Inline Skates & Roller Skates

Inline Skates and Pads

Inline skating opens up a world of fun for people of all ages and skill levels. Whether you play street hockey, push your stunting limits in urban freestyle skating, or just want to get a low-impact cardio workout on your local multi-use trail, you’ll find just the right inline skates and necessary safety pads right here.

Are there different types of inline skates?

There are two types of inline skates. The first has “hard boot” construction — usually plastic but occasionally carbon in high-end models. The second is “soft boot,” with softer shoe-like material, but with plastic support frames around the heel and lower foot. For the most part, soft boot skates are easier to fit and require less break-in time. Casual skaters looking for a nice workout on trails and sidewalks should start with soft boots.

The greater support of hard boot construction is critical to saving your ankles in the high-impact world of freestyle inline skating and street hockey. They can be uncomfortable to first-timers, and they take some time to break in. But their fit is far more specific than soft boots. Many freestyle skaters and hockey players prefer to size their skates down a half-size or so for a more faithful fit.

Why do inline skates have different wheel sizes?

For the most part, larger wheels go faster. The smaller the wheels, the less speed and more control you’ll have. Ideally, beginning inline skaters should look for smaller-wheeled, quadruple-wheeled models.

Skates with triple, larger wheels like the Roces EGOs can give you much more speed. You also may notice that they lack the rubber brakes on the rear of the skates. Many more advanced freestyle skaters prefer models with no brakes for more versatile movement. But you’ll want to make sure your “t-braking” technique is up to par before you remove your brakes.

Don’t forget safety gear: inline skate pads and helmets

Little trips and mistakes made while inline skating can result in ugly skids down the pavement and a case of ugly road rash. You can avoid this by checking out our selection of inline skate pads, including kneepads, elbow pads, and especially wrist guards, since you’ll hit the ground hands-first in most falls.

Last but not least, protect your cranium and don’t forget to buy a good inline skating helmet.