This is a tricky one, especially for children, as their feet can grow up to a full foot size in a year and skates are not the cheapest of things to purchase on a regular basis. For children who are just starting to play ice hockey your best bet is to buy second hand to start with, as boots have different fits depending upon skate manufacturers. However do not be tricked into thinking buying on sites like eBay is the route to take. You need to see the skates, and more importantly, the child needs to try them on.

Second Hand Skates - What to look for
The most important factor is the condition of the boot. Again, depending upon manufacturer, the boot can either be all leather, a fibre type material or a mixture of both. Try to steer well clear of those that are completely plastic and more importantly those that can be adjusted in size.

Check the toe of the boot
If worn through to the protective plastic or inner boot then these are no good as your childs feet will constantly get wet and lead to all sorts of skin and nail diseases.

Check the back of the boot
Hockey boots have the same plastic back as normal boots and shoes. However if the back is broken or is sticking through into the boot then do not buy. This item is vital to maintaining the support for your childs ankle. If it's broken then this probably means that the skates have been tightened up with longer than normal laces and these have been tied around the neck of the boot. This causes stress on the back of the boot and eventually causes the back to break.

Check the Eyelets
Check that all the eyelets are in place and that they are in good order. These eyelets are vital in ensuring the boot fits snuggly to the wearers feet. If they are missing it can lead to the wearer damaging their feet permanently as the boot will not grip the foot in the correct places.

Check the boots rivets
All decent manufacturers of boot have the blade attached to the boot via a number of rivets on the sole. These need to be checked to ensure all are present, also, if any have been replaced that they have been done so correctly and the rivet is not digging into the inside of the boot. If the rivets are missing this does not mean that the boots are not safe although this does depend on how many are missing. All it means is that you will need to spend additional money to get them repaired as missing rivets put stresses and strains on the existing ones within the boot.

Check blades are in line
You will be surprised at how many boots have been sold where the blades are slightly off centre. This does not mean that the boot is no good as it has passed a quality check. What it does mean though, is that you will need to adjust your style of skating if one is off centre, as the pressure from the soles of your feet will place the boot at a different angle on the ice. If you can avoid these try to.

Check blades
There should be ample metal on show for the blade. Those that are just showing a few millimetres, 8mm or less of metal, are nearing the end of their life and are liable to limit your skating ability. The lower your skates are the less you can lean into the turns which results in wider turns. The blade should be 10mm or more and level on a flat surface with a slight bend at the toe and heel. If the blade is not completely level then this will require the blade to be skimmed down until they are level. Big nicks within the blade should be avoided and so should those that are rusty along the sides (signs of neglect). Blades can snap, so avoid those that look like they have been welded back together.

Laces
If you do decide on a pair of boots then irrespective of what you
are told by the seller, change the laces to those that are waxed and
suitable for the number of eyes or size of your skate. The lace should be pulled tight throughout the boot and the lace should just do a double bow as those you would find on a pair of shoes. Excess lace should be cut off and the laces burnt at the ends to stop fraying.

OK you've checked your secondhand boots and everything looks fine now what?
As a rule, for those that have stopped growing, the skates should be a size or half smaller than those of your normal footwear (i.e. you wear 9's so pick 8's or 8.5's). With regards to childrens feet, the boot should match or be a half size bigger. Do not take the assumption that they will grow into them. Yes your children will grow into them in about 9 months time but they will hate you forever. A skate that is too big for a persons foot affects their skating ability in virtually all categories. The foot should sit over the blade for its entire length. By having a boot too big, the foot slides within the boot and you have trouble stopping, maintaining your speed and you will struggle to skate backwards correctly. Also be aware that most skates state their size in US first - so a boot that says it's a 6 might actually be a UK 5.

You've found some and they are in good condition and are the right size.
OK, so you have been lucky enough to find a pair. Can I buy without trying them on? Not unless you know your skates. Your child needs to have the skates done up tightly and then stand up. As most have a toe protector within them, judging where your childs foot is can be difficult. Your child needs to be 100% honest with you. Can they feel the end of the boot? Is it squashing their toes? If so then these boots are a little too small and your search will continue. If it's the opposite then the child needs to gauge roughly where their foot is within the boot. Now a good indication for this is whilst standing up see if you can get your index finger and fore finger down the back of the boot whilst your childs foot is in the boot. If you can do it with ease then check for lace tightness and if extremely tight then the boots are no good. If it is extremely difficult then the same applies. If it's a snug fit then these are perfect.

Anything else?
If a child says that their skates are a bit too tight around the toes this can be overcome by doing one of the following. Squirt water on to the toes and bottom three eyelets for the first few times of wearing. If this doesn't achieve the desired effect and the boots are not all leather, then you can 'bake' your skates. This involves putting your skates in a special oven for a few minutes to make them supple and then putting them on your feet and doing them up extremely tight. This will mould the boots to your feet ensuring a better fit.

Once you have covered all these areas you should now have a pair of boots that fits correctly and will last until the next growth spurt or you decide to hang them up.