Roller Skating vs. Rollerblading

There are various types of skating activities suitable for both children and adults; two of the most popular are rollerskating and Rollerblading, also known as in-line skating. Although these two exercises both stem from the concept of gliding along the ground with your feet on wheels, roller skating and Rollerblading differ in their equipment design, braking technique, skating style and health benefits.

  1. Equipment Design

    • The primary difference between the equipment design of Rollerblades and the equipment design of roller-skates is the way in which the wheels are attached to the bottom of the boot. Roller skates are comprised of 4 wheels on the bottom of the boot, with two wheels attached near the toe and two wheels attached toward the heel. Rollerblades are comprised of 3 to 5 wheels attached to the bottom of the boot, aligned from toe to heel. While the wheel design of roller skates resembles a square on the bottom of the boot, the wheels on Rollerblades are positioned in a single line, resembling a blade on an ice skate.

    Braking Technique

    • With roller skates, there is a front brake that is attached to the bottom front of each skate. Simply use your dominant foot to apply pressure downward, causing this brake to scrape the ground and slow you down. Contrary to having a front brake, Rollerblades have a back brake that requires you to apply pressure with your heel against this brake by tipping your toes up toward the sky.

    Skating Style

    • The differing wheel designs between roller skates and Rollerblades naturally produce a different kind of skating style. The 4-wheel, square patterned wheel alignment on roller-skates assist in keeping a skater balanced without producing much speed. This style of skating is perfect for dance choreography and freestyle skating competitions. The straight alignment of the wheels on Rollerblades is designed to help increase speed and produce sharp turns, perfect for racing and athletic competitions such as street hockey.

    Health Benefits

    • According to WellSphere, both roller skating and Rollerblading are recognized and recommended by the American Heart Association as aerobic fitness sports. While roller skating is beneficial to your health, the faster you skate the more calories your body burns, making Rollerblading superior to rollerskating for the intended purpose of bettering a person's health. For example, the number of calories burned while skating at 6 miles per hour is 350, and 600 calories while skating at 10 miles per hour.