Buying a pair of new skates is a task that should not be taken lightly. Whether you have just decided to give inline skating a try, or you feel your skill level has advanced enough and want to upgrade your gear, it is very important to know what all the different skate features mean, so that you can find exactly you want.
There are hundreds of different types and brands of inline skates available in any Australian online skate store that come in a wide range of prices, but in this article, I will focus on three main categories: recreational, specialized and aggressive.
- Recreational skates, as the name itself implies, are made for everyday casual skating. With this type of skates, you can skate around your neighborhood or hit the local bike trails, you can explore the city or even commute to work. Recreational skates may vary in both boot construction and wheel size. In general, smaller wheels offer greater control and maneuverability while bigger wheels offer greater speed and more distance passed with each stride. As for the boots, they can be soft or hard. Soft-boot skates are the more lightweight option, since a large part of them are made from flexible fabric, but they offer minimal support, which is why they are recommended for more experienced skaters. Hard-boot skates, on the other hand, are made from plastic or carbon fiber and they are more responsive, offer more support than soft-boot skates and are generally recommended for heavier skaters and for beginners.
- Specialized skates include freeride, speed and slalom skates. These types of skates are built for maximum speed and minimum energy loss. They come with a lightweight boot, a relatively large wheelbase and larger diameter wheels. This ensures greater speed and allows you to cover the maximum distance with each stride, but it also means less support and maneuverability . Larger wheels further reduce stability since they place the skater higher from the ground, making them an unsuitable choice for beginners. These skates are most suitable for open roads, bike trails, enclosed tracks and basically any unobstructed pathways.
- Aggressive skates are designed for a specialized type of inline skating known as “aggressive skating”. This is a form of skating in which the skater interacts with the environment in a completely different ways, such as: jumping over obstacles, spinning in mid-air, grinding down rails, sliding on edges and so on. Aggressive skates offer maximum support, responsiveness, stability, maneuverability, shock absorption and of course durability. They come with a hard boot made from plastic or carbon fiber, higher cuff, and removable liner and they have multiple wheel setups which you can change depending on the terrain, obstacles, your skill level or even your mood.
A new trend in inline skating that I also consider worth mentioning is called “urban skating” which is a hybrid that combines the mobility of recreational and performance of aggressive skating.
Whichever type of skates you choose, don’t forget that safety comes first. With the right safety gear, you’ll feel more confident and relaxed and your overall skating experience will be more enjoyable.
To help you choose the skates that best suit your needs go to an Australian online skate shop which not only sells skates, but has a team who is passionate about skating, knows skating, and is willing to take the time to offer you the proper advice and information.
