How to choose figure skates
How to choose women´s figure skates? Let´s take a look how to choose women´s ice skates. Women´s classic we don´t need to introduce, taller shoe on heel and classic long knife with teeth.
How to recognise quality figure skates:
1) Quality of upper material - PVC has other characteristics then polyurethan or real beef skin. Material has main influence for quality of skate.
2) Quality of padding - cheap skates of chain type don´t have padding practically at all, when skate is more expensive then padding is stronger, more quality and better shaped. Influence on confort is of course essential.
3) Solidness of shoe- all quality skates have some level of reinforcement. When the skate is more expensive, then is more reinforced and more solid. Then you feel in skates more stabile and maneuverability is better. Figure skaters need solid shoe because of often jumps and falls much more. Focus at the choice of skates and follow the difference with rising price.
4) Tongue - quality tongue is good padded and preshaped. At cheap skates you will not find anything like this.
5) Quality of the heel - lower part of shoe solve more active figure skaters. You can take care of solidness, weight, shape or thickness, which has infulence to height of center of gravity. For recreational skating watch at least for reasonable solidness and endurance.
6) Knife - without it it wouldn´t be possible. It varies of course in quality of used steel, base is stainless steel and with suficient solidness. More expensive skates then have knifes from more solid and more noble steel, they are more durable, last longer sharpened and have higher solidnes and longevity. Another allocation of knifes according to specific parameters then again we leave to racing figure skaters.
7) Cut of the skate - skates must to fit, some models are more wide, other then too narrow. Some skates are more higher, others are in part of calf more cut. Cut is connected also with focusing on particular skates. Racing or sport skates will be often more lower or more cut than skates intended for recreational skating which is according to that on sport skating is needed range of bend for riding to front and back and also maximal stability at jumps.
Other parameters as anti-shock adjusments, using of carbon or fiber glasses, different kinds of heels, curve of knife etc. we will not go to the details, we are focusing on basic orientation for recreational skaters. Similar details will solve more professional skaters :)
Our experiences:
In the past skates were made only from beef skin. Today however skates from real beef skin you will find much harder and if, then it is more expensive model, at which prices begin mostly at 2000 Kč, so on recreational skating is used PVC or PU (polyurethan). Both materials for recreational skating are ok, but always pay attention on above mentioned parameters, which make the whole quality of skate. Except of material is also important the level of reinforcement , quality of padding, cut of shoe etc., upper material itself doesn´t need to be the guarantee of quality, always it is connection of all upper mentioned parameters, which make quality of skates as the whole.
Between well padded and reinforced shoe and cheap soft figure skate withouth reinforcement is often the difference few hundreds, but the difference in comfort, stability and maneuverability is striking. Resulting quality is having influence not only to how you feel in skates, but also how you look in skates.
Also think with the fact the most figure skaters have skates really long time and it is not the matter of two or three seasons, thought the winter season is relatively short in here. Consider then, how long will skates last for you and consider this at the choice. Quality figure skates will last for you many years and it is not good to save the money. We often meet with that the skates are inherited and it is normal that skaters are buying skates with the view to the next 10 years or more.
Attention! Just because the skate is reinforced doesn´t mean that is not comfortable, often it is otherwise.
Fur and the look
The theory is one thing and the practice is another. If you already know what to focus at the choice of skates, still 90 % of women will chose figure skates according to design, colour, price and if they have the fur inside :-) We respect it. If you add to your choice upper mentioned parameters, we believe that you will choose well and you will be maximally satisfied.
Advice at the end
How to choose the correct size? Ideal is when the skates fit just right, if you will skate with thicker sock, try skates with thicker sock, try skates with this sock, but it is not needed to buy the skates larger just because of the sock. Consider also insoles, if you use or you wish to have sport insoles for better comfort and performance, try skates with them. 
When you put skates on, is acceptable to feel to top of leg in the front. When you bend the knees to the skating position, you shouldn´t feel the preasure at all. Why is this? At new skates the insoles aren´t softened and the foot is not put at the back at the heel. After few rides the insoles will shape and the foot will move in skates about cca 1 up to 2 mm to the heel of the skate. Here we recommend to not buy too large skates, skates then suffer, their longevity is shortened and after time your foot can move to the front and back from which you can have blisters.
The advice is of course general and mostly valid. Then it depends on particular padding, shape of foot etc. In this case you can always get advice from us. For children we recomend skates maximally to finger at the heel of skates, not larger.
In our shops we provide Diagnosis of vault for free.
