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Roller Skates: All things to know before buying at RollerSkatesReviews

What are roller skates?

Roller skates often evoke childhood memories or your youth sentiment. They are, therefore, the predecessor of the more modern inline skates(also called inline skates) and therefore look quite similar in appearance to their modern counterpart. The biggest difference between the two: inline skates have four wheels in a row behind each other, and roller skates have four wheels next to each other (see image above). The wheels of roller skates are wider than those of inline skates, which gives them more stability. Ideal for young children or novice skaters. In addition, roller skates are made for normal riding or, for example, fitness or dancing. It is, therefore, really a hobby or sport that burns quite a few calories, especially if you go to the gym or dance with it.

What size roller skates do I need?

Comfort is the most important thing! To determine which size roller skates you need, the general advice is: go for one size larger than your normal shoe size. However, this is different for all brands; sometimes, your size is also good. So always check the size of a brand. Here you can read some information about the sizes of some well-known brands. If the roller skates run a bit small, just go for your size. It is best if there is some room left for your toes, they should not be against the front of the shoe. You know immediately that if you have chosen the right size, the roller skates fit like a glove. Another rule of thumb:

Adjustable roller skates are the solution for fast-growing children's feet. This makes choosing the right size roller skates a lot easier. You know that every child can enjoy years of fun with one pair of skates instead of needing new ones every few months. You can easily adjust the size of adjustable skates with a push button or a handy mechanism.

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What should you pay attention to when buying roller skates?

If you want to buy roller skates, it is advisable to consider what you are looking for. And that is exactly the problem: what should you pay attention to when buying roller skates? It may not matter much to you, but there are things you can take into account. For example, you have roller skates that are specially made for women, men, or children. The adjustable roller skates are highly recommended for young children. But there are many more aspects that you can consider, such as the type of shoe, the wheels, and the type of bearings. Riding will be one big party if you find roller skates that completely meet your needs!

Shoes

The shoes of your roller skate are the biggest factor for comfort! First of all, the shoes must, of course, be the right size for your feet, but in addition, more aspects of the shoe can influence the comfort level:

Type of shoes:

Hard shoe: suitable for fitness and long rides. This type of shoe provides a lot of support and stability. This firmness is ideal for beginners.

Soft shoe: suitable for dancing and disco. This type of shoe provides a lot of maneuverability. They also weigh less and are better ventilated than hard shoes. In short, ideal for the more advanced roller skaters.

Height shoes:

High shoe: gives more stability around your ankles. In addition, this shoe gives you the classic 'roller skate look.' This height shoe is ideal for beginners.

Medium-high shoe: slightly less stability than high shoes, but more maneuverable. This height shoe is ideal for people who want to move from beginner to more advanced.

Low shoe: makes you more agile. With this, you can dance better and perform tricks. Ideal for the more advanced roller skaters.

As an adult beginner, the ideal roller skate is a hard and high shoe. This offers a lot of support and stability around your ankles, giving you extra firmness. For a young child, it is best to choose adjustable roller skates, also best with a hard, high shoe. Roller skates with a soft, medium-high shoe.

Wheels

Larger wheels allow you to reach higher speeds; smaller wheels offer faster acceleration and deceleration. If you mainly skate longer distances, then larger wheels are pleasant. If you prefer short distances and performing tricks, go for smaller wheels. In addition to the size of the wheels, you can also pay attention to the hardness of the wheels, which is determined by a scale that runs from 0A to 100A:

Hardness wheels:

Hard wheels (closer to 100A): Durable, but road grip and shock absorption are worse than soft wheels. Soft wheels (closer to 0A): Less durable than hard wheels, but on the other hand, they have a better grip on the road and are a lot better able to absorb shocks.

Go for wheels between 78A to 85A if you're going to skate outside. This way, you are always assured of a good grip and smooth ride. Only go for much softer wheels if you plan on skating on very uneven terrain.

Lagers

Bearings ensure that your wheels turn smoothly. Good bearings have an ABEC classification that runs from ABEC 1 to ABEC 9. You go for a high ABEC number if you plan to go fast with your roller skates. For beginners, bearings with a lower ABEC number are also fine. The height of the ABEC number does not indicate how durable the bearings are.

To maximize the life of bearings, it is important to avoid moist conditions and sand or dirt. As long as your bearings work fine, there is nothing to worry about. If you notice that your roller skates don't roll very well, the bearings may need to be replaced. Closed bearings: ideal for outdoors, less likely to get dirty.

Open bearings: ideal for indoor use, easier to clean.

Trucks, plates, and cushions

In addition to all these parts, roller skates also have trucks, plates, and cushions. It probably means little to you, which is not surprising. Trucks and plates are standard parts of your roller skates. In principle, you do not replace them. Cushions are easier to replace to adjust the maneuverability of your roller skates:

Hard cushions: provide more stability, but make your roller skates less maneuverable. Soft cushions: make it easier for you to make tighter turns. This makes your roller skates more maneuverable.

Brakes

Unique to roller skates: the toe-stop! With inline skates, you will often find a brake pad on the back of one skate; with roller skates, you will find a brake pad on the front of each shoe. How you have to brake is therefore also different and can cause confusion or problems in the beginning.

When roller skating, you slow down by using the toe-stop.

Price

How expensive are roller skates? Roller skates come in different price ranges. You already have roller skates for a few tens, but you can also go for more expensive ones of €100 or more. The price depends on the quality, the brand, but also, for example, the color you want. If you plan to drive a lot, it is advisable not to go for the cheapest variants. In many cases, cuts have been made on quality parts. Cheaper roller skates are fine if you use them occasionally or as entry-level roller skates, but if you want to enjoy your skates for longer, invest in quality and pay a little more.

Extra things to watch out for?

In addition to the different parts of roller skates and the purchase price, there are many things to consider. For example, does a brand run large or small, or is a roller skate specially made for riding quickly: Nijdam roller skates are generally smaller in size. Advice: order 1 or 2 sizes larger than your normal shoe size. Chaya is a sub-brand of Powerslide and is purely focused on roller derby roller skates. Osprey only uses sustainable materials and recycles as much as possible. Rio Roller and Rookie are focused on retro designs. Are you looking for speed skates or roller derby? Hard wheels and hard shoes. Are you looking for roller skates for recreational use? Softer wheels really focused on comfort.

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Learn to roller skate

At what age can you learn to roller skate? In principle, you can stay here for five years. Then a child has good general body control. Some children can roller skate a year early, and others are not ready until they are six years old. And you can also learn it when you are older. Often you are just a bit more afraid of falling, so you are much more careful and, as a result, need more time to master it. If you have purchased roller skates for yourself or for your child for the first time, you can start on the next step: learning to roller skate. Roller skating can be done indoors and outdoors. If you're going to practice, it doesn't matter much whether you drive indoors or outdoors, as long as you have enough space around you. In addition, it is a bit easier if you have ever skated or inline skates, but even then, it can be quite a challenge to master the technique. But if you practice and persevere, you can always learn roller skating!

Proper roller skates and protection

Before you start riding, it is important to buy the right roller skates, supplemented with good roller skate protection. Learning to roller skate often starts with trial and error. Without the right skate protection, you make it more of a challenge for yourself than it is. You are well protected against accidents or falls with a skate helmet and wrist, elbow, and knee protectors. You can often buy the latter in a set to have everything at once.

Also, think of good socks! Bare feet in roller skates are not a great combination. You will quickly get sweaty feet, which is not pleasant for yourself and your fellow man, but you also risk infection when your sweaty skin comes into contact with the shoe. Always wear good skate protection, especially if you are a novice skater.

What is the correct position to maintain your balance?

Bend your knees slightly. Put your feet shoulder-width apart, bend your knees and squat a little (not too much, you won't last, and that way, it's very difficult to keep your balance) Keep your heels together and point your toes out. Therefore, it is an inverted pizza slice for the people who have ever skied. Point your arms slightly forward. This can help you keep your balance better. If you take the above tips into account, you will be stable on your roller skates in no time, and you can move on to the next step: learning to ride.

Learn to drive

While driving, you basically stay in the equilibrium position the whole time. So: squat, toes out, and arms out. And how do you then speed up? You move your feet separately from each other.

Move one foot forward and push off with the other foot. Your weight moves from your back foot to your front foot. Slide forward on your front foot, leaving your back foot off the ground for a moment. Then you put the back foot on the floor and switch the movement.

Keep rolling and increase your speed by applying more power with your back foot. Once you get the hang of it, you won't want to stop driving. Ultimately this will have to be done, and then it is nice if you also know how to do this safely. You can read more about safe braking below. Learn to brake Important to learn before you really get to speed: braking! If you don't go that fast yet, in many cases, you will come to a stop within a few meters. When you start to roller skate faster, you must know how to brake. How do you brake with roller skates?

Plow Stop:

This technique makes sense. Quite simply, you just change the position of your toes from an outward to an inward position. Before you start braking, it is important to spread your legs a little further than shoulder width. Then you change the position of your toes. You then feel that your feet want to go inwards. You need to apply a little force to your feet to stay spread out. Very slowly, bring your toes closer together.

T-Stop:

This technique is a bit more complicated. Bring your non-dominant foot back and your dominant foot slightly forward. Most of your weight should be on your front foot. Then lift your back foot slightly. Rotate your back foot at about a 90-degree angle to your front foot. Your front foot continues to roll forward. This all takes just one or two seconds. Then place your back foot on the floor, maintaining a 90-degree angle with the front foot. Apply a small force to your back foot and slow down slowly.

Braking with your knees or brake pads:

In addition, you can always break with your knees or brake pads. Carefully go with one knee, with a knee pad, towards the ground and use it to slow down. Or use the brake pads on the front of your roller skates by putting one foot forward and the other foot back. Then you brake with your back foot by moving the brake pad over the ground. With roller skates, you preferably do this when you drive backward; driving forward can cause accidents and falls.

Braking is very intuitive. Practice it at a lower speed first before braking at high speed with roller skates.

Pushing boundaries

When you have mastered driving forward and braking, you can push your limits. For example, try driving backward. Pay attention to the following points: your knees are slightly bent, your toes are pointed inwards, and your butt is slightly pushed back. Then slowly move backward. Try to skate faster and faster. Challenge yourself! Speed ​​up and lengthen each move to go faster. Try moving both feet in and out simultaneously, forwards or backward. By continuing to exert force, you will maintain your speed. For the visual people among us: it looks like you're always making a kind of figure eight in a row.

Optional: join a club or association

Have you become a fan of roller skates, and do you want to do more with it than just recreational riding? Perhaps there is a roller-skating club or association near you! At these clubs or associations, you can raise your level to a new level, and you are surrounded by people who share the same passion.

Everything in a row about roller skating

Have you already forgotten what you just read, or do you just want a handy overview of roller skating? Then take a look at the following points:

Always choose the right size to avoid sore feet. Pay special attention to the type of shoe, the wheels, the brakes, and the bearings. Learning to roller skate is not something you just do. Take your time. And don't forget to learn how to brake: T-Stop or Plow Stop. Still more interested in inline skates? Then read our article 'All about inline skates' once through. Have you become enthusiastic about roller skates, and are you considering getting a pair? Then take a look at our extensive range. If you have any questions, please contact us via live Rollerskatesreviews.com.