Roller Skates
Roller skates come in a variety of styles, colors, and sizes to accommodate all types of roller skaters. Roller skates are the most important piece of equipment for any roller skater, therefore some time and effort should be taken before purchasing a pair of skates. Below you will find some useful information specifically related to: recreational roller skates, outdoor roller skates, children’s roller skates, roller hockey skates, roller skate shoes, quad speed skates, artistic roller skates, and vintage roller skates.
We also provide some excellent tips for purchasing and maintaining each component of your roller skates.
Recreational roller skates are the most common and most popular type of roller skate used by skaters today. Recreational roller skates are also the best choice for people learning how to roller skate. Recreational roller skates are designed for the hard wood surfaces you’ll find in an average roller skating rink, and are normally designed with a high roller skate boot for maximum ankle support. Recreational roller skates are normally the least expensive, and are by far the best selling and most popular type of roller skate.
The difference between indoor and outdoor roller skates essentially boils down to the type of wheels used. Outdoor roller skates use softer wheels than those used for indoor roller skating. Indoor and outdoor roller skates can be used interchangeably by simply changing the type of roller skate wheel. The outdoor roller skate has either the high-cut roller skate boot or low-cut roller skate shoe. There is also a less traditional outdoor roller skate that uses inline skate wheels. These multi-terrain roller skates are great for roller skating outdoors over uneven and rough surfaces that would be all but impossible to skate on wearing the traditional outdoor roller or quad skate.
Roller hockey skaters normally use inline skates versus quad roller skates. Roller hockey skates are designed to be sturdier than recreational inline skates, but the hockey boot is not as stiff. Roller hockey skates do not normally come with brakes, which make them a poor choice for new inline skaters. If your primary purpose for skating is for fitness or purely recreational, we recommend you purchase a quality pair of recreational roller or inline skates versus roller hockey skates.
When it comes to children’s roller skates, parents have several options to choose from. Some of the kid’s roller skate choices are; Velcro straps versus laces, plastic roller skates, strap on roller skates, and recreational roller skates that come in a wide variety of designs, and with high or low-cut skate boots. Some of the popular children’s roller skates are very stylish, often multi-colored and with sleek designs. We can’t talk about children’s roller skates without mentioning safety. Please consider your child’s skill level, the place they roller skate (whether indoors or outdoors) and any other factor that may increase the probability of an injury. With that thought in mind, we recommend you purchase roller skate protective gear for children (as appropriate), and continually discuss with them the risks of roller skating, and how to best mitigate those risks.
Heelys roller skate shoes look like a normal tennis shoe with one major exception; they have one or two wheels imbedded in the heel of the shoe! Heelys roller skate shoes have become increasingly popular with young people across the world. Because so many people wear Heelys roller skate shoes in public areas; in the name of safety, many businesses and government organizations have banned the wear of the Heelys roller skate shoes on their property. Speaking of safety, we recommend that people that wear Heelys roller skate shoes also wear skate protective gear as appropriate. Parents that would never dream of letting their child roller skate in certain situations without protective gear, often allow them to skate on Heelys roller skate shoes without protective gear. The misperception is that Heelys roller skate shoes are not as dangerous as roller skates or inline skates, however they certainly can be. Bottom-line - enjoy your Heelys but don’t forget about safety.
Quad speed skates allow roller skaters to move at higher speeds with less physical effort. Quad speed skates are designed with a very low cut shoe, and wider and taller than normal skate wheels. Some quad speed skates also have a Velcro strap to increase the ankle support, and cover the laces preventing the strings from getting caught in the wheels. The quad speed skate may come with jam plugs versus the traditional toe-stop, or the capability of replacing the toe-stop with the smaller jam plug. Although quad speed skates are specifically designed for speed skating, they are often the choice for recreational skaters because of their comfort and feel. Quad speed skates have also become the skate of choice for many jam roller skaters and other artistic types of roller skaters.
Artistic roller skates help skaters perform various jumps, dance movements and other freestyle skating moves. Artistic roller skates are lighter than recreational roller skates, and are normally made with a high-cut leather boot. The high-cut leather boot provides additional support for artistic roller skater’s ankles. Artistic roller skates have a stronger sole plate that allows the skate to withstand the impact of jumps, and other artistic skating moves. Artistic roller skates have smaller wheels than ordinary recreational roller skates. Because of the various jumps, spins and other artistic skating moves, artistic roller skates normally come with adjustable toe-stops or in some cases no toe-stops at all.
If you long for the day when roller skating was the norm, and inline skates were a thing of the future, you are probably a good candidate for purchasing a pair of vintage roller skates. As you can imagine, vintage roller skates are getting more difficult to find, but they still exist, you just may have to look a little harder. Visit our Vintage Roller Skates page for a selection of quality vintage roller skates.
There are several things to consider when purchasing roller skates. You should determine: how often you will roller skate; your purpose for roller skating; is the purpose recreational roller skating? speed roller skating? artistic roller skating? indoor or outdoor roller skating? If you intend on racing you would want to look at quad speed skates. If your interest is in artistic roller skating you’d be better off with artistic or quad speed roller skates.
You should also consider the ABEC ratings of the roller skate bearings when purchasing skates; ABEC stands for Annular Bearing of Engineering Council. ABEC is a committee that essentially sets the standards for wheel bearings. The ABEC scale goes from one to nine with nine being the highest quality. We recommend every skater use at least an ABEC-5 (which is an excellent rating) to get the most enjoyment out of the roller skating experience.
The type of roller skate you purchase will vary greatly based on your roller skating needs and preferences. As a rule, the average roller skater is perfectly content with purchasing a pair of indoor recreational roller skates. One last thing to consider - if you do not plan on roller skating very often, and will always skate at roller skating rinks, you’d probably be better off renting versus buying roller skates.
Purchasing Children's Roller Skates: Some time and attention should be given when purchasing children’s roller skates. Parents often, for logical reasons, purchase roller skates for their children that are too big to allow for growth. Unfortunately this often makes it difficult for the child to skate comfortably. Roller skates that are too large may also lead the child to become disinterested in roller skating, and increase the likelihood of the child becoming injured. Another issue to consider is the cost of the roller skates. How much you are willing to spend will depend on a number of issues such as; how often the child will skate, will they skate mostly indoors or outdoors, how much you can afford, etc.
In order to get the most out of your roller skates, and significantly increase the life of the skates, you must provide proper roller skate maintenance. With proper care and maintenance, your roller skates can last through many years of roller skating.
Roller skate boot: One of the most important maintenance tips for the roller skate boot is to keep it dry. The roller skate boot can become wet through perspiration or skating outside in wet conditions. Regardless of how the boot becomes moist, it is important to wipe down the roller skate boot, on the inside and outside, after you finished skating. It is also important to let the boot dry naturally. Never put the roller skate boot near a heating source to speed up the drying process. Rather, loosen the laces, open the skate boot up and let it simply air dry.
Roller skate truck: For the average roller skater, roller skate trucks should be tightly fitted to the boot. Therefore, skaters should routinely check their roller skate trucks to make sure they are tight and secure. Some roller skaters intentionally loosen their roller skate trucks to increase maneuverability. These skaters should also routinely check their roller skate trucks to make sure they haven’t loosened more than intended, and that both skates are equally loose. If you roller skate outdoors or on rough terrain you will need to check the tightness of your roller skate truck more often.
Roller skate toe-stops: Many roller skates come with adjustable toe-stops. These adjustable toe-stops should be set in the position that works best for the roller skater. You may have to experiment with a few adjustments until you determine the right toe-stop position for you. For non-adjustable toe-stops, you still need to check them periodically to make sure they are tightly secured to the boot.
Roller skate wheels: You will need to check your roller skate wheels from time to time to make sure they are spinning properly and have not become excessively worn. If the wheels are not spinning freely you should check for damage, or buildup from dirt or other debris. If the roller skate wheels are damaged they should be replaced. If they are simply dirty, take the time to remove and clean the wheels as necessary.
Roller skate bearings: Roller skate bearings are an integral component of every roller skate wheel. Most roller skate bearings are enclosed and considered maintenance free. Even these maintenance free bearings should be kept dry and clean; this is particularly important for outdoor roller skaters. Bearings that are not enclosed will need to be lubricated from time to time. To lubricate the bearing simply remove it from the wheel, wipe it off with a cloth, and sprinkle it with a couple of drops of bearing lubricant.
Proper roller skate maintenance is important, not only for increasing the life of your roller skates, but for enhancing your overall roller skating experience. Take good care of your roller skates and enjoy roller skating to its fullest!
We also offer our visitors a great selection of quality roller skates for purchase at excellent prices. Please select from the skate pictures above or navigation pane for more information.
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