How to Get the Right Size FR Skates

Hello Hello. Stephen @Whataspoon here to talk about my experience with FR Skate Sizing.

In the store we are always having the same conversation about how the FR skates should fit. Between the Freeride range with removable liners and the Carbon models there are some differences about how they should feel in store when you are buying them brand new.

For the Freeride range with removable liners we are looking for the skate to feel extremely tight at first. The stock FR liners are extremely thick and have the ability to morph to the shape of your foot over time. They really do stretch a fair amount so we encourage our customers to get them nice and tight at first so the skate doesn’t become too big for them in the future. The FR Freeride range is nice and wide inside so width is never usually a problem. It is normal for customers to touch the front of the liner and have next to no toe space at first. Over time the liner will expand at the front and the back allowing more room for your foot.

As an instructor I witness many students having their FR skates a size too big, which results in them not having as much control as they did when they first got the skates, a few months later. By this time, it’s far too late to exchange so it means they would need to purchase another pair or fill the skates with two pairs of socks and extra insoles to get that same responsiveness again. So if you are someone who will skate very often and need a nice tight responsive skate, I’d recommend going for your true size and not sizing up to the boot that feels most comfortable the first time you try it on.

I even made these same mistakes myself when I was younger with a different brand of skates. I started with a size 10UK which felt great at first. After a few weeks I noticed that I had lots of room in the boot suddenly so I had to get myself another pair after only 4 months. I got myself a size 9UK and it lasted a little longer but again it didn’t feel too tight at first. These skates were the Razor SL Aggressive skates which have a liner with a similar thickness to the FR Stock Liner. I was fortunate enough to know someone who had a used pair in the 8UK size so I tried them on. I was very surprised to find that they fit perfectly. This encouraged me to buy my third pair in the 8UK size. When I first received them they were extremely tight. They felt nothing like the pair my friend had. This worried me at first as I thought these skates were going to be too small for me but after forcing myself to skate them for around 20 hours I noticed that they were no longer crushing my toes but they were now nicely wrapped round them holding them secure in place without being too tight. I noticed a huge improvement in my skating with these skates as I had finally found my size.

My feet are a size 9UK in most shoes and are about 27.5 CM long.
I fit into the 8UK in an FR Freeride skate.
I also get some extra toe room if I add a shock absorber under my heel as this moves my toes back slightly.

FR Skates Shell Sizing
Shell sizing is the size of the actual plastic boot rather than the size of the skate written on the box. The shell sizing for the FR Freeride skates are as follows.

FR Shell Size Chart

Shell	2	4	6	7	8	10	12
Liner	1-2	3-4	4-6	6.5	7	9	10
Liner		3	5		8	9.5	11
Liner		3.5	6				12
Liner		4

This happens for most skates on the market that have removable liners. It will save the skate company a fair amount of money as they only need to produce and design 7 shell sizes instead of 13.

Not all companies use the same shell sizing!
As you can see by the chart, if you are a size 7UK then the size 7UK FR skate should definitely fit you as there is enough room in the plastic for a size 8UK foot. If you are like me and you love to have a really tight fit then you could try the 6.5UK as it might fit you better in the long run. The best way to get an idea is to remove the liner and place your foot inside the plastic shell to see how much room you have around your foot.

FR Freeride Range Size Chart (FRX-FR1)

EU	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
US	3	4	4.5	5	6	7	7.5	8	9	10	10.5	11	12	13
UK	2	3	3.5	4	5	6	6.5	7	8	9	9.5	10	11	12
MP	22	22.5	23	23.5	24.5	25.5	26	26.5	27	27.5	28	28.5	29.5	30
Insole Length (cm)	21	21.5	22	23	24	24.5	25	25.5	26	27	27.5	28	28.5	29

FR Junior Size Chart

EU	32-34	35-37	37-39
US	1-3	4-5	5-7
UK	1-2	3-4	4-6
MP	21-21.5	23-23.5	23.5
Insole Length (cm)	22	23.5	24.5

Sizing FR Carbon Boots
Unlike skates with removable liners, carbon models have their own individual size for each skate. Carbon skates are designed in a way to fit around the foot as close as possible for that ultimate response. These skates tend to be used by athletes/professionals so they can get the best possible performance when competing. Due to your foot being so secure in the boot, this allows for basically no movement between your foot and the skate. This is very handy when it comes to speed skating so you don’t lose those precious seconds or in slalom skating for that ultimate control.

For FR, the skates tend to fit true to size so again I would recommend going for your actual shoe size when purchasing these skates. Like the Freeride range, FR’s Carbon models accommodate a wider foot.

FR Igor & SL Size Chart

EU	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44	45	46	47
US	3	4	4.5	5	6	7	7.5	8	9	10	10.5	11	12	13
UK	2	3	3.5	4	5	6	6.5	7	8	9	9.5	10	11	12
MP	22	22.5	23	23.5	24.5	25.5	26	26.5	27	27.5	28	28.5	29.5	30
Insole Length (cm)	21	21.5	22	22.5	23.5	24	24.5	25	26	26.5	27	28	28.5	29

FR Daria Size Chart

EU	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42
US	4	4.5	5	6	7	7.5	8	9
UK	3	3.5	4	5	6	6.5	7	8
MP	22.5	23	23.5	24.5	25.5	26	26.5	27.5
Insole Length (cm)	21.5	22	22.5	23	24	24.5	25	26

I hope this information helps you when it comes to buying a set of FR Skates. Look out for future blogs which will talk about the sizing of different brands such as Powerslide and Rollerblade.