What Materials Are Used to Make Hockey Skates?

The first ice skates were made from the bones of animals, a metal spike, and attached to one's feet with leather. Today's skates are created with man-made materials and are designed to allow the skater to comfortably move swiftly. The hockey skate is made from five main materials: nylon, leather, plastics, shoelace string and metals.

  1. Nylon/Plastic

    • Nylon material often is used to make the inner boot of the hockey skate. Molded plastic is used to create the outer boot of the skate. The materials are heat-treated so that they are water resistant and don't cause any harm to the feet. The boot of the skate is made from a synthetic material. This material makes the boot look and even feel like leather, and protects anything from cutting into the skate material.

    Blades

    • Skate blades are made from tempered steel and titanium. Once cut to the right size, the metal is then coated with a chrome finish to add the shiny appearance. The blade size depends on the size of the skate boot. The metal also is sharpened to help the skater cut and move through the ice more smoothly and efficiently.

    Other Materials

    • The shoelaces allow skaters to tighten or loosen skates to their specification. The pieces of the boot are sewn together using zigzag stitching techniques. The excess pieces of the skate are shaven down. The nylon pad inside the boot is glued to the bottom and back of plastic boot. Eyelets are then created using a machine, and are held together with a washer. The bottom of the plastic boot is sanded down.