Skate Boots: The Basics
The most important part of your inline skates, from a comfort standpoint, is the boot. The boot of your skate is what holds your foot in place, which ultimately determines how much you will like inline skating. If your feet are feeling good in your skates, you probably have a good boot, and probably like inline skating. On the flip side, if your feet are aching or hurting after each skate session, you probably don’t have a decent boot on your skates, and you will likely end up tossing them in the garage, attic, closet, or other area that is prone for dust collection. This isn’t exactly what you want to do with brand new skates…you may as well take the money you spent and shove it down your garbage disposal. To avoid such calamity, it is best to understand the components of a solid inline skate boot. If you do so, you can be assured that you won’t be throwing your money away…plus your feet will feel good too!
Inline skate boots literally consist of everything from the frame up. This includes the shell, the liner, and also the closure mechanism. To better understand this, review the illustration below.
Skate Boots: Soft Shell
If you’ve perused through our Inline Skate Timeline then you know that inline skates have come a long way as far as design is concerned. Even if you haven’t read through this section, you probably have a good idea of the progression of inline skate design. When inline skating first started to gain popularity in the mid-to-late 1980s, inline skate boots were made of hard plastic shells with foam liner inserts (think ski boot). This design, better known as hard shell skates, was uncomfortable but it got the job done. In today’s skating world, nearly all inline skates are manufactured with a soft shell. The introduction of this concept occurred in 1995, with skate manufacturer K2 developing the first soft boot skates. The concept was a revolutionary one and changed the landscape of the skating world. The few exceptions that exist in the market today are in the aggressive skate market and some entry-level children’s skates.
The idea of the soft boot design was to provide a soft, comfortable feel, with durable materials and plastic reinforcements for high-wearing areas (e.g. base of the boot or the toe of the boot). A typical soft shell boot will have a plastic or carbon skeleton, better known as the cuff. This cuff goes along the back and under the skate liner to provide necessary support and rigidity. Without this cuff, it would be impossible for a skater to lean back, lead sideways, or even apply the brake. Last time we checked, these were some important elements of inline skating.
To illustrate the differences in hard shell boots and soft shell boots, review the images below:
The introduction of soft shell boots has provided a number of significant advantages. First, it has enhanced the level of comfort that exists when inline skating. Think about this in terms of your shoes. Would you rather wear a pair of shoes made of plastic or leather/mesh? Odds are you’d prefer the latter.
Secondly, soft shell boots allow your feet to remain much cooler. This advantage follows in close line with the comfort level previously described. The fabrics that are used are more breathable than plastic counterparts. This prevents excessive sweating of your feet in your skates because they are more breathable.
Finally, soft shell boots have helped reduce the overall weight of skates. Along with advances in the skate frame, soft shell boot design has helped pave the way for lighter skates. Ultimately this allows you to better enjoy your skating experience, as well as skate longer distances without becoming as fatigued. With all of this, you should be very thankful that you’re skating with the products of today, as opposed to those of the 1980s and 1990s.
Skate Boots: Liners
The liner of your skate is the actual piece that you put your foot in. Typically this piece is removable and will look similar in shape to the image provided below.
Skate liners are available in a number of fabrics, stitchings, and types. Among the possible fabric options you will find are neoprene, mesh, vinyl, and leather. Different fabrics are utilized in different areas of a liner to add support, make a liner durable and breathable, and also to allow for easy entry and exit. A decent liner will utilize different materials, whereas a basic liner may only utilize one or two materials. Stitching is also an important aspect of your liner because it is the proverbial glue that holds it together. Basic liners will likely only use single stitching (some may use double). Better liners will more than likely always utilize the more durable method of double stitching. This is done to increase durability and longevity of the liner
In addition to fabrics and stitching, liners are also available in various types. The following is a list of liner types, ranked from good to best:
· Standard – Constructed of foam materials and offers basic comfort and padding for your feet. Lack any special or customization features.
· Auto-Fit – Typically utilize gels of pads that will contour automatically to your feet each time you wear your skates. Provides extra support and more comfort than standard liners.
· Memory Fit – Similar to the gel/pad style of Auto-Fit liners. The difference exists with the liners ability to remember your foot patter and contour to it. As time goes on, the gels and pads will continue to shape to your feet as you wear them.
· Heat Moldable – The best option line available. Liners are removed and heated (do not attempt at home, seek a skate shop professional). Once heated, the warm liners are placed on your feet. The liner material will contour to your foot as it cools and begins to re-harden. Once cooling is completed, your skates are now custom-fit to your feet.
Skate Boots: Cuffs
Boot cuffs will be present on an inline skate in the form of a hard plastic or carbon skeleton. Boot cuffs extend up the back of the skate boot and around the top. Below is an image to help better demonstrate this description.
Inline skate boot cuffs are designed primarily to provide support around your ankles for lateral movement. Additionally, cuffs allow the skate to flex forward comfortably, yet remain stiff when leaning laterally or backward.
Similar to how a carbon frame instead of a plastic frame on inline skates for performance purposes, so are carbon cuffs. Carbon cuffs are lighter and stiffer, thereby providing a higher level of performance. Reasons for a lighter cuff are because it reduces the overall weight of the skate. A lighter skate weight means a faster skate, a more maneuverable skate, and a more efficient skate. Furthermore, a stiffer cuff is more preferable because it offers a more direct transfer of motion. Basically this means that a carbon cuff will turn faster and with less effort.
If you’re interested in a racing style skate, keep in mind that the cuffs will be much lower than a recreational or fitness skate. This difference exists because a racing skate needs far less lateral movement. A taller cuff would add unnecessary weight to a racing skate. Most skating done by racers is in a straight line and a cuff for quick and frequent turning is not needed. As a comparison to the cuffs pictured previously, here is an image of a cuff on a racing skate.
Skate Boots: Closure Systems
Just as inline skates have evolved through the years, so have the closure systems used to secure them to your feet. Skates available on the market today offer a variety of closure systems, and often utilizing more than one. Closure systems that you will typically find are:
· Standard Lacing – Originally the only form of a closure system, standard lacing systems are generally never used as the sole means for a closure system. Instead, they are frequently partnered with ratchet buckles and/or Velcro straps.
· Ratchet Buckles – At one time, this was a two- or three-buckle closure system replaced lacing systems as the sole system on inline skates. It is still a method used on its own for some skates, but is typically represented as one ratchet buckle in accordance with a lacing system.
· Velcro Straps/Power Straps – Rarely, if ever used as the only means of skate closure, Velcro Straps/Power Straps are used in tandem with the aforementioned standard lacing and ratchet buckle systems. They help to keep your heel positioned correctly.
· Power Assisted (also known as Quick Lace) – Power Assisted closure systems are very convenient. They allow for easy-on, easy-off skating and are a great time saver. They are often present on skates with a single ratchet buckle as well.
To give you better idea of what each of these closure types looks like we have provided the following images as visualization:
Skate Boots: Roller Hockey
Roller hockey skate boots are quite different than those you find on recreational, fitness, and speed skates. Boots are typically constructed of a combination of stiff leather, vinyl, and plastic, and they are reinforced internally so an external cuff is not required. Furthermore, roller hockey skates also lack an internal liner, designed to mimic ice hockey boots. To give you an idea of the visual difference of a typical inline skate and a roller hockey skate, here is an image for comparison:
One of the significant differences between inline skate boots and roller hockey skate boots is the comfort level when worn for the first time. Inline skate boots will typically feel comfortable, with a short window required for a break-in period. Roller hockey boots on the other hand are at the opposite end of the spectrum. When first worn, roller hockey boots are uncomfortable and stiff. We tell you this for two reasons. One, so that you will not be surprised and think there is something wrong with your skates, and two, so that you do not throw in the towel on your roller hockey skates immediately.
Also, it is important to understand that the better the skate, the better the materials, and the stiff the skate will be initially. Most hockey skates will have gels and padding embedded in the construction of the boot. This will help to soften some of the blow in the beginning. Over time, your skates will become increasingly comfortable as they break-in. The length of break in depends on how often and how frequently and how long you skate in them each time. The longer and more frequently you skate in them, the faster they will soften up and begin to feel comfortable.
One way to bypass a large portion of the break-in period is to purchase skates that are heat moldable. A heat moldable skate allows for the skate to be heated. Once heated, the boot can be placed on your foot. As it cools, the boot will re-harden to the exact contour and shape of your foot. Once completely cooled, you will have a custom fit and a softer boot. This will greatly increase the comfort and performance of your skates. This feature is typically found on higher-end hockey skates, but is worth the extra dollars to reduce the pain. All that we ask is that you do not attempt to perform heat molding yourself. Please take them to your local skate shop or skating rink to have it performed professionally.
If you have heat moldable skates, the information presented previously is a great way to go about breaking-in your skates. If do not have skates that allow for this, the following tips are additional ways to break-in your skates quickly:
- Do not wear thick socks (wool or other) as a longer, wider skate will be needed and the proper fit will not be achieved. A white cotton sock is ideal.
- If necessary, have pressure points, especially around the ankle area, ‘punched out’. Your skate dealer or local orthopedic shop could help you with this.
- Skate! Skate! Skate! The more you skate, and the longer you do, the faster they will break in. It may be painful at first, but it will be worth it to achieve the feel you desire.
Skate Boots: Roller Hockey Closure Systems
Unlike recreational, fitness, or racing skates, roller hockey skates use a traditional lacing system, commonly found on ice hockey skates. The reason for this is two-fold. First, the traditional lacing system will give you the closest, tightest fit. This will increase the ankle support that is necessary for the sport of roller hockey. Second, roller hockey is an aggressive, physical sport. If there is anything protruding out (e.g. a ratchet buckle), it will more than likely break off. As a result, traditional lacing systems are the sole means of closure on roller hockey skates.
Skate Boots: Aggressive Skate Shells
Aggressive skate boots are the proverbial “Final Frontier” for hard shell skate boots. Hard shell skate boots have managed to stick around by way of the aggressive skate for several reasons. First, aggressive skates need to be durable. Day-in and day-out, aggressive skates take a beating and thus their construction needs to be somewhat “tank-like.” They need to withstand crashes, falls, and tumbles that even the most experienced aggressive skater will have. If you’re unfamiliar of just how an aggressive skate compares to a recreational or fitness skate, here is a visual comparison:
Although some aggressive skate boots may have a cloth or vinyl covering, possibly even be a soft boot construction, most are made from a hard plastic mold, or have an underlying plastic shell underneath. This shell is built with durability in mind, with different plastic reinforcements being placed in different areas that allow for a variety of grinds to be made. An aggressive skate boot itself is designed to hang horizontally out over the chassis than a recreational boot. This extra ledge is used to grind as well, typically on a rail. This area is more commonly known as the Soulplate. In addition to the Soulplate, aggressive skates have additional plates, reinforcements, and parts that exist which are not found on recreational skates. The following is an illustration of those additional parts:
Most aggressive skate shells are made from hard plastic molds. Although some may have a cloth or vinyl covering or even be a soft boot, most have a shell underneath that is plastic. The shells are built for durability. The boots have different plastic reinforcements in different areas for different types of grinds as well. The aggressive boot itself hangs much farther over the chassis horizontally than a recreational boot. This is to give a ledge that can be used for grinding on rails. This is called the soul plate. Here is an illustration of all the different plates and reinforcements and parts of an aggressive boot:
Unlike the design of a recreational skate boot, an aggressive skate boot design places little emphasis on breathability of the shell. Despite a lack of breathability, nicer aggressive skates will be lighter, which will hopefully reduce the amount of sweat your feet produce. If not, the use of better materials should at least allow for increased maneuverability the ability to be more agile while in the air or on the ground.
Skate Boots: Aggressive Skate Liners
An aggressive skate liner is completely removable from the shell. Liners will vary from skate to skate, having a number of fabrics, stitchings, and types. Liner fabrics that are likely to present in an aggressive skate are neoprene, mesh, vinyl, and leather. It is not uncommon to have a liner that is constructed of a number of different fabrics, as different fabrics are used in different areas in order to add support, make the skate more breathable, increase ease of entry, and enhance the overall durability of the skate. Liners that use a number of fabrics are typically found on higher-end skates, with less expensive skates using only one or two fabrics.
In addition to the liner fabric, stitching is very important on aggressive skate liners because it is what holds the liner together. Depending on the quality of the liner, some will use single stitching while others will utilize double stitching. High-end skate liners are more apt to use double stitching to increase durability.
In addition to fabrics and stitching, liners are also available in various types. The following is a list of liner types, ranked from good to best:
· Standard – Constructed of foam materials and offers basic comfort and padding for your feet. Lack any special or customization features.
· Auto-Fit – Typically utilize gels of pads that will contour automatically to your feet each time you wear your skates. Provides extra support and more comfort than standard liners.
· Memory Fit – Similar to the gel/pad style of Auto-Fit liners. The difference exists with the liners ability to remember your foot patter and contour to it. As time goes on, the gels and pads will continue to shape to your feet as you wear them.
Unlike recreational skates, aggressive skates do not feature heat-moldable liners. However, due to the increased skate jarring that aggressive skates must deal with, impact absorption is an extra chore that aggressive skate liners must deal with. To combat this, most aggressive skate liner will come with a variation of impact absorption padding, such as a cushion in the heel in the form of a gel, foam, or other type of material. Falling out of the air and hitting pavement creates a lot of pressure that requires shock absorption; this will help to ease the impact.
Skate Boots: Aggressive Skate Closure Systems
When it comes to aggressive skate closure systems, there are typically only two closure methods that are utilized: standard lace and ratchet buckle. Lace and buckle closures are almost always used in conjunction with one another.
· Standard Lacing – Aggressive skates will almost never solely use a lace closure system. The reason for this is because lace closures provide a custom fit, yet they lack the ability to provide tightly adequate closure for the entire skate.
· Ratchet Buckles – A ratchet buckle is permanently attached to the boot of each aggressive skate and can be tightened to provide a comfortable yet tight closure.
In addition, many aggressive skates will also feature a Velcro Strap, also referred to as a Power Strap. Power Straps are used in tandem with the aforementioned standard lacing and ratchet buckle systems for the purpose of keeping your heel positioned correctly while skating. This reduces the chance that your foot will rub the inside of the skate, which could create discomfort.
