Which skates are best for beginner children? How to choose figure skates Children's skates which are better to choose

Sport is of great importance in the proper development of a child. Children who play sports feel much more confident in society and are stronger and healthier. An excellent option in this area is. But before you take your child to his first training session, you should find out how to choose the right skates for him.

Types of children's skates

You should base your choice on the basic abilities of your child and the sport that interests him. There are only five main types of children's skates; let's look at them separately.

• Training (children's) skates are equipped with two runners, which will give stability on ice to beginning athletes.
• Figure skates for children are the most common; they are most often used at skating rinks.
• Children's hockey skates speak about themselves by their name. They have rigid foot support, which eliminates foot injuries.
• Cross-country skates are the least used for children. They are designed to develop high speed on sloping or flat ice.
• Walking skates are just as popular as figure skates; they are stable, comfortable and safe.

It should be noted that a child should start with training skates, and only when he can confidently stand on the ice should he purchase a model with one blade. Skates for children who are starting to master the skating rink are very stable, so the child will feel very confident in them on the ice. This is very important at the initial stage of learning, because a child on such skates will fall much less often. This means that he will not be afraid to take the steps necessary to master new material.

When buying skates for your little one, pay attention to the quality of the materials from which they are made. Those skates that give the impression of being cheap should be put aside immediately, because it’s not about the price, but about the safety of your child.

The boot itself can be made of either artificial leather or genuine leather. The main thing is the quality of finishing; the boot must have removable insoles. It is desirable that the material from which they are made is quick-drying. The tongue of the boot must have special recesses that allow the laces to pass through. This way, it will always be in the center, the lacing of the boot itself will be more rigid, and therefore safer.

It is preferable to choose a skate blade from steel that has undergone a hardening process. They can be identified by the matte shine of the blades. These skates do not need to be sharpened often and they glide perfectly on the ice.

The ankle is the most important part of a good skate. Its design allows you to securely fix the foot, preventing all kinds of dislocations.

But this is not all that concerns the question of how to choose the right skates for a child. It is equally important to know how to correctly determine the size of skates for your child.

Sizing children's skates

Whatever kind of skates you want to choose for your child, you should take into account that their size should be slightly larger than what the child wears today. If the child trains regularly and there is a need to constantly change skates, then buying sliding skates for children would be a great option. Their toe is pushed forward, which allows you to increase the size by several centimeters. It’s not worth buying skates “for growth”, because they cannot evenly distribute the load on the foot. Trying on skates should be done in thin woolen socks, in which the baby will skate in the future.

At what age should a child start skating is an individual choice for each parent, but the main thing to remember is, do not skimp on buying skates, because we are talking about the safety and pleasure of your child!

Winter sports are very popular in Russia for family holidays. Boys love to play hockey, girls dream of becoming famous figure skaters. You can start riding at the age of 3–4 years. We’ll tell you in more detail about which skates are best for beginner children to buy, and what nuances to pay close attention to.

From this article you will learn

Types of skates

Which skates do you choose?

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When choosing skates for children aged 3 years and older, focus on the main characteristics and differences between types of sports shoes. Consider the purpose of use, the age of the child and the level of mastery of the skating skill. (Important! You can scroll the table left and right)

When selecting skates for beginner athletes and future skating fans, start by getting acquainted with tips from professionals (coaches and skaters):

1. Choose models with removable insoles. They can be taken out and dried after riding.
2. Plastic and rubber soles are more durable than leather ones.
3. In skates with a polyurethane mesh inside, the feet do not sweat.
4. High-quality ski shoes have special inserts for fixing the ankle.
5. Strong seams and secure blade fastenings increase the service life of the skates. In such models, the child will be able to ride for two seasons until the leg grows.
6. Playing hockey requires two to three pairs of ice shoes for one season.
7. In the store, ask your child to stand up and close their skate-shod feet. Let him move his fingers. They should move in a slight constraint, barely touching the inside. If your fingers get in the way or move too freely, choose a different size.
8. In a properly selected ice skating boot, the heel stays in place and does not move out when walking.
9. When purchasing new skates for an adult, examine an old pair. She will point out the features of the foot in erased places.
10. If you plan to ride outside in severe frost, buy a frost-resistant model (TUUK Lightspeed) or insert an insulated insole.

Which material is better to choose

Particular attention should be paid to the material from which the boot and blades are made:

• For beginners in amateur skating, a sense of support is important. Plastic models with a rigid shape fix the leg firmly. But not suitable for figure skating.
• Choose the leather version for professional skaters or those who know how to skate well.
• Consider the characteristics of the material. Genuine leather breathes and allows air to pass through. In such boots, the foot does not sweat, but may freeze. It's hot in plastic feet, so it's better not to choose it for daily use.
• The cheap version made from leather substitute wears out quickly and does not breathe. Buy such models for rare trips to the ice palace, for adults.
• The ideal blade material is hardened steel. It is durable, can withstand heavy loads, wears out and becomes dull less often than chrome and nickel plated.

How to choose the size

The most important question that parents have is how to choose the size of figure skates for a child for amateur ice skating. This is an important parameter. If you choose the wrong size, the baby will quickly get tired, overload his legs, and will often fall and get injured.

We answer in order. It is better to buy skates for a child together with the future star of the skating rink. Be sure to try on your boots, lace them carefully, and walk around the store with your shoes on. When choosing a size, consider the following:

1. The child should feel comfortable while wearing the boot. The discomfort from the protruding parts and the feeling of stiffness in the legs will not go away on the ice. A child will not be able to ride in uncomfortable models.
2. After trying it on and walking through the store, stick your finger inside the heel. If the index finger fits between the back of the shoe and the child’s foot with difficulty, the size is correct. If there is too much space left, then the model is too large, take one size smaller.
3. You should try on skates in a store with a warm sock on and after your feet have warmed up from the cold. This way the child will understand exactly whether he is comfortable or not.
4. Buy free models. One or two pairs of warm socks are worn under the skating boot at the skating rink. They fit into the skates freely not only in the foot area, but also along the shaft.
5. For children, purchase runners one or two sizes larger for amateur skating, and for small figure skaters and hockey players, purchase one size larger. If the skates are too tight, especially in the toe box, the child will chafe his foot. If you choose a large shoe, the risk of falls and injuries increases.
6. To accurately select the size for children from 3 to 5 years old, use the table of sports shoes for ice from Russian and foreign manufacturers (Important! You can scroll the table right and left):

You can buy skates without a child if you are choosing a gift for the New Year or birthday. To do this, you will have to measure your foot and add another 1–1.5 centimeters to the length. This will be the ideal size. Or buy one or two sizes larger than your regular winter boots. But in this case the probability of error is very high.

Important! For little skaters, buy inexpensive sliding models of their first skates. They are used for two to three years, adjusting the size of the boot according to the length of the growing foot.

How to choose hockey skates

Hockey equipment is classified as professional equipment. Choose it carefully, paying attention to the material, size, workmanship, and brand.

First, decide on your purchase budget and manufacturer. The top rating of the best skates for hockey, according to little athletes and their parents, will help. (Important! You can scroll the table left and right)

When you have decided on a company, you should carefully inspect the skate. High-quality hockey shoes meet the following requirements:

• Medium hardness of the material for little athletes, hard inserts for experienced hockey players.
• Strong clamps for precise ankle fixation.
• The blades are sharpened with an arc, without serrations.
• There is no additional boot adjustment.

Watch a useful video on this topic:

How to choose figure skating skates

Ice dancing requires ease and freedom of movement. Good quality shoes have the following characteristics:

• A child can easily stand on his toes in skates, spin, and jump.
• A small heel allows the foot not to get tired.
• High-quality lacing holds the boots firmly on the foot and secures the ankle.
• Sports shoes with anatomical inserts and insoles take the shape of a child’s foot.

Several well-known companies produce high-quality figure skating models. An overview of the most popular of them is presented below.

In this video, the trainer explains how to choose the right skates for figure skaters. Look:

How to choose the right shoe for figure skates

• For beginner skaters, choose medium-hard models with leather lining inside.
• Lacing with rivets keeps the legs in the correct position when skating and simplifies the process of putting on equipment.
• The top of children's ice skating shoes should be made of genuine leather to prevent their feet from sweating.
• The plastic sole of the shoe freezes quickly; it is better to take one with a leather base.

What should the blade be like?

• For small skaters, choose blades with a large curvature. They are obedient and stable.
• The thickness of the blade should not be less than 0.15 inches to begin with.
• Stability on ice depends on the length of the blade. For small athletes, take a longer one; after a couple of months, when they learn how to do figure skating elements, take a shorter one.
• Blades made of hardened steel wear out more slowly; for beginners, a stainless steel or chrome-plated version is suitable.
• Replacement blades are selected according to the size of the boot. Attach them to the front edge, if the back post is in the middle of the heel, the size is yours. If you couldn't find it, it's better to take more.

How to choose recreational skates

Shoes for a pleasant leisurely walk on the ice should be comfortable and beautiful. It is not necessary to buy it in a store for a lot of money. Look at the ads on Avito. Ordering at a discount online or renting it is also a good option to get out of the situation.

Walking skates for children have the following features:

• The material for the boots is soft and warm.
• There are no teeth on the blades.
• The shin is fixed softly.
• Classic lacing is easily adjustable in height and can be replaced when worn.
• It’s easy to move in them, your legs don’t hurt or get tired after riding.

Those who are buying equipment for a skating rink for the first time will find practical advice on how to choose skates for a child for hockey and amateur skating.

• When assessing the quality of shoes for sliding on ice, focus on the quality of the product.
• There is no need to purchase professional equipment for training. It's expensive and impractical. Find ads for used equipment on the Internet, local newspapers, and ask friends and neighbors.
• In the store, inspect the skates carefully for defects. Take out the insoles and try the sliding mechanism.
• A good hardened metal for blades is determined by its shine. If the blades have a matte shine, it means the material is of high quality; it will glide easily and wear off slowly.
• Proper skates have blades that curve upward at the heel and toe of the boot.
• In the store, trust your child’s feelings. Let him walk around and sit in his skates. Be sure to lace your shoes tightly. If there is no discomfort or complaints about inconvenience, feel free to buy.
• You cannot order skates for growth with a view to two or three years in advance. Loose shoes increase the risk of injuries and falls.
• In tight models, the leg is uncomfortable and cold on the skating rink. To avoid freezing during training, try on boots with woolen socks that you plan to wear at the skating rink.
• Teach your child to lace and tie their own skates. Tightly tightened lacing is the key to comfortable riding.

How to lace your shoes

Correct fastening and lacing technique ensure foot comfort when driving on ice and reduce the number of falls. Parents need to learn the following:

• Pull the laces tighter in the middle.
• Loosen it a little at the top and bottom so as not to squeeze the blood flow.
• After lacing, check the quality of your work: try putting your finger under the lace. If it doesn't fit through, everything is done correctly.

Watch the video, which covers these points in more detail, and also talks about which type of laces is better:

Important! Buy the right skate laces - made of nylon. They are durable and stretch well.

Skate sharpening

It is better to sharpen professional double-slide skates in special workshops. They are available in ice palaces and rental services. The peculiarity of sharpening is to form a radius on the blades under the groove of 11–15 mm. In the process of processing the runners, an external and internal edge is created, they are ground down, the skater cannot fully perform a jump, a figure, or accelerate.

On a note! It’s easy to check the quality of sharpening: if the boots are level on the surface, then a professional did the work.

Skate care

Plastic ski boots are easy to care for. Wash, if dirty, dry, store in a special bag and put protection on the blades to avoid injury. Get rid of rust immediately, try not to wet the iron parts of the skates, wipe with a soft cloth after use.

Leather boots require careful handling:

• Leatherette and natural materials cannot be dried on a radiator. Place the boots in a ventilated area and leave them in such conditions for long-term storage.
• Before putting it away in the pantry in the summer, lubricate the leather with shoe polish, Vaseline, and wrap it in newspaper.

Choose skates together with your child. After the purchase, the baby will be delighted and looking forward to his first trip to the skating rink. The correct choice of parents in the store will enhance the pleasant impressions of a family trip to the ice palace.

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In ice hockey there are no trifles - every element of equipment is important and the effectiveness of the player’s actions and the degree of his protection from damage depend on the correct choice. But, whatever one may say, the most important thing is the foundation. The basis of a hockey player's basics is skates.

Let's listen to the opinions of professionals on this matter. And to begin with, a word to the founders of hockey. (Simultaneous translation)

Now the opinion of Russian players.

A remarkable defender in the recent past, and now a hockey analyst, shares his advice - Alexander Khavanov.

I would like to immediately note that I cannot give a universal recipe that would suit everyone on how to choose skates. This process is individual, everyone is different and everyone’s legs are different. But, of course, there are a number of things that make sense to focus on when visiting a store.

Size matters
There is a rule that everyone who has ever purchased a pair of skates probably knows about. It states that skates should be half a size (in North American sizing) larger than your feet. To be honest, I would not recommend taking this advice as an absolute guide to action. The main criterion is how comfortable the foot is in the boot, and this is again determined by the preferences of each person and his habits. My skates are, as they say, tight. There are players who choose skates even smaller than their feet,
in order to then distribute them. The idea here is that the longer the blade, the less maneuverability. To increase their mobility on ice, people deliberately use smaller skates. As for children just starting to learn to skate, then, in my opinion, those parents who take skates several sizes larger to grow are wrong. This is a surefire way to ruin a child's skating.

Hard or soft
It is very important to know in advance what you want from your skates. Accordingly, the worst thing is to choose skates without knowing what you want to get from them. There are a great variety of skates on the market now, and there is plenty to choose from. But this is a difficult and responsible process in which various nuances are important. Skates come with a high and low rise, soft, hard and very hard, with a high and low heel. It's easy to get confused here. The owner of a high instep, naturally, should take skates with a high instep - everything is more or less obvious here. With rigidity, not everything is clear. On the one hand, a hard boot is better at preventing injuries. On the other hand, it does not provide the freedom of action that a soft boot provides. Therefore, professionals whose feet are ready for specific loads mainly use soft skates. A new, insufficiently prepared person, going out on the ice in these, can twist his ankle. Therefore, I would advise beginners to choose skates that are stiffer, reducing the risk of getting an unnecessary injury, as they say, out of the blue. I would not strictly differentiate between skates that are better suited for defenders and attackers. It again depends on who is comfortable with what. It is believed that they should differ in the degree of protection of the leg. Of course, everyone needs protection. But no matter how hard the boot is, a direct hit from the puck will still hurt, unless, of course, you wear skates nine sizes too big. So, I repeat, first of all you should pay attention to how well the skate fits your foot.
Three pairs per season
During a regular season, I “kill” three pairs of skates - two are enough for the regular season, one more for the playoffs. The main sign that it’s time to change your skates is that as they wear out, they no longer support your feet. Which, of course, can lead to injury. For people who do not play hockey professionally, a pair of skates, of course, will last a long time - you can skate on one for several years. But it won’t hurt to notice in time that the shoes are worn out.
Thermal molding is not a panacea
Almost all skate manufacturers are now actively using materials that allow the skates to take the shape of the player’s foot when heated. This is a useful thing. But I still think that it’s even more important to space the skates correctly so that they work like your leg, so that they, as they say, “bend” under your foot. Any person is initially uncomfortable wearing skates. And if they dynamically interact well with the foot, the discomfort is greatly reduced. On It usually takes at least a week to break in skates normally. Almost all professional skates are equipped with an anatomical felt tongue with a molded liner, an antimicrobial non-slip insole, and an improved system for fastening and adjusting the blade to the cup.

Adviсe:

1. Understand the unique structural features of your foot that may cause pressure points to form and lead to discomfort during use.

2. Study your old skates - they can tell you a lot. The wear of the insole will tell you whether the size was chosen correctly. High wear areas will indicate points of excess pressure caused by incorrect skate selection. For example, the insole in an incorrectly fitted skate has a foot print that does not reach the edge of the insole.

3. Socks. When selecting skates, wear the socks you will use when skating. It is recommended to wear thin socks, which will allow the boot to mold to your foot faster and more accurately and take the unique shape of your foot.

4. Putting on shoes. Loosen the boot laces to the third hole from the bottom. Pull out the tongue, tilt it forward and put on the boot. The foot should feel comfortable while on the insole and “fill” the shoe entirely, without leaving the instep and toe areas empty.

5. Heel. Before you lace up your boot, vigorously move your foot back in the boot. The tongue of a properly laced boot should keep the foot pushed back and not allow the foot to move or move at the heel. If the heel area of ​​the foot moves freely and is not held close to the heel of the skate, this means that you need to try on either a smaller skate or a skate that is less full.

6. Front part. Stand straight with your legs closed. In this position, the toes should only lightly touch the front inside of the boot and, when applying force, should touch more intensely, but not press or interfere.

7. First steps. Walk/sit for 10-15 minutes. This will help you once again make sure of the comfort and correct selection of the size and model of skates. If the heel does not “slide” forward in the boot or move from side to side, if the boot fits snugly but not uncomfortably on the foot, and if the toes just lightly touch the toe of the boot, this means that the size is completely correct.

Steel nuances
When sliding on ice, the blade plays the main role.
The principle of sliding of a skate is as follows: from the friction of the sharp edges of the blade, the ice underneath melts, and the skate slides along a kind of “water cushion” (that is, actually over wet ice), due to which the sliding speed greatly increases.
Before purchasing skates, pay special attention to the glass used in the design (the segment of the skate between the blade and the boot itself). His most popular model today is TUUK Custom +. It is good in all respects - except, perhaps, for one thing: in extreme cold it can crack.
If you go out on the ice in severe cold, preference should be given to a frost-resistant model - the TUUK series Lightspeed.

Hockey skate size
To understand how to choose the right skates, you need to keep in mind that hockey skates have their own sizing system, so your shoe size will not be the same size as your skates.
Each hockey equipment manufacturer provides its own sizing chart. Thanks to these tables, you can choose the right size skates by comparing your shoe size and country of residence. But do not forget that tables vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.
Let's look at how to choose skates that suit your length. Put the boot on your foot, slide your foot back so that your heel is pressed firmly against the heel of the skate. In this position, your toes should lightly touch the toe of the shoe. If your toes rest on the toe, you should take a skate size larger.
Sometimes it happens that the length of a hockey boot fits your foot perfectly, but the width is either too narrow or too wide. In this case, you need to move on to choosing skates with the same size, but a different fullness (this will be written below).
The question often arises: how to choose skates for a child? Given your foot height, it is recommended to choose skates half a size larger. A half size will be equivalent to the thickness of one finger between the heel of the boot and the heel of the foot. If you do not want to harm your child, then you should not buy skates larger than half a size. A large shoe will wobble on your foot, leading to poor balance, falls, and leg or ankle injuries.
Below we provide size correspondence tables for the most popular hockey skate manufacturers in our country.

Adults/SR

Adults/SR (continued)

Junior/JR

Baby/YTH