Basics of Ice Skates

You're probably familiar with hire skates - quite stiff, often moulded plastic with a sock-liner. You can typically get hire skates from ice rinks in one of two types: Hockey blade and Figure blade, though some ice rinks will only provide one type.

The first thing you need to know, then, is the difference between figure blades and hockey blades.

Many people opt for figure skates for starting their skating journey, simply because of the presence of a toe-pick. Beginners sometimes will use this to "walk" or push themselves along the ice. This, however, is not how the toe pick should be used and will ultimately hold you back in your skating journey: see The Basics of How to Skate

While the shape of blades for hockey and figure skates are designed for the specific activity, skating recreationally on public sessions in either of these types of blade is perfectly acceptable. People will have a preference - so try them both. Don't feel constrained to one type simply out of your perception on what it means, what you believe you can or can't do, or what you believe others will think. Both figure and hockey blades can be used recreationally. You only need to choose one style if you wish to pursue figure skating or ice hockey specifically - and there are a few people at Cambridge Ice Arena who pursue both!

One important aspect to remember: Hire Skates are designed for everyone, and therefore no one. Many people like to wear thicker-than-normal socks, and this isn't a bad idea in itself, but here we meet one of the first principles of ice skates:

The boot should be close as fitting to your foot as possible. Your feet should not be able to slide around on the footbed of the boot.

This is particularly important when you wish to pursue ice skating as a serious hobby, or have lessons. Balance is important in ice skating, and if your foot is allowed to move around inside the boot, the position of your foot over the blade will change. There are two reasons this is bad: (1) Left/Right movement will affect your balance, impacting your ability to find the edge (I'll come on to that...), and (2) Forward/Backward movement will affect your centre point, and for figure skaters the sweet-spot for spinning.

Therefore, if you decide to wear thicker socks, don't go nuts. Make sure that when the boot is secured they only provide padding and don't allow movement.

This also means that you should absolutely try the next size of boot down if there is loads of room in the boot, and always make sure the boot is fastened properly, at all times. Failing to do this will not only make skating harder, but may ultimately cause injury.

Once you get around to buying your first pair, you may prefer different types of boots for different reasons, particularly if you've not yet decided to pursue figure skating or ice hockey specifically:

• You'll find that figure skates are 'softer', made from leathers and soft plastics, allowing some flexibility, whereas hockey skates are formed hard plastic (similar, but better than hire skates) providing more support and protection. Boots often come with a stiffness rating, with Figure skates ranging from 10 to 95, and hockey skates over 100.
• Both figure and hockey have different fits; both should prevent your foot from moving around inside the boot (if fitted properly - see above), but hockey skates will often have more room in the toe box and often also around the top line above the ankle
• Figure blades have a curvier profile, hockey blades can be thought of as "flatter" in the centre, which can provide stability benefits for starting. Figure blades will be a 7 foot or 8 foot radius "rocker", while hockey skates have a 10 or 11 foot radius at the mid-point.

Once you have an idea of what style of boot to buy, the next question is what level of skate you wish to buy.

Skates come in a variety of levels (with higher levels being more expensive) - but don't be fooled into thinking that as a beginner you must buy expensive boots. In fact, buying expensive boots may be a waste of money. Until you've tried some skates and progressed, there's a good chance that your first pair of skates will simply not suit you - either due to foot shape, padding, heel height, or other aspects of the boot. It's a really good idea to try some out - and Rich@TheRink provide a "Learn to Skate Hire" service for this purpose. Please contact to find out more.

If all you need to do is skate in circles on a public session, recreational skates are fine. If you're learning to skate, you should be looking to get boots that match your level (and if you're learning in hockey skates, a cheaper pair is generally ok).

Recreational and Beginner skates range in price up to about £200. Beyond this price you're paying for added features that you may not need to start.