Hockey Ice Skates, Ice Hockey Skate

The Finns developed the world’ s first ever ice skates some 5,000 years ago using animal bone, which people strapped to their feet using leather straps. The first hockey ice skates were simple metal blades tied to ordinary shoes. Right up to the 1930s, the sticks were just flimsy pieces of wood, and the players wore simple leather gloves.

Clearly times have changed! There are now several types of ice skate around, depending on the type of skating you will be using them for. As well as the ice hockey skate, there are racing skates, touring skates and figure skates.

Hockey ice skates are, of course, used to play the game of ice hockey, but also ringette, another team sport played on a surface of ice, and played mainly by women.

The boot in hockey ice skates is mainly made of leather (usually synthetic) moulded plastic and ballistic nylon. They are usually made of tougher materials than other kinds of ice skates. However, if you are playing seriously competitive ice hockey, you probably don’t want an upper boot made of moulded plastic, as this can limit mobility.

And, if you are playing in goal, you will want a goalie ice hockey skate. These are cut lower in the ankle than a normal ice hockey skate, so the boot is closer to the ice, giving a lower centre of gravity. The boot comes encased in toughened plastic, called a "cowling", and keeps the heel, toe and ankle safe from the force of the shot puck. The blade on this kind of ice hockey skate is generally longer and has less rocker (or curvature to the blade), which means the goalie is more able to move from side to side in the crease. A goalie ice hockey skate doesn’t have a tendon guard.

An ice hockey skate is designed for more robust wear, and its blade allows for sharper turns and greater maneuverability on the ice.

Of course, there are many kinds of ice hockey skate out there. The trouble is that, if you are getting into ice hockey seriously, there’s so much kit you have to buy, not just in hockey ice skates. There’s the helmet, stick, socks and gloves to buy as well. None of it is cheap.

But, arguably, hockey ice skates are the most important piece of kit you will buy. Buy the wrong ice hockey skate and you, and your game, will be in serious trouble. The wrong pair can seriously impair your enjoyment of the game. Here are a few pointers before you buy.

Choosing Your Hockey Ice Skates
An ice hockey skate should fit snugly without being painful. The worst thing a player can do is wear hockey ice skates which are too big, and this is something which will only get worse as the boots stretch. And, unlike other kinds of footwear, an extra pair of socks will not make things better!

You need to be able to feel the end of your hockey ice skates with your toes.

Remember that a new pair of skates will generally take a while to break in.

In terms of used hockey ice skates, while there are plenty of people who will be happy to sell you a pair they are no longer using, unless they have only been worn for a few hours, you will be wearing a pair already broken into someone else’s feet. So buying second-hand is generally best avoided if possible.

Once you’ve finally found a pair of skates you love, look after them! That means regular sharpening of the blade on each ice hockey skate, wiping them clean after each use, and letting the air circulate round the boots so that each ice hockey skate dries out properly. (The best way to do this is to hang them up.)

Hockey Ice Skates from Skates.co.uk
You may not have thought about buying your next pair of hockey ice skates online. But at Skates.co.uk, we have such a wide range of skates, at such great prices, that, once you’ve seen what we have to offer in our ice hockey skate range, we don’t think you’ll want to look anywhere else!

If you log on to our site, you’ll find lots of advice about buying hockey ice skates. We know for example, that, if you are parent and your child is starting out on the ice, it’s just not worth buying an expensive pair of hockey ice skates until you really know they love the game.

Of course, you may have various concerns about buying online, but we can put your mind at rest on every score. If you buy a pair of hockey ice skates which don’t fit, for example, don’t worry - we’ll be glad to exchange them. And our refund and exchange policy is extended for any ice hockey skate bought as a Christmas or birthday present.

We also appreciate that people can be nervous about making payments online, so rest assured that, with us, your money is totally secure. It wouldn’t be in our interests to take your money and not deliver, so, if there’s a problem with your order, we want to know about it.

We offer swift delivery – often next day – and there are no delivery charges on all ice hockey skate orders over £100.

We’re also committed to offering skates at the best possible price. If you see a pair you like elsewhere at a better price, but want to buy your skates from us, give us a call. We can often match prices which others are offering, and keep a keen eye on the market to keep our prices competitive.

We’ve currently got some great deals on some top brands of ice hockey skate, such as the Senator Grand for under £60. And, because of our extensive range, if you’re a serious hockey player who needs a high-performance skate at the top end of the market, we can cater for you as well.

So if you thought buying your hockey ice skates online was a bad idea, log on to Skates.co.uk and you’ll soon be thinking again.

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