Youth Ice Skate Size Chart: How to Size Kids’ Ice Skates Correctly

Youth ice skates should fit snug, with toes lightly touching the front—not sized up for growth, because loose boots cost kids control on the ice.

The fit takes ten minutes and a sheet of paper. Riedell advises buying the child’s current correct size rather than leaving room to grow, since a boot that shifts under the foot makes every stop and turn harder to learn. The steps below are the ones skate fitters use.

How Do You Measure a Kid’s Foot for Ice Skates?

Measure both feet standing, use the longer measurement, and round up if the child lands between sizes. Riedell’s guide lays out the procedure:

1. Set a blank sheet of paper on the floor with its bottom edge against a wall.
2. Have the child stand straight on the paper with the heel firm against the wall.
3. Trace around the toes with a pencil.
4. Repeat with the other foot.
5. Measure heel-to-toe length with a ruler.
6. Use the longer foot’s measurement; when between sizes, choose the larger.

Riedell also recommends measuring both seated and standing, heel held firmly against the fitting device, noting where the longest toe reaches. A trained fitter should confirm final size and width.

Ice skates commonly run about one full US size smaller than regular shoes, per Riedell’s buying guide—but treat that as a starting point only. Foot measurement and the model’s chart outrank the rule.

What Does a Correct Fit Feel Like?

A skate fits correctly when the toes brush the front lightly while lying flat, the heel stays locked down, and the boot is fully laced before you judge anything. Have the child bend the knees as in a skating stance—a heel that lifts out of the heel pocket means the boot is too long or too loose. Toes should never curl; a curled toe signals a boot that’s too short. Try skates on with the exact socks the child will skate in, since a thick sock can change the fit by half a size.

Reading the Soar Jr Youth Size Chart

Riedell’s Soar Jr chart pairs each junior size with a foot length and matching US kids’ shoe size.

Riedell publishes this in its Riedell Ice sizing guide, which also covers width groups for models like the Elara, Vega, Ruby, Topaz, and Crystal in sizes 4 through 13, half sizes included.

Brand, model, and width charts are not interchangeable, so pull the chart for the exact skate you’re buying. Once you know the size, our roundup of tested youth ice skates for beginners covers which models hold up best for new skaters.

Which Sizing Mistakes Cause the Most Problems?

Buying by shoe size alone and sizing up for growth hurt young skaters most, because a loose boot lets the foot slide and kills edge control. Riedell’s kids’ guide also flags:

• Measuring just one foot instead of both.
• Measuring seated only, without a standing measurement.
• Fitting with different socks than the child skates in.
• Judging the fit before the laces are fully tightened.
• Letting toes curl against the front of the boot.
• Assuming a printed chart replaces a trained fitter for the final call on size and width.

Blade length is its own decision: boot size does not set blade size, and Riedell publishes separate blade charts by model and boot size for its Stride, Motion, and Bronze Star blades in youth sizes 9 through 3½. Rental skates add another wrinkle—Riedell’s youth rental lines each cover their own ranges, with the 850 Youth running 8–13 and the 250 Youth running 6–3, all full sizes and medium width.

When Should a Professional Fit the Skates?

Involve a trained fitter whenever the child sits between sizes, needs a non-standard width, or is moving into stiffer boots, since Riedell names an authorized fit technician as the final word on size and width. For everyday recreational skating, the measure-at-home method plus a snug try-on covers nearly every case.