Figure Skates and Recreational Ice Skates

Ice skates are the most important part of any ice skaters equipment. Ice Skates come in different stiffness and quality. The stiffness and quality can vary between different ice skates for example the beginner ice skaters have very little stiffness and less support than those for intermediate or advanced skaters. The skates will also vary in price depending on the materials being used in production of the skates. The price is also dependent on the level of the ice skate, its brand and model.

Most skates that you are going to find are manufactured by Riedell Skates and Jackson Ultima Skates, those are the two leading ice skate manufacturers in the United States sharing approximately 80% of the US market for beginner skates while the remaining 20% is shared among the less capitalized brands such as Edea. However this does not mean that these manufacturers lack the popularity. Edea Skates are very popular among professional ice skaters and Edea brand contributes to over 80% of advanced skate sales. Many Olympic champions and World champions and some of the most prestigious competitors are wearing and Edea Skates. The most popular Edea models are Edea Overture, Chorus and Edea Ice Fly, also Edea Piano is their most advanced skate to date. Edea Piano has a special undersole built into the skate that will help to reduce the shock which comes from jumping and performing other difficult elements on the ice which can be damaging to your entire body. Riedel is a very competitive brand in the US and even worldwide, Riedell Skates is very well know name. They have been spending diligently on creating brand-new models of skates and they are spending advertising dollars in order to do research to find out what skaters like the most what they need the most and how to perform according to the market's needs. Jackson Ultima is Riedell's biggest competitor and like we mentioned before they share the other 40% of the US Market. Jackson Ultima is a Canadian-based brand, they offer very many different models of skates with price ranges starting at around $79.99 going all the way up to $800 but the difference in price margins between models is so narrow that they have 10 to 12 different skate models every year ranging from beginner instructional skates to advanced skates. Jackson Ultima offers skates for every single level their most popular skate for beginner skaters is Jackson Mystique this is probably one of the best skates for the learn to skate programs, the next model is called Jackson Artiste. Jackson Artiste is an upgraded version of Jackson mystique, it has improved padding and more support, it also uses more expensive materials and has a better blade. The next one up is Jackson Classique. These skates have a leather upper and a pvc sole. Jackson Classique has a lot of support and can be used even by adults who are starting to learn how to skate. These skates are so durable and have such quality workmanship that outperforms the competition. They can last many years if taken care of properly. We would say they are the best beginner pair of skates out there. Jackson Premier, Jackson Freestyle Jackson Elle are a few other Jackson models that are a very good choice for skaters to buy. Jackson Freestyle is hands down, the best price to quality figure skates on the market (among entry freestyle skates) Jackson Competitor is the only intermediate freestyle level pair of skates that comes as a set together with the crosscut pick blades called Aspire XP. No other manufacturer in the United States offers a skate of such high-level with a crosscut pick blade and the price for it is amazing. Graf is a company that used to own a very large share of advanced skaters business however as the time goes on Graf started spending less money for advertising and developing brand-new models therefore their competition is no longer a serious threat to the major players. They do still make one hell of a boot that is light and supportive and has won a lot of Olympic medals. Favored by the Russian skaters and such stars as Michelle Kwan, Graf Edmonton Special is a very high quality skate. We carry a limited stock of these skates which we are selling way below their suggested retail price. Graf Skates was replaced by Edea Skates as the leading advanced skate manufacturer in the United States for the most sold skates to advanced skaters. The most sold skates are recreational skates such as JS180 made by Jackson also the smaller sizes are called JS181 and JS184 or Riedel's 615 Soar or 625 Soar. Also Riedell Skates Model 113 Sparkle or the Riedell Skates Model 110 Opal. These beginning skates are very popular among recreational skaters their price margins are between $60 to $80 these skates are very comfortable because of the soft padding inside and also because they use colors to attract children. These are not your regular classical looking skates. The figure skates however are not very good for the learn to skate programs as they provide too little support nor do they have a good blade. If you skate for leisure however these skates make a great first pair. Picking the wrong kind of skates with too little or too much support can prove to be very devastating to your health, you can acquire an injury by using the product that is not suited for your level of skating and it will also hinder your performance. It is very important that skaters spend enough time researching the equipment they are planning to buy in order to make sure that they are getting the best quality items out there for their money. These are their tools and this is what they can use in order to improve their performance. We are here to help pick the right ones. Call us and we can help you make the right choice.

Things to Consider when Shopping for Figure Skates

Figure skating is a sport that since its invention in 19-th century has been gaining popularity with every decade. Powerful, elegant and fun, figure skating attracts more and more fans to the ice skating rinks entailing an ever growing demand for figure skating equipment. No matter what your level of skating proficiency is, whether you venture to the rink for the first time or have years of professional training to look back on, it is essential to have the figure skates adequate to your skill and purpose.

When choosing figure skates it is important to focus on two primary aspects: the intended purpose of the skates and your personal comfort.

When you buy your figure skates for recreational purposes intending to use them for an occasional trip to an ice skating rink there is no need to invest money in hi-tech new generation figure skates by a famous equipment brand. The advanced technology implemented in such skates to enhance performance of a professional skater is of no use to a beginner who is just getting the feel of ice. Thus, when you buy your first figure skates without intending to get seriously involved in skating practices, we recommend you to settle for skates under 100$. Such skates will be comfortable and stylish, as well as practical for your purpose. Without having to perform complicated figure skating moves you will not feel any difference in terms of functionality but the difference in price will certainly be significant. You can find a wide variety of beginner skates at FigureSkatingStore.com including the recreational line skates by such reputable manufacturers as Jackson and Riedell.

The things are different when it comes to buying figure skates to be used professionally. A successful choice of figure skates is essential for an intermediate or elite skater. The advanced technologies applied in manufacturing of professional figure skates make them lighter, stronger and more responsive thus allowing for higher speed, maneuverability, precision, power, stability and consequently competiveness of the skater. However the hi-tech materials, design and precise craftsmanship of professional figure skates result in higher prices. Let us summarize what exactly you are paying for, when purchasing a professional pair of figure skates:

All figure skates have essentially the same structure: they are skating boots with metal blades attached to them with special screws. Both boots and blades may be purchased separately as well as in a set. In case of top-notch professional figure skates the boots do not come with blades so the latter should be purchased separately and then installed by a skilled expert.

The skating boots and blades are an object of constant design enhancements with the view to upgrade the skater performance. The elite skating boots are usually made of the most advanced materials available on the market. Hi-tech synthetic materials are used to achieve lightness, thermo-shapeable polymeric foam is used as the inside padding for perfect fit, anti-microbial hydrophobic lining or high-quality leather are applied to provide exceptional comfort. The structure of boots and blades is also a focus of attention for the designers. Such parts of figure skates as outsole, insole, heel lock, tongue, ankle padding, lining, rocker, toe pick are closely scrutinized for possible improvements. The newest models of figure skates, such as Edea Piano or Riedell Aria feature an impressive list of technological enhancements, from advanced anti-shock system to exceptional lightness of the boots, which are all intended to serve one common purpose: improving the skating performance.

Another thing that deserves your close attention when shopping for figure skates is precise sizing. No matter what skating level you are at, your feet should be perfectly comfortable. It is especially important to know your foot width, foot length and sometimes your foot depth (thickness) in order to determine the correct size of figure skates when buying them online.

Size charts of different skate manufacturers may differ so you may want to recur to the help of an expert consultant in order to choose the perfectly fitting figure skates.

When your goal is to purchase a perfect pair of figure skates finding an accredited retailer is a key to success. FigureSkatingStore.com will provide you with both a big range of figure skates to choose from and helpful advice on their selection. Please see our product range and contact us at 818-785-2002 or at orders@figureskatingstore.com. if you have any further questions.