You don’t have to be a total beginner to be intimidated by some of the council-owned parks that are around. If you’ve just bought your first pair of aggressive skates, nothing’s worse than entering a concrete-ramped arena populated by the local clique of grinding, popping teenagers. A properly supervised park, where an eclectic mix of locals and visitors are coming and going all day long, is often pleasanter.

What makes a good skate park? Well, first of all it should be clean and well supervised, with personnel that are familiar with roller blades and can keep a sharp eye open for dangerous behaviour. It should cover a large floor area, with interconnected ramp areas (units) that offer safe passage away from the stunt zones. These should range from easy, entry level skating to advanced ramp-and-pipe areas designed for aggressive skates.

Taking one British park at random, one situated in Bolton offers pretty much all this – and more. It has an easy-to-use website with plenty of information on opening times, facilities and so on. A medium-sized indoor park, it offers 3 large interconnected units with facilities for roller blades, skateboards, BMX bikes and scooters. There are special ladies’ sessions, competitions and special events to keep the club active – and it’s very affordable.

A big plus is that a lot of the equipment is aimed at beginner to improver level, with miniramps, flat banks, quarter pipes, curved rails, grind boxes and moveable obstacles for all levels – from little kids to 17 + teens who’ve reached a proficient level on their aggressive skates.

We at Skates.co.uk always recommend you find a professionally-run skate park to try out your new roller blades.

At Skates we sell some of the best aggressive skates in the business, but if you’re going to take your inline skates that seriously, you need good technique.

There’s a whole load of drill exercises you can do on skates, either as warm-ups or as part of your general routine. You probably do a few of these already, without thinking about it, but the important thing is repetition. Remember – when you buy aggressive skates, you’re admitting you’ve got a sport, not a hobby.

Scooters

Warm up with a bit of free-style skating, and then practise skating on just the one foot. Push properly to the side, and then scoot along in a straight line, for as far as you can. Repeat on the other foot.

Toe Rolls

This is slightly more difficult. The trick is to push off on one foot, then test your foot balance by rolling the other skate behind you on the toe wheel. Try straight line rolls, then turns on either edge of the front foot.

T-Stop

This involves stopping the forward movement of your inline skates by trailing one foot behind, turned out at a 90o angle. Aggressive skates don’t have toe stops, so it’s important to learn this technique.

Poop Trench Drill

This will improve your balance on jumps. Mark out or imagine two parallel lines. Balance on the left line with your left skate, and then hop across to the right line, landing and balancing on your right skate.

All these exercises will improve your enjoyment of our aggressive skates at Skates.

At Skates we have a huge range of aggressive skates, and they’re a popular choice even for first-timers. Aggressive skates, however, are not for the faint-hearted. Although they let you do all sorts of exciting tricks and stunts, such as rail riding, you can come to grief unless your method is honed to perfection.

This means basics like balance, foot turns etc. must be very good indeed, or you’ll suffer injury very quickly.
This article is for anyone who’s been skating for a while, uses their inline skates practically every day but still has problems balancing. Aggressive skates are for those who take their sport seriously. It’s no good buying a pair of our top-of-the-range inline skates and then only bringing them out once a week!

So that’s the first tip from us at Skates: practice! Once you’ve got your inline skates on, wear them for at least an hour. Practice sitting down and standing up again until you don’t wobble. Then do 30 – 45 minutes of your favourite stunts, getting your legs really tired.

NOW do the “sit down/stand up” thing again. You’ll probably notice a big difference. That’s because the muscles are tired. Aggressive skates are built at sports level. This means they’ll help you get the very best out of your skating, meaning you’ll work your legs real hard – a lot harder than with normal inline skates.

So to avoid injury, do balancing exercises all the way through your skating routine. Try standing on one leg without wobbling, for starters – that’s hard!

We at Skates don’t mind admitting it: we have an awful lot of roller blades to choose from, and while most teens will have a fair idea of what they’re looking for, the job isn’t so easy for parents buying for younger children. There’s nothing worse than splashing out on a pair of Barbie pink roller skates for your 10 year old, only to hear the dreaded: “Oh, Mu-uuum!” because she thought she was getting a pair of USD Aggressives.

Let’s get the misconceptions about aggressive skates out of the way first,  because it’s nothing to do with aggressive behaviour. A better term would be sports inline skates, because that is what they are.

Aggressive skates are the trainers of the skating world. Unlike roller skates or recreational rollerblades, they are built for sports use. Aggressive skates offer the strength and support the wearer needs to perform extreme manoeuvres like backflips and fly jumps.

This doesn’t mean they’re just for advanced skaters though – at Skates we sell aggressive skates from novice grade upwards. If your child is naturally sporty and energetic, it might just be the way to go. Yet aggressive skates do take some getting used to, balance wise, so if your kid is a total beginner it’s probably best to start with normal rollerblades.

Here the confusion becomes even worse, because “non-aggressive” inline skates can mean anything from fitness skates to fashion wear. However, the main difference between entry level inline skates and AS’s is in the wheel design – aggressive skates have small, hard wheels designed for stunts and rail riding, whereas the latter have larger softer wheels to aid balance.

If you need advice on buying the best inline skates for your needs, why not chat to one of our experienced advisors? We’re only a phone call away.

Today, there are so many different types and brands of skates on the market; it can be confusing unless you are an experienced skater. It is really all about what you want to use the skates for. Recreational skates are made for leisure activities and aggressive skates are for intense activities.

This does not mean one type is better than the other - both have their place. When you look for recreational skates, whether roller blades, ice skates or inline skates, the main thing is to look for quality skates that fit your feet perfectly. You need sturdy boots that will protect your ankles and help you balance.

You need aggressive skates

Aggressive skates are made to take a pounding and to handle whatever gets thrown at them. They are for high-impact sports like hockey and competitions where the strength and quality of the boot is absolutely important. Aggressive skates give you flexibility and manoeuvrability that is a must for competition and sport.

Recreational skates are for fun; aggressive skates are for when you mean serious business. We understand the need for both types of skates. That is why we offer a large selection of both types of skates.

Whatever brand of aggressive skates you choose is personal. The most important thing is to get skates that will protect you against injury. They need to be tough enough to withstand whatever terrain they are used on.

Look for aggressive skates that can handle hot and cold temperatures with ease. Always remember to treat your feet and skates with respect. You cannot afford to get painful blisters, so break the skates in slowly and take care of your skates. Neglected skates are going to let you down at a critical moment and you don’t need that.

If you are looking for a thrilling pastime that offers exercise and excitement, aggressive skating might be just the thing for you.  If you have never heard of it before, aggressive skating is a style of roller blading that is synonymous with tricks and stunts. If you have seen people on skates performing impressive tricks, that was probably aggressive skating you were watching!

Some tips for getting started

If this kind of skating appeals to you, there are some things you should know before you start.  Firstly, a good pair of aggressive skates is important. There are some subtle differences between aggressive skates and ordinary inline skates. All elements of aggressive skates are designed to withstand greater pressure and make for a safer ride for you.

After buying a good pair of skates, the next most important thing you should take care of is some high-quality safety gear. With aggressive skating more than any other kind of skating, it’s essential to be well protected from the falls, bumps and hard landings that beginner aggressive skaters can get.

Once all your kit is sorted, you will need to spend some time learning the basics. This is where a support system of aggressive skaters can come in handy. There simply is no better way of learning than from practising with others! Read up more about aggressive skating, watch videos and soak in as many tips and tricks as you can.

All that’s left is to spend some time practising and you are well on your way toward becoming a professional aggressive skater.

At Skates, we boast a wide selection of aggressive skates. Come and browse through our online catalogue to see for yourself. With our wide variety of reasonably priced aggressive skates, you can be sure you will find exactly what you need, without spending a fortune.

In the world of aggressive skating, the quality of your skates is important. You need durable, solid aggressive skates to handle all the radical moves you want to execute.

So how do you go about finding the perfect pair of aggressive skates for you?  How do you know where to start?  We at Skates have taken some of the guesswork out of buying aggressive skates and accessories.

There is no need to pound the pavements looking for a skate shop when you can easily browse our extensive and well-priced selection of aggressive skates.

Everyone knows, when it comes to choosing aggressive skates, labels do matter. Some of the brand name aggressive skates we stock include;  Alchemy and Anarchy, Deshi skates, Nimh skates, Razor’s skates, Roces skates, USD skates, Xsjado skates and more. If you are looking for brand name aggressive skates then look no further than us.  We also stock non-brand name skates for those on a budget.

Don’t forget the protective gear

It’s not only your skates that will affect how well you perform and how safe you are, but the kind of protective gear you have too.  For aggressive skating, helmets are essential.

Studies have shown that wearing protective skating gear can reduce 82% of elbow injuries as well as 87% of wrist injuries for skaters! Do not risk injury when you can so easily protect yourself with top quality gear from Skates.

At Skates, we offer a selection of aggressive skates to suit anyone. Come and find your perfect pair of aggressive skates today!

Aggressive skates is another way of naming inline skates, but the difference is that these are specially designed to create great speed and agility for professionals. Many of the skates that we sell are used at the X-Games by professional skaters the world over.

We stock aggressive skates from a wide group of manufacturers. They are Alchemy and Anarchy, Deshi Skates, Nimh Skates, Razors Skates, Remz Skates, Roces Skates, Rollerblade Skates, USD Skates, Valo Skates and  Xsjado Skates.

We have aggressive skates for any skater, from the intermediate skater to the professional. We also stock aggressive skates accessories and aggressive wheels, as well as boots only models.

A lot of skaters prefer to buy their set ups piece-by-piece as this gives them the freedom to set them up exactly the way that they like. They have the freedom to add to their aggressive skates as they wish. They might prefer a specific type of boot and then add a different base to that with specific wheels, making them their own aggressive skates.

There are many types of different routines that one can participate in with aggressive skates. There is Downhill Racing, Speed Skating, Roller Hockey, Street Skating, Street Technical Skating, Ramp Skating, Vertical ramp Skating and Freestyle Skating. Each of these routines has their own style and way of doing things.

Aggressive skates give the skater much more agility when skating and will make a big difference when skaters start doing tricks. Aggressive skates are much more streamlined and the wheels and other parts are specifically designed for tricks and speed.

With inline skating as the model for this extreme sport, aggressive skating has become widely popular. With aggressive skates, tricky manoeuvres can be achieved outside or on the street. These movements are similar to the tricks achieved in skateboarding. With the three primary types (street, park and vert), the sport has become a source of vast entertainment, not only among teenagers, but with adults as well.

Since the sport calls for robust equipment, aggressive skates were designed to be sturdy, resilient, durable and reliable. This is anticipated since the tricks made by the skaters can easily cause pressure on the skates, making it dangerous if the designs are flimsy. This is why our range of skates are strong, reliable and hard-wearing. The standard design for aggressive skates includes the cuff, shell, liner, soul plate, frame and wheels, all of which support you while you skate.

Aggressive skates should also be fitted with rubber or plastic wheels, positioned in between the two middle wheels called anti-rockers. These assist when tricks are being performed to prevent the skater slipping or falling. We have a concern, not only for quality, but for safety as well. Our designs are flawless, and very secure. This safety feature is echoed by the availability of elbow pads, knee pads, skate pads and helmets.

We have ranges for kids or juniors, adult, beginner and intermediate, adult advanced and professional. These are also armoured by the other equipment we can offer, which includes wheels and tools, frames, skate bearings, bags and backpacks.

Most people are of the opinion that aggressive skating has to do with anger and mean skaters and probably picture a brawl at an ice hockey game. That perception is simply not true. Aggressive skating became popular because of the methods employed to do this type of skating.

Our ranges of aggressive skates are definitely built for the challenge for aggressive skating. Aggressive skating was spawned from the aggressive tricks and stunts done in skateboarding. The reason it is called aggressive skating has to do with the way skaters do their tricks and the areas they skate in. No hating on anyone or violence of any sort.

Aggressive skating was so popular at one stage that it was recognized as a competitive sport in the X-Games. There is no doubt that some of the tricks performed by aggressive skaters would damage ordinary skates and that is why our range of aggressive skates are built for the challenge.

What makes aggressive skates so different?

The overall look of aggressive skates is pretty similar to normal inline skates with just a few tweaks here and there to ensure the safety of the skater and that the skates can withstand the pressure of the tricks. Aggressive skaters will skate anywhere and do tricks at any time on anything and so the skates they use need to be reinforced for the huge impacts exerted on them.

We stock among the top brands or aggressive skates and assure our customers that if aggressive skating is your style of skating then we have got just the skates for you.