Citiskate London - inline skating professionals for Lessons, trips and UK instructor training

"SIZING TIP: We recommend you take some thick sports socks with you when you go to buy.

"QUALITY: As with
most things you
get what you pay
for. We recoomend skates with a metal chassis "

Want to learn to skate? London group rollerblading classes here

HOW TO BUY INLINE SKATES

Buying a pair of inline skates is like having a baby, only in reverse - first comes the the hard work, then the fun.

1. Decide what kind of skates you want Recreational, Speed, Aggressive/Stunt or Hockey.

At present Rollerblade, K2 and Seba sell the best quality skates. Salomon no longer produce skates.

2. Set a budget Around £80-£100+ for skates. Include £15 - £30 for wrist, knee and elbow pads. If you are starting out in skating don't expect to increase your confidence without pads. Get the full set if you can and strongly consider buying a helmet. A wise choice.

3. Choose a shop from the list that has the best range of what you want Choose from recreational, aggressive/stunt, speed or hockey skates. Recreational skating is the most popular type in London and is a nice way to get started before you try any of the others. Lessons at Citiskate require recreational skates and a heel brake. Click here for a list of London skate shops

4. Choose a time Allow yourself a free period of up to 30 minutes in the shop and pick your time of week. Go on a rainy weekday and find staff twiddling their thumbs, eager to help.

5. First Impressions Skates are now available in sexy colour schemes and in designs specific to both both men and women so choose a good-looking pair of skates fitting points 1 and 2.

6. The three C's Comfortable, comfortable, comfortable. We cannot overestimate how important the fit of the skate is. Ensure you have enough room length wise, at the toe end. We recommend buying skates that are either your shoe size or half a size larger. Now use the rest of those 30 minutes walking around making sure the skates are snug.

DO
Be fussy about size
Take the socks you'll be wearing when skating with you
Try both skates on at the same time.
Try on at least two different brands of skates
Better still, try one of each type at the same time for an instant comparison
Leave room for your big toes. Ideally they will be touching or almost touching the end of the boot when standing up and no longer touching when in the Ready Position

NEVER
Buy without wearing
Run with scissors

Which level are you?

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