Choosing The Right Skates Guide Take a look at our Skates Quick Start Guide which helps beginners and advanced riders choose their first or next set of skates. From a child or adult just starting out or an advanced skater looking to choose their next set, our skates quick start guide will get you up and skating in no time! Are you a Beginner? Yes No Beginner Advanced Skate Type Recommendation Quad Skates (or Roller Inline Skates (or Quad Skates (or Inline Skates (or Aggressive Skates) Rollerblades) Roller Skates) Rollerblades) Skates Skate Style Recommendation High-top Skates Mid-top Skates Low-top Skates Skate Boot Material Recommendation Aluminium Chromoly Aluminium Chromoly Steel Skate Wheel Size Recommendation Large wheel skates are Smaller wheel skates are Smaller wheeled skates are best for beginners great for achieving high great for performing tricks speeds Skate Wheel Shape Recommendation A very flat aggressive Pointy wheels are great for wheel will however be great larger wheels skates with Flatter profile wheels for increased stability and grip for an advanced skater the aim of achieving high looking to perform tricks speeds. regularly. Skate Bearings Recommendation ABEC rating of 1 up to 7 ABEC rating of 1 up to 9 Recommended Skate Accessories Adjustable toe stop for quad skates Skates Bag Multiple different bearings for different riding situations Adjustable toe stop for quad skates Laces to customise appearance of quad skates Laces to customise appearance of quad skates Wheels to adjust appearance and performance Back to top What Type Of Skates Are There? There are two main styles of skates for you to choose from, each offering unique capabilities. The two main types are; Inline Skates (sometimes known as rollerblading) and Quad Skates (sometime known as roller skates). Wheel Configuration Visually inline skates can be separated from quad skates due to their obvious visual differences. This difference is the configuration of the wheels. Quad Skates - Wheel configuration for roller skates bare resemblance to a car, with two wheels in front and two wheels at the back. Inline Skates - An inline skate (or rollerblade) have two to five wheels which are arranged in lines which are contained within a frame. Skate Braking Both styles of skates offer different braking options. Quad Skates – Stopping with these skates is done with the toe, by using the brake mounted on the front Inline skates – Stopping with inline skates is done with the heal What are Inline Skates great for? Getting up to high speeds and avoiding obstacles due to configuration of wheels Great for outdoor skating Offer excellent ankle support What are Inline Skates not so great for? Indoor skating Are often not the choice of beginners as the ‘inline’ wheels make it difficult to balance What are Quad Skates great for? Indoor skating and riding around on smooth outdoor surfaces If speed isn’t your thing, roller blades are slower, making them a great choice for beginners Offering great stability with the front and back wheel configuration What are quad skates not so great for? Achieving high speeds is difficult Quite often they are not as supportive on the ankles as inline skates. This however does depend on the design. Skating on uneven surfaces Back to top What Skates Are Best For Beginners and Kids? Choosing your first or your kids’ first pair of skates is an exciting time and it is important that the right skates are chosen to maximise yours or your kid’s enjoyment. There are a number of factors that can be considered, but to make things simple we have created five core categories. Skate Type Quad Skates (or Roller skates) and Inline Skates (or Rollerblades) offer a number of different benefits and drawbacks. The most important difference however is that Quad Skates are good for indoor skating and skating on flat surfaces outdoors, whilst Inline Skates are best for outdoor riding. Skate Boot Style A high-top skate delivers great ankle support and is therefore a great choice for a beginner who is likely to take the odd fall. These skates will therefore help to prevent the ankle being rolled. Skate Boot Material A skate boot manufactured with manmade materials offers great breathability and lightness. Although not as classic looking as a leather boot, the advancements in technology makes it possible to have some spectacular and eye-catching designs which your kids will love. Skate Wheels Wheel Size – Smaller wheeled skates are best for beginners as they are slower than larger wheels. Shape – Flatter profile wheels are best for beginners as they provide more stability and have greater grip and resistance, preventing the ability to achieve high speeds. Skate Bearings Skate bearings of ABEC 1 up to 7 rating are best for beginners as they are precise enough to skate with relative ease, but not a high enough rating where the rider will feel out of control. Back to top What Skates are Best For Intermediate/Advanced Skateboarders? If you consider yourself as an intermediate or advanced rider, your choices for the core elements of your next pair of skates are likely to be different to that of a beginner. Take a look at our breakdown of what we recommend for each core skate feature. Skate Type Depending on where you like to skate or the sport you play when skating, you are likely to have already developed a preference to which skate type you want to purchase. If you want to start performing freestyle tricks or stunts on the streets, then Aggressive Skates may be for you. These skates have no built in brakes and have special frames for grinding on rails and ledges. Skate Boot Style Mid-top and low-top skates may be chosen by an advanced skater as they provide more manoeuvrability and freedom to perform more daring manoeuvres than restrictive high-top skates. Skate Boot Material Manmade materials are lightweight and breathable, but if you are competing with quad skates, then a more classic leather design may be more stable. These are however often more expensive and heavier than man made materials. Skate Wheels Wheel Size – Smaller wheeled skates enable agile turns and tricks and are therefore a perfect choice for freestylers. Larger wheels will however suit those who are looking to reach high- speeds, perhaps for speed-skating or when commuting to work. Shape – Pointy wheels are great for larger wheels skates with the aim of achieving high speeds. A very flat aggressive wheel will however be great for an advanced skater looking to perform tricks regularly. Skate Bearings An advanced rider is likely will opt for a wide variety of bearings. Aggressive skaters will want ABEC ratings of around 5 whereas a skater looking for speed may look for an ABEC rating of 9. Back to top What Size Skates Should I Get? Most skate fit according to your shoe your size. Of course, like many sizes however, different brands can mean different fits depending on your foot shape. Foot Size If you want to double-check you or your child’s shoe size it is possible to do it yourself. We recommend that you wear a sock when you do this in order to gain a true representation of what size you need to be for a skate. Place the back of your heel against a flat wall on a piece of paper and then mark the tip of the toe on the paper. Then take a ruler and measure the length. Choosing the right size for kids Make sure that your child is comfortable in the skate. For inline skates were they ratchet tight, it is important that this is not too tight and is will make for a uncomfortable skating session for your child. Back to top What Accessories Are Available For Skates? There is a wealth of different ways in which you can upgrade or adjust your skates to change their performance or the way they look. From bearings and wheels to laces and brakes, there are many ways to make your skates unique. Wheels – If you want to change how soft or hard your wheels are, you can! Simply remove your wheel and replace with a wheel that matches the durometer, size and shape you want Bearings – If you want better ‘roll out’ select a bearing that has a greater ABEC rating. Brakes – One of the most popular ways to upgrade brakes, particularly on quad skates is to add an adjustable toe stop. This will allow you to adjust exactly how much you need to tilt your foot forward in order to apply the brakes. Laces – Fancy customisation the look of your skate boot? Laces are a low cost and affective way to do this. Simply swap out your ones with the new! Skates Bag – A skates’ bag is a great tool to have. It keeps your skates dry and makes them much easier to transport when you’re not wearing them. Back to top What Makes Up A Complete Pair of Skates? There are a variety of different features that make up a pair of skates. Both inline and quad skates feature the same core elements. The Skates’ Boot All skates have skate boots which is the most important aspect for achieving optimum comfort. Just like any shoe, it is important ensure that the boot fits right. An ill-fitting skate boot will put you off skating for long periods at a time and will greatly impact your roller skating. What are different skate boot styles? The three most common styles of skate boot is ‘High Top’, ‘Mid Top’ and ‘Low Top’ skates.