Unless you skate SERIOUSLY (twice a week every week) these are perfect. Shoes that she would wear for a few months simply would NOT happen. She really loved them because they zipped up and helped her keep her heels in the stirrups of her English saddle without the need for knee high boots that would get hot in summer. They cleaned well with a damp old rag and didn't have a deep/thick tread that held a lot of dirt and debris. The lack of laces to get dirty was another big plus for these shoes. So if your child has reached the end of a size, order one size up. We did just that, and we were happy with a regular pair of socks (no need to double them up or anything like that).