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By Kathy McSparran
The Cyber Skate Mall You can try on a pair of shoes before you buy them and you can live with your fiancee before you marry him or her. But these days you can't always try out a pair of skates before you give up your credit card number. The problem: few stores (of the old-fashioned brick and mortar variety) carry wide selections of skates these days. As a result, you may have to buy your skates online, basing your choice on little more than photos and product descriptions. This can feel as risky as a mail-order bride. And there's no guarantee, you'll get it right the first time. But by following the steps below — and accepting as a given that you may have to return one or more pairs of skates in the process — you can end up with a great fitting pair of skates. 1.) Find an online shop with a liberal exchange policy — one that promises to take back or exchange skates that don't fit. Check the fine print. Who pays for returning shipping? (Usually, it's you!) Factor that into the total cost of your skates because you may have to send back one or more pairs. Check for any hidden "restocking fees." Call the store's 800-number and ask them personally about their exchange policy. If you don't like the way they treat you, hang up and call somebody else. If you have doubts about a particular online store, ask about it on a skate discussion board, like the Planet Forum. 2.) Place your order. (Yes, this means paying for your skates up front. But if you've followed the advice in Step 1, you should be covered.) If you like two models, order both with the expectation that you will send one back. (Just remember that you will be responsible for shipping back the reject.) 3.) Try on the skates in a carpeted room. No online merchant will take back skates that show any signs of wear, even slight wear to the wheels. (You may also want to wear clean socks!) 4.) Once the skates are on, bend your knees and assume a skating position. (If you skate in a tuck, try them that way.) Press your shins forward into the tongue of the skates. Are you comfortable? Does the tongue feel adequately padded? If the buckle feels like it's cutting into your shin, the tongue may not be providing enough padding. On the other hand, you may have over-tightened the buckle. 5.) Skate in place. Shift your weight from foot to foot, as you would skating. Notice whether your feet slide from side to side or up and down inside the skates. If so, the skates are probably too big and likely to cause blisters. 6.) Check your ankles. Are they caving in (pronating) or bowing out (supinating). If so, try tightening your skates. Making them more snug may correct the problem. Just make sure they are not too tight. You may also want to check to see if the frames can be adjusted from side to side. Adjusting the frames can help correct pronation and supination.
7.) Hang with your skates for a while ... let's say, five or ten minutes. Stand, sit, crouch. Do anything that won't in any way scuff up your skates or wheels. 8.) Take off the skates and socks and inspect your feet. Look for red spots. They form at pressure points and are often the first sign of trouble. 9.) Listen to your feet. What are they telling you? Are they content or ready for a quickie divorce? Listen to what they are saying. If you don't, you may find yourself in a bad marriage with your feet playing the role of screaming partner. 10.) Play the field. Before you decide what to buy, repeat the entire process with one or more pairs of skates. (The more the merrier!) Don't settle for the first skate that is "nice" to you. Find the one you love. ---
Related reading: • Skate Tip of the Week Archive. | ||||||||
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