Inline skates come in all shapes and sizes. Some are thin and have nothing more than a sock-like liner. Others see the value in comfy liners and stick big beefy ones in their skates. Before you even put the skates on, you should look at the liner and feel all around it to see how good it is. It should be of nice construction and consistent throughout. There should be a little extra padding at the toe for those frequent crunches, and they may also offer custom inserts to better fit your foot. Regardless, they should be thick and sturdy.

There are some basic rules that insure whether a skate is a good fit or not. Of course the first is to know your foot size. Just like in shoes, different skates have different fits, so knowing your size will only help the salesman find the correct skate for you. If you have any doubts, get them to measure your foot for you. This is a big investment, and you don't want to waste hundreds of dollars over a few seconds fitting! If/When you do have for foot measured, check to make sure the salesman knows what he is doing. First off you should be seated so he can measure length, arch and width. You should then stand up and take note of any changes. If there is a significant changes, this could mean that you tend to pronate and may need a custom insole. Again, talk with your salesman to find out. A side note to this is that you should measure both feet. You should know if one foot is slightly larger or not, but if not just be sure. You would probably want to go with the larger boot so that both are snug and comfy in the skate. If you fit the smaller foot, the larger one will likely be too tight.

Women have a different foot shape that tends to have thinner heels, higher insteps, higher arch, and lower forefoot. A women's forefoot often tends to spread a little more than a man's when weighted, and this should be taken into account. Also important is the cuff of the skate. A women's calf attaches to her leg lower than a man's, so the cuff on the boot should reflect that. Many manufacturers make skates to fit a woman's foot, so be aware of that no matter what sex you are!

Liner types are also pretty important. Lace up liners tend to offer greater support and better fitting than normal stitched liners. Again, it's all personal preference.

If you have wide feet, you may need to get your boot stretched to fit your foot. Since most all skates are made with plastic shells, a good shop will offer custom molding to their customers. Before you do that, however, make sure to remove any insole and all extra padding down in the skate- you don't want to go stretching a boot that doesn't need it! A salesman may try to get you to buy a bigger boot that would be wider, but don't do that. If the boot is too long then the fit will be loose and tend to cause blisters.

Narrow feet are a different story. The easiest way to deal with them is to add pads in along the liner. Underneath, on the sides, wherever you can to make a good fit. And of course like in the wide foot, you don't want to buy a more narrow but shorter boot. Don't trade one uncomfortable aspect for another.

Your foot tends to pronate (as most peoples do) if when you put weight on your foot the arch drops and the foot spreads. Realize this when you talk to your salesman as he can fit you best.

Symptoms/Solutions

General looseness: If the skate length is fine, but the feel is just a bit loose, try elevating the foot by use of pads. This may help.

Forward-Back looseness: If the skate is of a good fit, but tends to wobble forward and back, try adding a tongue pad in. This helps push the foot back and is good for solving problems like this.

Sensitive instep: Adding a pad in the tongue away from the sensitive spot tends to help relieve pressure.

Skates too wide: If it is just a little too wide, put a pad along the outside of the liner. If it is way too lose, put a bad both along the inside and outside.

Loose heel: A heel cushion is helpful if the ankle bone is below the ankle pocket. You should place the pad inside the liner.

Pronation and supination: A heel wedge will help with support and stance in both cases. If it is a severe case, custom insoles may be needed.

Skate Type

After you know what type of fit you are seeking, the next obvious question is what type of skate. There are rec skates for skating around the block, hockey skates for playing hockey, aggressive skates for ramps and rails, and speed skates for those 5 wheeled fanatics.

Knowing what type of skating you want to do is essential in getting the correct skate. If you want to do a little of both, tell the salesman and he can help you out. A few of the differences are-
Rec skates tend to be lighter and have bigger/softer wheels
Hockey skates tend to be rugged and have a flat profiled wheel for stability
Aggressive skates are made out of thick plastic and are built bombproof
Speed skates are usually light, 5 wheeled, and have large wheels.

If at all possible you will want to try on your skates and skate around the block. Try and figure out what feel good and where the problem points are. Remember, if the skate doesn't fit well after you are in it for 5 minutes in the store, they sure as heck aren't going to feel very nice after you have been on them an hour. And if they don't feel good when you use them, you won't use them... Many stores offer skates for rent. If your perspective skate is available, use it. Frequently they also apply rental charges toward purchases so you have nothing to lose.

Skate parts are also an essential part of a purchase. Make sure that the bearings are sturdy (ABEC-1 to ABEC-5), and the skate has some sort of metal rockering spacers. Metal bearing spacers are also very important for speed and stability. The wheels that generally come with most skates are crummy, so don't stress too much about them. But don't go dropping any extra money on wheels. By the time you need to buy new ones, you will know how you skate and can get wheels that best suit your style.