A Few Points When Choosing Ice Hockey Skates

Posted on April 27, 2010 | Category: Sports Trivia

There is a difference between regular recreational ice skates and hockey ice skates. There are also junior and senior skates to consider when choosing a pair of skates for hockey. Skates should be one or one and a half sizes smaller than what you normally wear for shoes. Also unlike shoes, there shouldn’t be a lot of toe or heel room inside the skate. They should feel fairly snug when they are completely laced up. For children, there may be a half size space allowed for growing. The skates need to provide ankle stability while skating to reduce the risk of injury.

The blades on skates designed for hockey are shorter than the blades on recreational skates. The design of the shoe is also a bit different with the collar of the ankle being longer and trimmer to allow for quick movement. The hockey skater generally takes short quick strides while a casual skater takes long slow moving strides. The skate used in hockey is designed for speed while the recreational skate is styled for performance. To ensure that your skates will perform their best you should have them sharpened periodically.

If you have a child interested in hockey you should have their ice skates measured by a professional footwear outfitter. Children’s bones are not as strong as an adults and a pair of ill-fitting skates could cause damage to their bones. The prices for good quality new skates for hockey range from $50 to over $200. A pair of Bauer Flexlite 2.0 skates can sell for $53 while the Bauer Vapor X:60 sells for $350. You can look for used hockey skates for sale in your newspaper classified section if you’re not sure your child will stick with playing hockey. You can also find a good quality used pair at a used sporting goods store.

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