How To Buy In-line Skates

In-line skating is a fun, healthy activity for people of all ages. The various types of in-line skates include recreational, aggressive, speed and hockey.

• Types of In-line Skates
• Recreational
• Aggressive
• Speed
• Hockey
• Women's
• Skate Construction
• Wheels
• Frames
• Uppers
• Bearings
• Brakes
• Closures
• Determining Your Skate Size

Types of In-line Skates

There is a skate type for each style of skating and level of expertise.

Recreational

• Designed for a leisurely rides in the park or around the neighborhood, and fitness activity
• Comfort and durability are priorities
• Usually made with a hard outer frame and a soft or hard boot
• Typically equipped with 4 wheels with a wheel size from 70-80 mm

Aggressive

• Designed for a skating style that includes stunts, jumping, riding rails, and half pipes
• Aggressive skates are designed to be very solid and sturdy
• Smaller, hard wheels provide maneuverability and durability
• Skates include special modifications to allow skaters to ride rails and ramps

Speed

• Lighter and less robust than recreational or aggressive skates
• A completely different skate designed strictly for fast skating
• Longer frames with a fifth wheel for more stability and longer strides
• Larger wheels enhance acceleration
• No braking system

Hockey

• Similar in style and construction to traditional ice hockey skates
• Very durable, with leather uppers and significant padding for protection
• Usually have a lace-up closure system
• Smaller wheels enhance turning ability
• Sometimes have--large wheels in back and smaller wheels in front--for control
• No braking system

Women's

• Designed with a wider forefoot, narrower heel, and higher instep
• Lower cut in the back accommodates a woman's calf

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Skate Construction

Each style of skate has a number of similar components.

Wheels

In-line skating wheels are usually made of polyurethane, a molded compound that allows for different thickness and wheel hardness.

• Size
• Typical wheel diameters are from 70-80 mm
• Larger wheels are designed for speed
• Smaller wheels are designed for maneuverability
• Styles
• Recreational skate wheels
• Recreational skates usually come with 70-72 mm wheels for a low, stable center of gravity
• Midsize wheels are 72-76
• Higher grade recreational skates come with larger wheels (up to 80 mm) to allow faster skating
• Hockey wheels
• The stability and maneuverability of smaller wheels are desirable to hockey players
• Hockey wheels tend to be more tapered than other wheels for better stability in a turn
• Fitness and cross-training wheels
• Agressive wheels
• Very small wheels (55-67 mm) are best for stunt skates
• Wheels this size are also very hard to withstand grinding and jumping
• Speed wheels
• These wheels are larger (78-80 mm) and to assist acceleration and energy return
• Race wheels have the thinnest profile of all wheels for more speed but less stability
• Changing your wheels
• To avoid excessive, uneven wear, they need to be rotated at least once a week, or after every use for agressive skaters
• Wheels should be changed when they show excessive wear on all sides. Skating with worn wheels is unsafe.
• Hardness
• Wheel hardness is measured in durometers. Lower numbers indicate a softer wheel and higher numbers indicate a harder wheel.
• Durometer is denoted by the suffix "A" (example - 80A)
• The typical recreational in-line skate wheel is 78A or 82A
• Softer wheels are good for winter and provide a softer ride.
• Harder wheels are better in the summer when the pavement is hot and the wheels tend to soften.

Frames

• Frames hold skate components in place
• Most recreational frames are made of aluminum alloy or nylon and fiberglass composites.
• Make sure the frames you select are designed for the type of skating you plan to do
• Metal frames are stiffer, faster, and lighter, but typically cost more

Uppers

• Materials
• Recreational skate uppers are usually made from synthetic materials that offer durability, comfort and breathability
• Hockey skates are usually made of leather composites
• Liners
• Many boots contain a cushioning liner usually made of a foam material
• Sometimes reinforced along the toe and sides for protection (in hockey skates) or increased stability
• Hard shell
• Constructed of molded plastic and similar to a ski boot
• The lower half covers and protects the foot
• The upper half wraps around and supports the ankle
• The two halves are connected with a hinge system that allows the ankle and boot to flex forward naturally
• Soft boot
• Made with an external (and sometimes internal) plastic cuff to provide support, like a hiking boot
• Provide a good fit and performance
• Very breathable and lightweight
• Generally secured by laces

Bearings

• Bearings are the seven or eight balls at the center of each wheel
• Each bearing has an ABEC rating that indicates the precision of their manufacturing
• The higher the rating, the more precise the manufacture and the better the performance and speed
• The general ABEC range is ABEC-1, ABEC-3, ABEC-5
• Bearings are either serviceable or non-serviceable
• Serviceable bearings have a metal shield with a removable "C" ring, or a plastic/rubber type removable shield. These may be taken apart to be cleaned, lubricated or replaced.
• Non-serviceable bearings have a metal shield that protects them. These only need to be wiped off with a clean cloth.
• Bearings don't need to be cleaned after every use, but if they become wet, they should be cleaned and dried
• Never lubricate the outside of a bearing because that will attract dirt and contaminants

Brakes

• Most manufacturers offer different braking systems
• The most common form of braking system is a pad or cylinder on the rear wheel that stops movement by applying pressure on the heel
• Hockey skates and speed skates normally do not include braking systems
• Most brake pads have a "wear line" that indicates how much performance is left in the brake. The brake pad should be replaced before this wear line is reached.
• Some manufacturers do offer mechanical braking systems that make stopping easier to learn

Closures

• There are two primary forms of closure systems on in-line skates
• Buckles
• Found mostly on recreational skates
• Skates with buckle closures are the quickest to put on and take off
• The number of buckles varies from 2 to 5
• Laces
• Similar to regular shoe laces
• Less expensive than buckle closures, and offer a uniform closing
• Allows for more adjustment variations
• Usually found on hockey skates

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Determining Your Skate Size

• Determining your proper skate size is essential to a comfortable fit
• The size of your skate will be the same as the size shoe you wear
• For the perfect fitting skates, see Determining Your Shoe Size before making your purchase decision

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