Before You Buy Figure Skates
Buying your first pair of skates can be an exciting and momentous purchase. Your first pair of skates is a significant step in the direction of your chosen ice sport. However, buying a pair of ice skates is not as simple as buying a pair of sneakers, there are a few questions to consider before putting skates in your shopping cart.
- Which ice sport interests me the most?
Essentially, there are three main disciplines of ice skating, and these disciplines form the three different ways that ice skates can be made. These are figure skating, ice hockey and speed skating. To decide which sport interests, you most research by watching online videos (YouTube is a great resource here), chat to a local coach at your rink or see do a trial lesson in figure skating, ice hockey or speed.
Each different type of boot has a slightly different feel and affects the way you skate. Speed skates are extremely long to ensure maximum traction with the ice to create forward momentum. Figure skates are the middle length of the three with a toe-pick and rocker for jumping and spinning. Hockey skates are designed to enable fast skating with quick changes of direction that ice hockey games require.
- Which model of figure skates should I get?
For absolute beginners to the sport of figure skating, we recommend the Jackson Mystique. The Mystique model is ideal for learning basic forwards and backwards stroking, one-foot glides, swizzles, stops and basic turns.
Skaters who want to dive right into the sport of figure skating or want a boot that will support basic jumps and spins not just forwards and backwards stroking would be better off choosing a more supportive model with a better-quality blade such as the Jackson Artiste or the Jackson Elle.
- How do I decide which size I need?
At iSkate Canterbury, we specialize in providing top notch fitting for all shapes of feet. The best way ensure that you get a correctly fitting boot is to visit us either at our Canterbury store or our pop up store at Macquarie Ice Rink (please check opening hours).
However, we understand that distance can sometimes prevent you from visiting us in person, in these cases we recommend that unless you are repurchasing the same size or have been correctly fitted on an appropriate scale, you get in contact with us directly to ensure that you are purchasing the correct boot size. The sizing of skates is rarely the same as your regular shoe size, if you are sending us your measurements please measure in cm the distance from your heel to your largest toe and the widest part across the ball of your foot on both feet.