Professional figure skating skates offer maximum protection at minimum weight. Expensive composite materials are used for manufacturing. An anatomically calibrated shape is made with thermoforming (fitting on the leg when heated), and the blades are made from steel. Amateur female figure skates will be simpler, but the requirements for them are lower: with their help, they perform simple exercises and single jumps. Plastic is used to protect the legs.
How to choose adult and children’s skates for figure skating?
If you plan to occasionally go on the ice “for the soul”, then an inexpensive model will suffice. Try the skates on with the thickness of the sock in which it will be convenient for you to ride. There are several options for beginner skaters:
- the smallest – up to 3-4 years old – are trained on skates with two blades to give greater stability;
- older children are suitable for sliding models that allow you to vary the size of the shoes, adjusting to the rapid growth of foot size;
- plastic ones are cheap, and although they fixate the leg quite rigidly, it is difficult to perform exercises in them;
- leather and leatherette – the best solution for any age and gender.
Which skates are better – sliding or figured – it is worth deciding only on the basis of the purposes for which you purchase them. If a child goes with you to the nearest park a couple of times a season just to enjoy the winter activity, then it is better for you to buy sliding ones so as not to purchase a new model every year. But for those who plan to engage in this sport professionally, it is better to immediately select good options to ensure maximum leg comfort and simplify the implementation of complex (and not so) elements.
Important: the boot should sit tightly on the leg, but so that you can bend the leg at the knee and ankle, otherwise it will be difficult to master even the basic elements.
The main difference between professional and amateur figure skates models is the blades. The first option is slightly wider than the second one(4 mm versus 3 mm). Lightweight blades are designed to give the beginner skater a better feel for the edge-to-edge transition along the blade. The quality of the steel is the second critical difference. The better it is, the less sharpening will be needed.
The third aspect is the shape of the blade itself. There are practically no notches in walking shoes, so jumps, steps and rotations are difficult to perform. When switching from an amateur version to a professional one, you will have to get used to it for a long time, therefore, if you want your child to take sports seriously, choose professional figure skates.
Top figure skates for kids and adults
Among the skates highly appreciated by children and their parents, the following stand out:
- Wifa Prima Set are among the most expensive ones, but they are the most convenient. You can find even the smallest size 23. Ideal for first time on the ice. Offered in many colours: white, blue, pink, and black.
- Graf Topas and Ace are great for kids. Graf naturally enters the rating of figure skates every year due to the use of real leather; in Ace, the sole is made from it. Topaz is softer and Ace is harder.
- If you need something simpler, then look at Elie or Ariste from Jackson. They have a plastic sole. There are options made from more modern materials.
Unlike children’s skates, adult models are more rigid simply because of the weight: the materials will not be durable and will crumble (especially for men). If you want to find the best figure skates for adults, take a look at a number of manufacturers: they have many interesting offers that differ in design, stiffness, shape, and blade.
- Graf is a Swiss company that produces a variety of equipment for this sport. The main load falls on the blade, so the company pays a lot of attention to this element.
- Jackson Ultima is a Canadian firm with a long history of quality and consumer confidence in the North American market.
- The Austrian Wifa is not far behind the American “colleagues”. Yes, its price tag is not the lowest, but it speaks in favour of the fact that each product is made by hand, including children’s models.
- Italy is famous for its exquisite shoes, so they could not miss such a chance. It is not surprising that the Edea S.L.R. factory has entered the list of the best skate companies for figure skating, where production meets all the requirements for comfort, convenience, ventilation, and safety required for such products in professional sports.
Correct lacing of figure skates is also important: it reduces the risk of injury. Lacing must be done before the covers are removed from the blades. For a better fit, start tightening the laces from outside to inside, loosening up to the third hook, i.e. leg bends. How to determine that you did everything right? Stand up and sit back down: your fingers should only lightly touch the toe of the boot.
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