Ice skates consist of a boot and a blade. Typically when you buy beginner or intermediate ice skates you will buy them pre-attached (and often without the ability to seperate them).
Boots are designed for the type of activity you'll be doing, but principally offer support to your ankle, particularly in the early days of skating before you've built up muscles around your ankle through skating.
There are countless ways to make a blade, but for the beginner you only need to worry about the two main types of blade:
Scroll down to learn more about theses different types.
When you go ice skating you'll often have to rent a pair of skates to start. Some ice rinks will only have one type of blade, and one type of boot, but feel free to ask them if they have any other types.
The main issue with hire skates is how 'average' they are. Every pair of boots is moulded in the same way, designed for 'most' people. They are often extremely hard plastic, with little padding, making them feel uncomfortable if worn for long periods of time - but don't worry! You can get a good session in at the ice rink on hire skates just fine, until you decide to step up your ice skating activities to the next level. If you're particularly worried about how the boots feel, contact your local ice arena to find out if you can simply try some on before buying a ticket - you never know, some may allow it!
Once you're handed the skates, don't run your hand across/along the blade. While it's not easily possible for skates to cut you when maintained well, blade defects outside of the control of the ice arena, such as nicks in the metal caused when someone walks in the skates on concrete, or blade clashes on the ice, may. Turn the boot over and look at the blade. Rusting is fairly normal with hire skates, so don't worry too much about that as it's unlikely to impact the skate unless very bade, but observe the two edges of the blade - they should look crisp and sharp. If the blade is noticably rounded on the edges, ask the staff at the ice arena to check them for sharpness. You want a nice, sharp pair to make your first excursion onto the ice as easy as possible.
Do I need thick socks for hire skates? That's entirely your choice. Some people find the hire skates more comfortable with thicker socks (and of course, they'll keep your feet warmer), and some prefer thinner socks. The most important thing is the boot should firmly support your ankle.
Before you buy your first pair, the most important decision is: What type of blade do I need? What sort of skating will I be doing? You could even try the different styles to see which feels more natural to you.
Wait! You're about to enter the world of a highly technical sport, and it's best to get one or two things sorted first:
If you're looking to skate recreationally and only occasionally, skip the mumbo-jumbo... buy a cheap pair of skates of a style that suits you, and see whether they're right for you. You might need to try several pairs before you find skates that you like.
It's worth noting that many online shops will not allow you to return skates once sharpened or 'baked' (moulded to the shape of your feet), so ensure that you either visit a shop to try skates on, or buy skates online without sharpening to try them on at home, and if they're not right you've saved yourself from an unnecessary purcahse.
Here are our top tips for buying skates:
Your skates become part of your skating journey. It's not true that every pair of boots is the same, and you will learn to skate better with skates that are developed for your style of skating. Speak to a skate technician; they will be able to advise you on improvements you could make, to make your skating journey faster and more pleasurable.