What Is the Difference Between Figure Skates & Recreation Skates?

There's a pair of ice skates for every everyone from beginner to competitive skater. However, recreational skaters have very different needs than figure skaters. Your local pro shop can help you choose a specific model. It's best to try on ice skates in person.

  1. What recreational skates do

    • Recreational skates are made for people just learning to skating, don't skate very often, or aren't doing jumps and spins. They will let you skate forward and backward, do crossovers and execute simple turns.

    What figure skates do

    • Competitive figure skates provide the specialized support and control that advanced skaters need in order to execute jumps, spins and difficult turns. Attempting advanced moves with recreational skates puts a skater at risk of injury.

    Assembly

    • Recreational skates are very basic compared to figure skates. The boots (the part that encases your foot) and blades are sold already attached. When you purchase competitive skates, the boots and blades are sold separately because each skater has different needs.

    Sizing

    • It may be difficult to find special sizes, such as narrow widths or large sizes, in recreational skates. Competitive skate boots are more carefully sized, and many skaters have them custom made.

    Materials

    • Recreational skate boots are often made of plastic or synthetic leather. Competitive skate boots are almost always made of leather and frequently have features such as heat-moldable interiors that adapt to the shape of your foot.

    Price

    • Recreational figure skates start at about $50 (adult sizes tend to cost more than children's). Competitive figure skating boots, at the top end, can cost more than $600, and blades, which are sold separately, cost about the same.