How to buy ice skate

Ice skating is certainly a fun activity, especially in the winter. Whether a local pond is available to you, or you traveled to a famous destination, you definitely should try it. You only need a pair of ice skates, hockey skates have also become popular lately. Also, ice skating has turn into a winter trademark in various distinctive games such as, figure skating, ice hockey and speedskating. All of these sports are fun; however you could make it even more enjoyable by knowing how to pick winter sports equipments.

 

Figure skates:

Sizing: to have a good performance on the ice, you should absolutely choose skates that are correct for your skill level, also the skates should fit comfortably on your feet. Before, it might have been hard to find a perfect pair for you, but now, it’s much easier when the manufacturers of figure skates have figure ice skates in sizes that relate to shoe sizes.

 

Figure skates sizing:

• Remove your shoes and put on a pair of thin sport socks. It is not suggested to wear skates bare foot as this promotes bacteria and corrosion of the materials.
• Measure for foot width while in the sitting position.
• Wear thin socks, do not wear thick socks, wider skate will be needed and the proper fit will not be achieved. A white cotton sock is ideal.
• Put the skate on your foot and kick back in order to lock the heel into the back of the skate, you should that before you sharpen the blades.
• Lace the skate firmly with the most lace pressure at the top 4 eyelets. Always try on both skates laced to the top as you would when playing.

 

Hockey Skates:

 

Hockey:

Hockey players are very athletic and hockey is a fast-paced sport, so naturally the hockey skates should help the player to keep up with the pace. Hockey skates are very important, they should be comfortable and natural, especially players, they should think of them as an extension of their feet.

 

Boot:

Before you start looking at all of the different hockey skates that are available, it is important to understand the basics about how a hockey skate is built. Hockey skates are made with a combination of leather and synthetic materials to increase durability, performance and comfort. The quality of the skates and the cost are decided by the mixture of the components such as Kevlar and graphite. To be more protected against bucks and hockey sticks, try hard plastic boots, it could also add support to your ankles.

 

Blade:

steel is what hockey skate blades are made of and they also have an emptied out, or sunken shape. The blade radius is the amount of blade that is in actual contact with the ice, which is really beneficial to have a great hockey skates performance. The radius is measured by placing both blades together, bottom to bottom, and holding the blades up to the light. Where the blade edges touch is the blade radius.

The smaller the radius of the blade the more you maneuver easily. A 3 to 4 inches blade radius will help cut and turn, and if you’re a forward and need more movement then you want a shorter blade radius to help you with maneuverability. However, if you’re a beginner, you want a 5 inches blade radius to move toward all directions safely and stable.  On the contrary to forwards, defensemen and goalies look for more stability, therefore, a longer blade radius is more suitable. Another way to have more maneuverability is to grind the edges of your hockey skate blade. The deeper the grind, the more maneuverable the skate.

 

Hockey skates sizing:

Hockey skates need to be tight for more steadiness and less scraping; therefore picking the right size for hockey skates is not quite the same as picking sizes for figure skates. On the contrary to figure skates, you will need to wear thicker socks with hockey skates. For parents, the mistake that they can make is to buy their children larger skates to grow into, which could hurt their ankles and affect their learning experience.