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The most important part of selecting a skate is the quality. You may think that durability and looks are right up there, but if the skate doesnt support your foot well it will make rollerblading a lot less enjoyable. Skates come in all shapes and sizes and the technology has changed greatly since the 1990s. Your old skates might have frail aging plastic. Buying really cheap second hand skates to learn how to skate may be a false economy because it could result in you skating with poorer technique due to the insufficient support and inferior performance of the skates. It is akin to buying a wooden tennis racquet to play the modern game of tennis. Don't be a cheapskate! We recommend Rollerblade brand inline skates.
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| Basic Rules on looking for good quality comfortable inline skates |
| The first thing is to know your foot size which can be determined using our size chart. Your EUROPEAN (EURO) shoe size is a very handy measurement to know so check your favourite pair of runners / gym shoes before your lesson. If you are physically measuring your foot firstly do so whilst seated so that the length, arch and width may be measured. You should then stand up and take note of any changes. If there are significant changes, this could mean that you tend to pronate and may need a custom insole. You should note the size of each foot since it is quite common to have one foot slightly larger. If so, you should get the larger size so that both are comfortable in the skate. |
| Womens Recreational / Fitness Inline Skates |
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Women have a different foot shape than men that tends to have thinner heels, higher insteps, higher arch, and lower forefoot. A woman's forefoot often tends to spread a little more than a man's when weighted, and this should be taken into account. Also important is the cuff of the skate. If you are taking up inline skating in order to boost your fitness it is recommended that you buy quality inline skates.
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| Liner Types and socks |
| Liner types are also pretty important. Lace up liners tend to offer greater support and better fitting than normal stitched liners. Most inline skate liners can be removed for washing. Use 'odour eaters' to keep your liners and feet healthy! If you get blisters we recommend that you refrain from popping them! Instead you may wish to consider using hydrocolloidal pads such as the Compeed ones after washing and drying the affected area. Use socks with a sufficient length ie avoid low cut ankle socks. |
| Narrow Feet |
| Narrow feet are a different story. The easiest way to deal with them is to add pads in along the liner. Underneath, on the sides, wherever you can to make a good fit. And of course as in the wide foot scenario, you don't want to buy a narrower but shorter boot. Don't trade one uncomfortable aspect for another. |
| General looseness of skates |
If the skate length is fine, but the feel is just a bit loose, try lifting the foot by use of pads.
Back and forth looseness: If the skate is of a good fit, but tends to move back and forth, try adding a tongue pad in. This helps push the foot back and is good for solving problems like this. Another option for kids with growing feet is to buy a pair of size adjustable inline skates such as Rollerblade microblade inline skates.
Skates too wide: If it is just a little too wide, put a pad along the outside of the liner. If it is way too lose, put a pad both along the inside and outside.
Heel: A customised heel orthotic could be helpful especially if you already utilise one for running.
Pronation and supination: A heel wedge may help with support and stance in both cases. If it is a severe case, custom-fitted insoles may be needed. You may wish to consider getting inline skates from a physical inline skate shop so that you can try on your skates. We can recommend reputable inline skate shops in Sydney. |
| Skate Types |
After you know what type of fit you are seeking, the next obvious question is which type of skate... so knowing what type/s of skating you want to do is essential.
Recreational / fitness inline skates tend to be lighter and have bigger / softer wheels. They can be further divided into soft-boot or hard boot skates. All good recreational skates feature a heel brake which can be easily replaced. Rollerblade Twister is an excellent option.
Freestyle Slalom / Freeride inline skates tend to be much stronger and have greater support than recreational skates and allow the rider to do tricks between cones. The brake is removed and skaters require a higher level of skill stopping. Slalom skating is an exciting sport and our lessons at Bradfield Plaza often incorporate the use of slalom cones to improve turning skills. Rollerblade Crossfire is an excellent option.
Aggressive inline skates have smaller flattened wheels, a soul space and H-block designed for grinding and launching off ramps. They're built for strength. Their lower centre of gravity makes aggressive skates better for use in a skate park or on the city streets. Rollerblade Blank aggressive inline skates are an excellent option.
Speed skates are usually very light and have 3, 4 or 5 wheels. Having 5 wheels makes the skate faster but also much harder to turn. The trend has definitely been towards lower numbers of wheel setups and wheel diameters as high as 125mm! Ask your instructor for more details. We love speed skating! Just make sure you learn how to stop on rollerblades very well first! We would not recommend using speed skates for our lessons unless you have specifically requested (i.e. let your instructor know) about this. Bont inline speed skates are an excellent option.
Hockey skates are designed to allow skaters to turn faster often incorporating 'rockering' of the wheels and a detachable heel brake. Hockey skaters will often remove the heel brake from their skates so that it does not get in their way performing cross-over turns and hockey stops. Bauer inline hockey skates are an excellent option. |
| Skate Parts - wheels and bearings |
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Skate parts are also an essential part of a purchase. Make sure that the bearings are sturdy (ABEC-3 to ABEC-7), and the skate has some sort of metal rockering spacers. Metal bearing spacers are also extremely important for speed and stability. By the time you need to purchase new wheels, you will know how you skate and can get wheels that best suit your needs. Softer wheels wear down faster.
Remember to regularly turn over your wheels to ensure even wear.
Subscribe to our YouTube Channel @ rollerbladingsydney for instructions, tips, tricks and reviews.
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