BUYING  SKATES

For advice and information on what to buy – seek out your local specialist skate shop. They are experienced and do not want to sell you the wrong thing. Tell them what you want to use the skates for.  Ask questions.  Do not be tempted to purchase the bargain skates in a non-specialist shop – your specialist shop will spare you the agony of an off-putting experience on cheap skates.  You get what you pay for: cheap skates = cheap quality = unsatisfactory experience  (remember ‘Bambi’ on ice?), so it could be followed by cheap laughs, at your expense!

Be prepared to invest at least £70 for a good quality pair of skates for an adult and around £50 for a child. 

K2 (www.k2skates.com) and Salomon (www.salomonsports.com) both have a range of children’s soft-boot expanding skates.  One pair will last through a growth spurt of between two to four foot sizes – and, with their excellent, high specifications, they really are exceptional value for the money. 

·        Purchase skates one size LARGER than your usual shoe size – this gives room in the skate to allow your foot to expand as it gets hot, and a comfy pair of absorbent sports socks will ensure you will minimalise the risk of rubbing or blisters.  Try them on in the shop and walk around in them – they should feel comfortable immediately.  If they do not feel quite right or comfortable, try another style or make.  We have found the soft boot styles are generally the most comfortable for recreational skating.

·        Read all the literature that comes with the skates – it usually contains many useful tips, particularly on how to swap and change the wheels around so they wear down evenly.  This saves you rushing out and spending more money when you may already have lots of wear left on them.

Buying the best you can afford means your ‘learning curve’ will be more satisfying.  Your skill and techniques will improve noticeably quicker.  High quality bearings and wheels give a more satisfactory skate – they ‘grip’ the rolling surface, putting you in control of your skates (and not the other way round!)  This, in turn, will give you the confidence to push the boundaries and you will soon be mastering more complex manoeuvres and having the time of your life!

See Care and Maintenance Tips