How to Buy a Pair of Ice Skates for Hockey

By eHow Sports & Fitness Editor

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A hockey skate is designed for stability and turning ability and to give some protection from the puck. Like any other athletic footwear, different skates will have different features.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Athletic Tapes
Hockey Skates

Step1

Understand that there are two basic types of skates available - those for figure skating and those for hockey. A hockey skate will have a smooth edge from the front of the blade to the rear. A figure skate tacks to assist in the jumps of that sport.

Step2

Think about your budget. You can expect to pay around $75 for a decent adult beginner's skate, roughly $180 to $250 for a good, competitive skate and more than $350 for a top-of-the-line competitive skate.

Step3

Note that the most important feature in a skate is ankle stability. If you are unstable, you may not be able to stand, much less skate. Choose a skate that has extra features to support your ankles.

Step4

Look for a good fit next. The highest-end skates will mold to your feet after a couple of days and harden into the shape of your ankle. This increases comfort and stability. It's customary to get a skate one size smaller than your normal shoe size to provide more support.

Step5

Tighten the laces after you put on the skate, until it almost feels too tight. The skate will loosen and adjust while you go, so an uncomfortable skate at first should be just right by the time you've warmed up.

Tips & Warnings

Use athletic tape around your upper ankles to increase stability.
Longer laces can be looped around your ankles to improve support.
If you have any condition that would impair or limit your ability to engage in physical activity, please consult a physician before attempting this activity.

Comments

canucky11 said

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on 2/2/2007 hey zhiheng i think the reason ur skate feels wobly is because ur skate is to wide , go to a sports store and see if someone can help u

canucky11 said

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on 2/2/2007 Zhiheng i think the reason u do not have enough ankle support and your foot is moving side to side in ur skate is because ur skate is to wide.

zhiheng said

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on 11/20/2006 ankle flex?
I am a long time skier but just started skating. I don't understand why most of the hockey skates out there have such low boots on the sides, while have a high plate at the back which is totally useless. Are hockey players supposed to be able to move their legs left and right w.r.t. the skate (does ankle flex refer to this?) I can't believe it if it is so!
No matter how tight I tighten up the laces of my new skate (rbk 7k) after skating for a while the skate starts to wobble left and right. In fact I had to tighten the laces at the top so much that after 2 hours' skating I got bruises on my leg where it touches the side rim of the skate. No ski boot would have such a low side support and you can never move the leg right and left without moving the boots with your leg. That's how one can ski to begin with. Why is hockey skate different, other than that because low boots is considered stylish?

Anonymous said

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on 8/21/2006 Laces around the ankles will constrict movement and can cause damage to the skates and also yourself. As for tape, I tend to use sock tape (the clear tape) which can stretch allowing enough flex for a normal stride but still provide some support. Do not use any tape that does not have any flex (such as hockey tape) since that will simply restrict movement.