Buying your first ice skates
Hire skates are fine for a few sessions. Once you are skating every week, or have started lessons, your own boots will be warmer, steadier and properly sharpened, and you will progress faster. Here is how to buy a first pair without wasting money.
When it is worth buying
- You skate at least every week or two, or you have signed up for a course.
- Hire skates leave you with sore ankles or wobbly heels however tightly you lace them.
- For children, when they are committed to lessons, ideally in adjustable or slightly roomy boots (see kit for children).
Figure or hockey?
| Figure skates | Hockey skates | |
|---|---|---|
| Blade | Longer, with a toothed toe pick at the front | Shorter, curved at both ends, no toe pick |
| Feels | Stable front to back; good for learning to glide | Nimble and quick to turn; less forgiving rocking forwards |
| Best for | Learn-to-skate, figure skating, ice dance, recreational skating | Hockey, fast recreational skating |
Learn-to-skate courses accept both. Choose by what you think you will want to do next.
Getting the fit right
- Skate sizes run small compared with shoes, often by a size or so, and vary by brand. Use the brand's size chart and measure your feet.
- Try boots on with the thin socks you will skate in, laced properly.
- Your heel should sit firmly in the back with no lift when you bend your knees; toes may lightly touch the front when standing and pull back when you bend.
- Support matters: the ankle area should feel firm, not floppy. Very soft "fashion" skates do not support beginners well.
- If you can, buy from a specialist skate shop or rink pro shop that will fit and sharpen them for you.
What to spend
Very cheap skates often have soft boots and poor blades that do not hold an edge. A sensible entry-level recreational or beginner figure skate from a recognised brand is usually a better buy than a bargain pair, and will see a skater through the first Skate UK levels. Beyond that, a coach will advise on stiffer boots and separate blades.
New skates need sharpening
Many new skates arrive with blades that are not sharpened for skating. Have them sharpened by a rink or skate shop before your first session, and buy hard guards for walking and soakers for storage at the same time. See skate care and sharpening.
Protective kit
For beginners, especially children and adult learners, a helmet and some padding are sensible. See protective gear.