Freshies! Don't Buy Roller Skates!

No offense, but you don't know what you're doing.

Since coming to terms with the fact that my skates are a bit too big, I've spoken with many of my teammates about skate fit. It turns out an alarming number of them spent a painful couple of years cinched into skates that were too small or sloshing around in ones that were too big. It didn't ruin their derby, but it did make things difficult and uncomfortable. It is possible to start a successful derby career in ill-fitting skates, but why do that to yourself?

Hear me now. Most people will recommend you not buy skates "until you know for sure you will stick with derby." This is good advice, but if you are joining roller derby then you are probably the type of person who will be more determined to buy expensive skates when told this. I am not assuming you will fail. I assume you will work hard, love derby, play for years, and have a Facebook fan page with thousands of followers. I am still telling you not to buy.

In an ideal world, your league will have an impressive collection of discarded skates you can borrow. Although you may feel dorky in the borrowed skates, I think you should spend a few months using them. Spend 2-3 weeks in a pair that feels good. Then go up or down a half size, or choose a different style of skate and wear those for a few weeks. See what the difference is. Get a feel for what you like and what you don't like. When you know the feeling of well fitting skates, it will be easier to make the right decision when buying.

Now it's time to leave fairy tale land.

You and I both know that if you can afford new skates (and perhaps even if you really can't) that you are not about to use the loaners for the next 3-6 months. Here's the second best option. Find a skate shop with EXTREMELY knowledgeable and helpful employees, and take a senior team member with you. Most of your teammates love skate shopping and will be glad to go with you. They will use it as an opportunity to buy themselves some new wheels. With their help, you can find the right skate for you. Please note: a knowledgeable skate shop owner will probably try to dissuade a freshie from buying skates. They see a lot lot of girls trying to return scuffed skates after a month. Don't be offended.

I know not everyone has access to a good skate shop. Also, you may not feel comfortable asking someone to come with you. At the very least, you should ask everyone's opinions before you go to buy skates. Pick a couple of people who seem to really know equipment and ask them about the fit of your loaners. Ask everyone what kind/size skates they have, what they had in the past, and why they chose that. Everyone loves talking about their skates! Some will talk your ear off. Try to find someone with similar feet to yours, and find out what they wear. Derby players know everything about their feet. If you have wide or narrow feet, tall feet or flat arches, weird toes, weak ankles, etc., someone on your team will have the same thing and will tell you how that affected their skate decision.

The girls will also be full of hints about lacing, insoles, socks, wheels, toe stops, and toe guards. They will know if your league has a discount arrangement anywhere. Some girls may have a special store or person who puts together custom skate packages.

My final piece of advice is to not get carried away by all the fancy options. I needed aluminum plates instead of nylon because of my size, but I did not need the leather boots I insisted upon having. This is your first pair if derby skates, not your last. You will be falling, sliding, and generally tearing up the skates for a while. As Fresh Meat, you will be harder on these skates than you probably will be on any other pair of skates in your life. You don't want to cringe at every scrape.

Your league probably has a particular skate that they generally recommend for new girls. With us, it's the Reidell R3. It's a great skate. It has nylon plates and vinyl boots which makes it relatively economical, yet it is a well-made, well-fitting skate that will serve you well. Ask if your league recommends this skate or a similar one.

Do NOT research some skates online, go to the sports shop, find a great, expensive skate, try on a pair or two, and buy a pair that "feels okay."

Learn from me!

I Don't Lurve My New Skates So Much

I kind of hate my skates.

I'm so miserable. We shopped and shopped and researched and spent an ungodly amount of money. My skates are Wickeds. A lot of girls wait and save for a year or more before spending this kind of cash on skates. A brand new girl really has no business being on a set of these, but we got them and they're beautiful.

The thing is, they HURT. Bad.

Ten seconds into skating, my feet cramp something fierce. Throughout practice, my feet scream with a pain that takes my breath away.

I fear the skates may be too big. The next size down swished my toes, but my heels slip a little in these. I'm certain this contributes to the pain, as my poor toes keep gripping the bottom of the skates for dear life. Every time I pick up my foot, I feel like the skate will fall off. My foot's effort to keep the skate on is killing me.

I feel like crying. Is it really possible I bought skates that don't fit? I've already scuffed them so they can't be returned. Such a waste. I can never tell my husband. He is more excited about the skates than I ever was. He is so happy to have found and bought them for me. How can I ever tell him they don't work, that I want my old crappy skates back?

Some of the girls look at my skates for me. They are not too big. Whew! Cramping is a common problem in new boots. Not only do the skates need to break in, but your feet have to get used to the new skates. In my case, in particular, my previous boots were high top. I'm having to get used to not having the extra secure feeling of laces up my ankles. This leads me to lace my skates too tight, which causes -you guessed it - foot cramps.

The girls offer lots of advice about different lacing styles, insoles and padding that will help in the short term. The real fix, though, is to just give it time. I've just gotta take my potassium and ibuprofen and suck it up.

I'm so relieved that the skates aren't too big.