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.
Welp, thats it for now. Just remember, don't be pressured into buying your skates. Take your time, and get exactly what you want. ***THANKS TO AGGRESSIVE.COM***