When I started this blog, my aim was to help you correct the myths associated with skating and eventually help you reach this decision: ‘I want to give skate a try’. So far, have I been able to make you see skating in a new light? Do you now see past that riskiness you imagined around skate to a sport you can actually try? Remember, skating is not only for the fun of it, there are also healthy benefits to skating. Check my last update; I explained in detail how skate helps you live a healthy lifestyle. Before you consider skating, you need to have a goal in mind; that’s what motivates you as you progress in your training.

Now, is your mind made up? Or are you still considering it? Wherever you fall, when the time comes for you to want a piece of the action too, these questions will pop up: where do I go? What kind of skate should I buy? How much will it cost me? What's the best skate out there? With this update, you will be armed with information about inline skates, what features to look out for when getting one and what each features means to you when skating. Although, this is not the final work on all skating shopping issues, hopefully it’ll help shed some light on those questions. Note; any specific products shown are just examples.

Buying your First Skate.
The best skate to buy will depend on the kind of skating you want to do, and the amount of money you’re willing to spend. Inline skates can be generally organized into the following categories;

Aggressive Skates
Aggressive skates are tough, durable skates made of thick plastic. They have small wheels for maneuverability and grind plates to protect the boots when you perform aggressive stunts.

Artistic Skates
The skates most commonly used for figure skating and dancing have boots similar to ice skating boots and small wheels for maneuverability. The newest artistic skates have only three wheels, and the front and back wheels are a different hardness than the middle wheel. This allows smoother turns and spinning, and gives the skates the feel of a rockered skate or an ice skate.
















Fitness and Recreational Skates
Basic recreational skates have four wheels and plenty of ankle support. They are usually made of hard plastic. If you decide to purchase one of the new soft-boot skates, make sure the one you select has a plastic cuff or some other device to provide good ankle support. Recreational skates used for fitness and long-distance skating have larger wheels (80 mm), a slightly lower cuff, and extra comfort features. Recreational skates used for down-hill skating have a high cuff made of hard plastic, to provide the extra ankle support needed for skating down long, steep hills.























Hockey Skates
Hockey skates are made of leather and they have small wheels for maneuverability. They close with laces for a tight fit, and they are manufactured to support the agility requirements of roller hockey.





















Speed Skates
True speedskates are very light weight and they have a low-cut leather boot with no ankle support. They have a long wheel base and 5 large wheels for extra speed. They are not suitable for beginners because they have no brake, and the long wheel base makes it difficult to turn and do other basic maneuvers.


















Note that you are not limited to a particular type of skating cause of the skate you buy. But this is applicable to the Aggressive skates, the Recreational skates and the Artistic skate, the three are categorised as Multi-Purpose Skates. Skaters in Nigeria just use any kind of skate. As you hone your skills you tend to see what skates works best for you. But if you aren’t sure on what type of skating you’ll be doing, you should probably just go for a comfortable, recreational skate. Usually, in Nigeria, most of the good skates you can find around are high quality used skates. Some of the new ones are not as strong and some of the cheap ones are not comfortable too.

When buying a skate, what’s important to me? Quality, Speed and Price. Know this: the more you spend on skates the less it’ll cost you in the long run. On a good day, you will get a high-end quality skate for N8,000. On other days, they could be N12,000. If you have a friend who wants to sell his or hers own off, you can bargain for between N5,000 and N6,000. Spending this much is on the condition that you will be using your skates regularly. But if you are just going to buy it, use it once and dump it, you might just save the stress and buy the plastic ones.

Hope you can talk about Skates when next anybody asks you? And if this update gingers you enough to want to give skating a try, do me a favor and wear your helmet, learn to brake, and skate under control. Or better still get in touch with a coach. If you want more info on where to buy skates or need a coach, do give me a call on 08058378578 or 08098378578.