What Is the Difference Between Roller Skates & Rollerblades?

Roller skates and in-line skates (or Rollerblades as they are sometimes called, which is a specific brand of in-line skates) are each a type of skate with wheels. They are quite different in several ways, including the type of wheels on them and the wheel placement. The boot style on roller skates is different than on in-line skates as well. Both types of skates are made for children and adults.

  1. Wheel Placement

    • Traditional roller skates are four-wheeled skates with two parallel wheels under the ball of the foot and two more parallel wheels near the heel. They have been around for more than 200 years. An in-line skates has all of its wheels in one line down the center of the skate, similar to the placement of a blade on ice skates. In-line skates were developed in the 1970s and early 1980s by Rollerblade, Inc. When in-line skates became popular, traditional roller skates got tagged as quad skates.

    Wheel Thickness and Style

    • The wheels of roller skates are quite thick, often similar in style to the wheels found on skateboards. In-line skate wheels are taller and narrower. They are sometimes used outside the skating world on wheeled computer bags. In-line skates typically have four wheels, but some variations have three or five. The wheels of both can be changed to suit the users skating style and preferences. For instance, outdoor skating wheels would be different than those used only indoors.

    Stopping Mechanisms

    • Standard quad roller skates have a toe stop that serves as a braking mechanism. To stop while quad roller skating, point the toe of one skate toward the ground and drag to a stop. In-line skates feature a heel-stop brake. This works by bending the knees, pushing one foot forward, then dragging the heel-stop brake on the ground until slowing to a stop.

    Other Differences

    • Roller skates are easier to balance on than in-line skates

      Quads are generally easier than in-line skates for beginners to learn. The ankles can wobble on in-line skates just as they can for beginning ice skaters. Quads make it easier for the newcomer to balance. Quad skates are easier to steer as well, since the truck mechanism that holds the wheels in place pivots much the way a skateboard does. In-line skates behave much more like ice skates. The boot styles are different too. Some roller skates have soft leather boots or even look like shoes with wheels on them. Many in-line skates have hard plastic or fiberglass bodies, making them more like ski boots than old-fashioned roller skate boots.