Types Of Roller Skates: You Must Know it

Skating is a sporting or recreational activity that requires traveling on ice or surfaces with the aid of skates. There are different types of roller skates sporting, including snow skating, hard surface skating, and ice skating. Again Hard surface skating could include road skating, artistic roller skating, and inline skating. 

Further examples of inline skating include inline speed skating, aggressive inline skating, vert skating, and freestyle slalom skating. Ice skating, on the other hand, could consist of tour skating, speed skating, and figure skating. The various types of skating available have also resulted in different kinds of roller skates, with different roller skates being best for a particular skating type. The various types of roller skates are discussed below.

Different Types Of Roller Skates

Inline Skates

Inline Skates consists of 3 major types. They include hockey skates, racing skates, and recreational skates. These are discussed subsequently.

Hockey Skates

The hockey skates are designed for individuals who want to use it to play the roller hockey game. Considering the popularity of this game among the youths and young adults, a lot of people get hockey skates regularly. This type of roller skate is designed so that it can withstand the rigorous nature of the game.

It is built such that it can provide more support since as opposed to most other types of skating, there is a lot of body contact and even rough hits encountered during the game.

Racing Skates

Racing skate is another type of inline roller shoes for skating that was designed to move at a breakneck speed. The boot or shoe is deliberately built so that it gives your foot a very tight fitting. With this, the resistance you will get from the wind will be at its minimum. 

This type of roller skates allows for the wheels to be easily interchanged. Thus, depending on if you are going for outdoor or indoor skating, you can change the wheels of this type of roller skates appropriately.

Recreational Skates

This type of roller skate is also called fitness skates. They are deliberately built for individuals who want to exercise in a nice roller skates pair, especially outdoor skating. The boots or shoes have a top that is high such that they can provide great ankle and foot support. They are also designed to be comfortable with making it possible for the user to skate a long distance without any pain.

Indoor Skates

This type of skates sometimes called the Traditional Skates, Recreational Skates or Artistic Skates are for those that want to use the skates for indoor skating. They look like the type of roller skates that are used for outdoor skating. However, instead of a blade as present in ice skating skates, this type use wheels. Roller derby is also indoor skating sports playing two teams. For this you need the best quality roller derby skates.

They are also great for those who to stake to a rhythm. They also come with high boots, thereby making it easier to control the shoes as well as perform jumps or spins. The narrower nature of the wheels also makes it possible for the roller skates to be easily maneuvered or turned.

Outdoor Skates

This type of skates is designed for skating outdoors. The roller skates for outdoor skating come in different versions. There are high top and low top boot variants. The high top option is best for people that are just starting that wants to skate for long distances. They have better support for the foot and ankle compared to the low variant version. 

Their wheels are also specially built so that they can be used for outdoor skating, considering the outdoor surfaces will not be as smooth as indoor surfaces. Thus, their tires are quieter to provide a ride that will be smoother on the outdoor covers. This is as opposed to some other skating shoes for hard surfaces where their tires are a bit rougher, to provide for better friction with the smooth ground.

Speed Skates

This type of skates is designed to move fast. Due to their build quality, they very common among skaters. Any individual that has been able to learn to rudiments of skating successfully and have started moving will want to work on speed. This is because faster skating comes with more risk and fun. This is why they are trendy. 

They are characterized by low cut boots or shoes so that they fit like shoes for tennis. Moving around corners is comfortable with this type of roller skates due to its little cut build. Another reason why they are familiar is the fact that they allow the users to freely move by the ankles, making it commonplace for speed skating and jam skating (dance skating). 

The bearings and wheels of the skates are also styled for speed. The bearing is the part of the roller skate that makes it easy for you to sin the wheel. This feature makes it possible to skate longer and faster.

Kid Skates

Since it might be difficult for kids to skate with the roller skates made for an adult since they would be more significant and more challenging to control, there are roller skates specially designed for young skaters. They are often designed to look attractive and to be slower. 

Thus, they would not move at the same speed other types of roller skates can move to avoid injury to the kid. Furthermore, they are designed to be more durable since kids are likely to be rougher with their roller skates compared to adults.

Artistic skating

This is a high-energy sport that involves artistic skaters performing different moves and patterns in a circle. There are several different areas of artistic skating that are similar to ice skating, with individual and couples competitions, figure skating, dance, and synchronized groups. Quad skates are traditionally worn for artistic skating, but some competitors choose to use inline skates.

Roller derby

Roller derby is a fast-paced contact sport that’s all about aggression and teamwork, with each player skating around the rink and using her body to try to outwit her opponent, which includes skates, body checks, and a variety of throws and spins. Five skaters start out of a straight line, skating at a speed of about 20 mph. Each skater must maintain an even distance from the line (no closer, no farther). Once two skaters are side-by-side, it becomes a race between them.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of skates are best for outdoors?

Outdoors skating is popular around the world. It is very good exercise and can improve your balance and coordination. Skating outdoors is different from indoor skates. Outdoor skates are usually made of wood or plastic and are heavier and larger than indoor ones.

Inline skates are a fun way to stay active and burn calories. You’ll love them for outdoor use, and they’re also great for pavement, asphalt, sidewalks, rough roads, and trails. Inline skating is almost always faster than quad skating, but this depends on how much you push yourself.

What is the difference between speed skates and regular skates?

The max speed of speed skates is higher than that of regular skates. For optimal performance, these skates are designed to be lighter and tougher. Speed skates trade balance and comfort for speed, whereas regular skates focus more on balance and comfort.

• Speed skates are designed to go fast.
• Regular skates are for going slowly.

What type of roller skates are best for beginners?

Traditional quad roller skates are the best for beginners, because they are higher in the back than they are in the front and they allow for more comfortable toe-turns and quick maneuvering. A quad roller skate is a comfortable type of skate because it helps athletes maintain a better sense of balance while skating. In addition, they help keep the ankles warmer in the winter time and they help evenly distribute your weight so that you have a more stable position when on your feet.

Rollerblades and inline skates are harder to balance on than traditional skateboards. That doesn’t mean that you can’t start on a pair of rollerblades or inline skates if you are dead set on it. Rollerblades and inline skates are more challenging but still doable.

You’re going to have to work harder to stay balanced and in control of your speed when you’re starting out. Rollerblading or inline skating is something I’d love to do, but there’s no way I could skate at top speed and safely for more than a couple minutes, let alone an hour. 

Conclusion

Buying a roller skate could be confusing due to the available different types. This article has highlighted some of the popular most common types of roller skates. But before getting one, you should know the difference between roller skates and inline skates

When you want to buy a roller skate, it is best to go for the kind that matches your frequent usage of the shoes. For instance, if you will be doing more of outdoor skating, then you should go for a skating shoe that is designed for outdoor skating.