids to the end of their hockey or skating season with tight fitting skates.
Note that while we definitely recommend buying new skates when kids start to grow, if there is only a few weeks left in the season it's often better to wear the same skates for comfort and familiarity. New skates will take a bit of time to break in and get used to and may wind up not fitting next season.
1) Get skates stretched
If your kids have mid to high quality skates they can be heated and stretched to a 1/4 to a 1/2 size more than their original size. You should be able to get skates stretched in Calgary at Professional Skate, Adrenaline Source for Sports and Tuxedo Source for Sports.
2) Change socks
Switching to a thinner sock or going barefoot gives feet a little bit of extra room and while somewhat gross, many people skate barefoot and find it gives them a better grip and feel for the ice.
3) Take out the insole. This will create more room in the skate however this should only be done for a very short time period as the insole provides support and cushioning.
