Roller skates are essential equipment for roller skating activities and are the most important gear. Different roller skating disciplines necessitate different requirements for roller skates, resulting in the creation of various types of roller skates.
Although there are many types of roller skates, they generally share common features. Roller skates consist of the "boot" and the "chassis." The boot refers to the part of the roller skate above the frame. The chassis refers to the frame itself, as well as the wheels, brakes, and other components mounted on the frame.
1. Classification of Roller Skates
Roller skates come in a variety of classifications. They can be divided into children's roller skates and adult roller skates based on the user demographic. If categorized by the arrangement of wheels, there are inline roller skates and quad roller skates. By the connection method of the shoe and the frame, there are fixed roller skates and detachable roller skates. If classified by function, there are recreational roller skates and competitive roller skates. Further distinctions can be made based on specific types of skating activities, such as recreational roller skates, artistic inline skates, freestyle slalom skates (FSK), speed roller skates, aggressive roller skates, and skates specifically designed for roller hockey. Below, we will introduce the roller skates for these specific types of activities in detail.
- Recreational Roller Skates
The roller skates we commonly see in everyday life are mostly recreational roller skates, which are also referred to as street skates. They are suitable for straight-line skating or making large-angle maneuvers on flat surfaces. Recreational roller skates are comfortable to wear, with wheels of the same size that provide good grip and stability during skating. The right skate typically has a brake device at the rear end, making it more suitable for everyday practice.
- Artistic Inline Skates
Artistic inline skates, commonly referred to as "flat flower" skates, are known for their excellent flexibility and maneuverability. They typically feature a banana wheel setup (with the middle two wheels larger than the two on the ends) or have all four wheels of the same size but use a banana-shaped frame to lift the ends off the ground. These skates allow for a variety of intricate maneuvers and turns on flat surfaces and are suitable for skaters with some experience. They are not as well-suited for beginners.
- Freestyle Slalom Skates (FSK)
FSK stands for "Free Skating," which is translated as "Freestyle Slalom Skating." This discipline is characterized by its strong element of freedom and includes styles such as freestyle street skating, downhill, recreational, and FSK in parks.
FSK can be performed with either inline skates or quad skates. Inline FSK skates have a wider and more robust boot to withstand the impact from various terrains; quad FSK skates have a narrower bridge and are equipped with a brake, mainly to facilitate maneuvers that require the use of a brake and to provide emergency braking for increased safety while street skating.
- Speed Skating Skates
Speed skating skates generally have a larger frame and bigger wheels. To reduce the load and fully leverage the power of the ankles, speed skates feature a lower-cut boot, typically at or below ankle height, thus offering greater flexibility. The boot is usually made of full leather, and designs commonly have 5 or 4 wheels, although some entry-level speed skates may have a 3-wheel design.
- Aggressive Skates
Aggressive skates, also known as trick skates, usually employ a combination of laces and buckles for closure. They have smaller wheels, with the front and rear wheels closer together, and a lower base plate compared to recreational skates. The shell of the boot is harder, and there is a grind plate beneath the base for tricks like grinding on ledges. The middle part of the frame is designed with a groove to facilitate rail tricks. Aggressive skate frames are longer than those of regular skates, with a wheel setup that includes a recessed groove between the wheels, and they have a smaller brake, or often no brake at all, to aid in performing tricks in U-shaped bowls or leaping between stair railings.
- Roller Hockey Skates
Roller hockey skates are specifically designed for the sport of roller hockey. They usually feature a hard toe cap made of engineered plastics, a semi-soft boot for comfort, and an inclined frame. The High-Low wheel configuration consists of two smaller wheels at the front and two larger wheels at the back, which facilitates sprinting and acceleration. The design often includes multiple lace holes for a snugger fit, a raised heel, and an extra-long tongue. These features are specialized for competitive play.
2. Inline Skate Structural Component Analysis
Structurally, a pair of inline skates can be divided into two main parts: the upper and the lower skate. The upper part mainly consists of everything above the frame, which includes the shell, CUFF, and the inner boot; the lower part mainly consists of everything below the frame, which includes the frame, wheels, and bearings. The quality of these components directly determines the overall quality of the inline skates. Therefore, when purchasing inline skates, these parts should be given special attention. Let's discuss how to distinguish the quality of these components.
2.1 Upper Part
- Shell
The shell can be divided into hard shell, semi-soft, and soft boots.
Hard shell boots are entirely structured, often made from PVC and PU materials. Generally, PU is better as it offers strong support, durability, but the comfort and fit are average, with almost no softening, damage, or leakage.
Semi-soft boots use a mesh structure to increase the frame area and hardness, aiming for better support than soft boots. They are less likely to deform when performing difficult maneuvers. Because they use less leather and fabric, the fit is not as snug, but they are more comfortable and secure on the foot. Soft boots have less structure, offering high comfort but significantly less support.
In general, for comfort, recreational inline skates and FSK (Freestyle Slalom) skates are often semi-soft; slalom skates, FSK, and aggressive skates usually have a good support semi-soft or hard shell; FSK and aggressive skates choose semi-soft for comfort but require higher stiffness around the shin. Professional slalom skates are mostly hard shell. Ice hockey skates and speed skates are quite special, usually made of fiberglass material, which is hard and provides good support. Their shape is similar to semi-soft boots, but they are very rigid, and most do not have an inner boot design. Professional ice hockey and speed skates may also use carbon fiber as a material. Additionally, speed skates have a low cut to reduce the load and fully utilize the power of the ankles.
- Inner Boot
The inner boot is the part inside the shell that comes into direct contact with the foot, typically made of sponge and can be independently disassembled for easy cleaning. A good inner boot is soft and comfortable with good breathability. It's best to choose an inner boot made of memory foam material, and it should have adequate thickness and density. After wearing for a while, the inner boot will shape according to your foot, making it more comfortable to wear and providing better wrapping.
- CUFF
The main function of the CUFF is to fix the inline skate and foot, generally made of mature materials, with some high-end inline skates using carbon fiber material. The CUFF provides important support for the inline skates, especially at the top of the shell and the ankle area, significantly improving the wrapping and compressive toughness of the foot. When buying inline skates, you might want to pinch the CUFF to see if it's hard enough, as this is the only way to provide beginners with enough support and protection.
2.2The Lower Shoe Section
- Frame
The frame, also known as the support or base, is the structure that connects the wheels to the boot shell. Commonly referred to as the "blade holder" in layman's terms, most frames feature a hollowed-out design that is both aesthetically pleasing and weight-reducing. Frames can be divided into flat frames and banana frames; a flat frame means that during skating, all four wheels of the same size touch the ground, while a banana frame implies that only the two middle wheels touch the ground first, which is mainly used for practicing freestyle moves.
Based on the material, frames can be divided into engineering plastic frames and aluminum alloy frames; and based on structure, they can be categorized into one-piece frames and split frames. One-piece aluminum alloy frames can further be divided into die-cast and extruded types according to the manufacturing process.
In terms of burst resistance, whether it's an engineering plastic frame or an aluminum alloy frame, both are quite robust and unlikely to burst unless they are damaged by human action or accident. However, for some professional skaters who subject their frames to frequent impacts, one-piece aluminum alloy frames or extreme engineering plastic frames are mostly used.
When it comes to stability, one-piece frames are generally more stable than split frames. Typically, one-piece aluminum alloy frames have the best stability, followed by one-piece engineering plastic frames, and then split aluminum alloy frames.
The length of the frame refers to the distance from the center of the first wheel axle hole to the center of the last axle hole. The longer the frame, the better the stability during skating; the shorter the frame, the better the maneuverability. Frames for freestyle skates are generally shorter to increase agility, while recreational, urban, and speed skates often opt for longer frames to enhance stability.
- Wheels
The wheels of inline skates typically come in three types: PVC plastic wheels, PU polyurethane wheels, and rubber wheels.
PVC plastic wheels are known for their high hardness but lack shock absorption and grip. They are also less resistant to damage. PU polyurethane wheels offer good heat resistance and wear resistance, with better elasticity, which is why most inline skates use PU wheels. Rubber wheels provide high elasticity, cushioning, and shock absorption, offering greater comfort. However, compared to the other two types, rubber wheels have a shorter lifespan and can change properties with varying environmental conditions.
Standard inline skate wheels are explicitly marked with the size and hardness of the wheel. Size is typically indicated in millimeters (mm), and hardness is denoted by the capital letter "A." The larger the number, the larger and harder the wheel.
For recreational inline skates, the wheel size and hardness are usually between 72~76mm and 78A~80A, respectively. Speed skating wheels are often around 80mm in size, with a hardness generally ranging from 78A to 85A. Aggressive inline skate wheels are usually smaller, less than 65mm, with a hardness between 88A to 100A.
- Bearings
Bearings are metal objects placed in the center of inline skate wheels to facilitate their rotation. Each wheel requires a bearing on either side, separated by a spacer in the middle. Generally, single-row skates use plastic spacers, but higher-end models may use metal spacers, which produce less friction and allow the bearings to maintain maximum rotational capacity, enabling the wheels to reach higher speeds.
Good bearings are finely crafted and appear very smooth. Each of the two bearing covers should be stamped with the brand and the marking "608ZZABEC-X," which denotes the commonly used 608 bearing in single-row inline skates. "60" indicates the bearing's outer race has a circumference of 60mm, "8" refers to an inner diameter of 8mm, "Z" signifies a metal dust shield, and "ZZ" means there is a metal dust shield on both sides. "ABEC" is the tolerance class for seven-ball bearings, with grades including 1, 3, 5, and 7. Recreational inline skates typically use bearings rated ABEC 3 to 5.
In addition to ABEC, there is the ILQ tolerance class, which is for six-ball bearing specifications (with grades such as 7 and 9). There is also another type of bearing with the SG rating, like SG-7 and SG-9, which is a Rollerblade patent. Generally, the higher the parameter following the same brand of bearing, the more precise the bearing is. However, bearings of different brands and different tolerance standards typically cannot be compared laterally.
3.Inline Skates Buying Tips and Strategies
When purchasing inline skates, it is crucial to consider your actual needs. Before making a purchase, it's best to clarify the following questions.
- What is your actual budget?
Budgeting is essential when buying anything, as the amount you plan to spend directly determines what you will end up buying.
Depending on the type and level, the price of a pair of ordinary inline skates can range from a few hundred to several thousand yuan. Generally, the higher the price, the better the materials used in the skates, the more comfortable they are to wear, and the better their performance.
- Which type of inline skates should you choose?
For beginners in inline skating, it is generally not recommended to choose speed skates. As for other types of skates, whether recreational, freestyle, FSK (Freestyle Slalom), or aggressive skates, beginners can try any of these if there are no strict requirements. However, because freestyle skates offer high maneuverability, it is suggested to switch to flat wheels when using them.
It is advisable for beginners to start with non-professional level inline skates and then move on to professional-grade skates with better overall performance once they have a basic foundation.
In addition to choosing the type of inline skates, beginners can also consider skates with upgrade potential. This way, if after some time the frame, wheels, or bearings are not performing as desired, they can be replaced or upgraded. Of course, it's also possible to upgrade to larger and better wheels or more precise bearings to enhance the skate's usability.
- How to Determine the Size of Inline Skates
Generally speaking, if you are new to inline skating, then you should choose skates that match the length of your foot to the inner length of the skate. If you already have some experience, you may opt for a slightly smaller size (recommended to go down half a size or one full size) for better wraparound and fit. It is advisable to try on both skates at the same time when purchasing to ensure that your feet do not move around inside the skates.
How to Choose Inline Skating Protective Gear
From a safety perspective, it is essential to equip yourself with a helmet and protective gear when inline skating. Protective gear includes wrist guards, elbow pads, and knee pads. Helmets are typically composed of EPS foam and an ABS shell; the EPS foam is generally black, so it is best to choose a helmet with a black interior. As for the protective gear, thickness is crucial—the thicker, the better. Additionally, the ABS shell should be durable enough to not deform after a fall.
