How to Buy Inline Skates

Inline skating has grown up in recent years. Once upon a time, the only decision you had to make when buying skates was the color of your Rollerblades. Today, Rollerblade is just one of many manufacturers of inline skates that come in a wide variety of styles and prices. Follow these steps to buy your inline skates.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine how you plan to use your inline skates. For example, decide whether you skate recreationally or use your skates for racing, hockey or aggressive skating. Another thing to think about is the surface you plan to skate on--skating rink, pavement or both.

    • 2

      Decide how much you can spend. Skates come in all prices, but plan on spending at least $50 for a good pair of inline skates and at least $100 if you plan to make inline skating an important part of your life. Forget the cheaply made skates at your local discount store.

    • 3

      Look at as many inline skates as you can that fit the qualifications that you came up with in Steps 1 and 2. Obviously, you want to buy something that fits comfortably. Until recently, plastic-hard shell skate boots were the norm. Now you can also buy a soft boot that fits more like shoes. Some people feel like the soft boot doesn't offer as much control. You may have trouble with sizing if you have wide feet. Look at going up a size or two for a more comfortable fit, or try a different brand.

    • 4

      Know your wheels and bearings. Wheels come with two numbers. The first tells you the size of the wheel and the second focuses on the hardness of the wheel. The bigger the wheel, the faster you go and the longer it lasts. A softer wheel gives you a smoother ride, but if you're heavy, they won't last long. Many people replace their wheels at some point, and you can plan to buy new wheels during the lifetime of your skates too. The ABEC-# on your skates refers to the bearings. Again, the higher the number, the faster you'll go.

    • 5

      Check for inline skates at inline specialty stores or large sporting goods stores. These stores should have the most variety of good inline skates plus retail staff that knows something about the skates. While the Internet provides even more retailers and great deals on skates, don't go there unless you know what you want and your size. Experienced skaters who know exactly what they want should have no problem buying inline skates online.