Buying Skates. A First Time Buyers Guide.
With so many skates on the market it can be difficult to know what might be best for you. You'll obviously need to have your budget in mind, but first, you'll need to decide which discipline of skating you want to do:
There are three main categories of skates which you’ll find on our website; inline skates (sometimes referred to as rollerblades), aggressive skates and roller skates:
INLINE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Freeride skates, Rollerblades, Urban skates, Freestyle skates.
Used for: City-skating, commuting, general use, getting from a to b.
Quick Tip: Definitely buy these if you want to skate any sort of distance outdoors
AGGRESSIVE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Stunt skates, Trick skates, Street skates.
Used for: Tricks and stunts on the streets and in skateparks.
There are three main categories of skates which you’ll find on our website; inline skates (sometimes referred to as rollerblades), aggressive skates and roller skates:
INLINE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Freeride skates, Rollerblades, Urban skates, Freestyle skates.
Used for: City-skating, commuting, general use, getting from a to b.
Quick Tip: Definitely buy these if you want to skate any sort of distance outdoors
AGGRESSIVE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Stunt skates, Trick skates, Street skates.
Used for: Tricks and stunts on the streets and in skateparks.
Quick Tip: Good for tricks/skateparks but no so good for skating any sort of distance (lots of effort and vibration!)
ROLLER SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Quad skates, Roller boots, Retro roller skates
Used for: General use, Skate-dance, jam skating, roller disco.
Quick Tip: Perform best on smooth surfaces. Popular in dedicated skate areas/venues.
ROLLER SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Quad skates, Roller boots, Retro roller skates
Used for: General use, Skate-dance, jam skating, roller disco.
Quick Tip: Perform best on smooth surfaces. Popular in dedicated skate areas/venues.
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If you really want to get into the nuts and bolts of it all then you can further break down the disciplines into smaller niches. See our buyers guides below for soft boot inline skates, wizard-style skates, 3-wheel skates and Junior skates; answering the common questions on these styles. Need more info? Feel free to shoot us an email here at the shop!
WIZARD-STYLE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also know as: Wizard skates, flow skates(?)
Used for: Wizard-style, intricate footwork on flat ground
Notes: Wizard-style consists of intricate footwork on flat ground
SOFT BOOT INLINE SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: Fitness skates, recreational skates, leisure skates.
Used for: Leisure or fitness, the park or the seafront.
Notes: Softboots offer a lighter, more breathable and arguably more comfortable experience vs hardboots. Usually provide less support though.
3 WHEEL SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also known as: 3X3, tri blades, three wheeled skates.
Used for: Long distance, marathons, speed.
Notes: Because 3x3 skates have bigger wheels they have less vibration and they free-roll for longer, so they are good for outdoor skating in a straight line. Manoeuvrability can be affected though.
KIDS SKATES - BUYERS GUIDE
Also know as: Junior skates, Childrens skates, extendable skates
Used for: Children usually up to size UK7.
Notes: Many Children's skates are extendable through a range of sizes by pushing a button and expanding the length of the toe-piece.