A Introduction to Skate Wheels and Types

Buying inline skates is exciting, but for novice skaters - unfamiliar with the many potential options for boots,frames and wheels - it can also be daunting. But knowing what type of inline skating discipline you're interested in will help narrow it down.

Types of skates

Inline skating is made up of a variety of different disciplines, each with skates specifically adapted to it: recreational, fitness, freestyle/slalom, speed, aggressive, artistic, and field hockey.

I will discuss each of these and their specific characteristics below. Knowing what you want to do on your skates makes it easier to find the right skates and choose the right inline skates for the purpose.

Freestyle Skates

These are designed for high maneuverability and are usually rockered. In a swing setup, the wheels are positioned in millimeter-thin variations so that only two or three wheels touch the ground at a time.

The reduced wheelbase length this provides allows for easier pivoting.

AL free style speed skates Frame super light

Fitness Skates

Fitness skates are designed for long-distance skating and come in either a three-wheel Triscate or four-wheel variety. The higher the wheels, the less maneuverable they are, although the shorter the wheelbase of a three-wheeled unit, the less maneuverable it is.

Fitness skates Frame alumium 6061

Recreational Skates

These are suitable for general purpose park and street skating. They usually have four wheels and a heel brake on one skate, and come in many different styles and models.

Speed Skates

These types of skates typically have longer frames and larger wheels for speed and stability, are positioned lower on the ankle for lightness and agility, and do not have brakes. Their three or four wheels can be as large as 125 mm.

inline Speed skates Frame

Inline Skates

Radical skates are very heavy, with a short wheelbase and small wheels for maneuverability and easy jump landings. They have a grindstone for sliding and performing tricks. They do not have heel brakes and cannot be used for speed skating or long distance skating.

Artistic Skates

As if you can't stay away from aggressive skates, you have art skates. These are traditionally quad skates, but now come in inline variants that usually rocker to spin easier and have a front toe stop to help with jump takeoffs. These are not suitable for outdoor skating.

Artistic inline skates Frame

Brakes or not?

When you first start choosing inline skates, I always recommend heel brakes.

Learning how to stop on inline skates is critical to safe skating, and unless you can do at least one, preferably three non-heel brake alternatives to stop your top speed, including downhill, starting with heel brakes is paramount. I always say that learning to skate without heel brakes is just as dangerous as learning to drive by stopping with gear only!