Previously, one of the problems with children's roller skates was the inability to move them apart to match the size of the child's ever-growing leg. But in recent decades, many sliding models have appeared on the market and it became a matter of five minutes to increase the size of the skate.
Usually roller skates move 4-5 cm apart, and they are enough for a young athlete for 2-3 seasons. Then not only the length of the child's foot increases, but also its fullness, so the problem cannot be solved by simply lengthening the rollers. There are models in which the front of the roller is lengthened, there are models with an increase in the rear or with an increase in both directions. The advantage of the former: when the heel is shifted, the weight distribution changes and the rollers become difficult to control. Expensive models of rollers may have a system that changes the fullness of the boot. But they are not yet popular enough, as some of them, when pushed apart, form irregularities inside the boot, which cause discomfort when driving.
Sliding skates
There are several mechanisms for changing the size of roller skates. The most advanced is push-button, in which the size is changed by pressing the corresponding button. The more common mechanism is with a screw or eccentric mounted on a platform. The size does not change smoothly, but in steps, since the eccentric is fixed only in certain positions. To change the size, simply unscrew the screw or eccentric, push the frame to a suitable size and tighten the mount again. In the third popular version, the size is fixed with a special rod. It is necessary to unscrew the nut securing it, set the desired size and screw the nut back.
The details of adjusting one or another roller are set out in the instructions. But the best thing to do when buying is to ask the seller to demonstrate the sizing system and remember the procedure.
Fixed skates
If your skates do not have an adjustment system, you can try to spread them. To do this, when putting on the heel strap, tighten it as tight as possible so that the heel does not move forward when rolling. Usually, after 2-3 rides, the boot wears out half a size or even a size.
You can try to increase the size by thermoforming. But first, you should read the instructions and make sure that the thermoforming is suitable for this model. The details of the procedure will also be indicated there. Usually, for this, the boot is heated for 10-15 minutes (the exact temperature and time are indicated in the instructions), then they put it on their feet and ride. This helps to "add" the boot size 1-2.
In Soviet times, shoe size was increased using the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. This method is also suitable for skates. Take a double plastic bag and place it inside the skate, fill it with water and put it in the freezer. When freezing, 10 volumes of water turn into 11 volumes of ice. When you take the skate out of the freezer and defrost it, its volume will increase by 10%.
