When your skates fit properly, you have better balance, more control and more power. Not to mention less blistering, less cramping and storing of skates in the back of the closet. Stand with your skates laced and your heel snug in the heel cup. Your toes should just barely feather the end of the toe box. Then, as you bend your knees, your toes should pull back slightly from the toe box.
Cramped toes are bad, but so are loose, sloppy ones.
To achieve this fit, adjust your laces and power straps to alleviate pressure and spread support evenly over your entire foot. Forward flex is critical to maintaining the right skating stance with knees bent, shoulders and head centered over the skates. Lateral stability, on the other hand, is crucial for a powerful, comfortable stroke. That's why every K2 skate design has a hinged cuff that works just like your ankle. It flexes forward, but provides stability from side to side.