Getting Started Inline Skating

Where to Begin?

So you’re interested in getting a pair of inline skates but don’t know where to begin. The aim of this guide is to help you get started, help you find the right pair of skates, show you where to buy, get you moving and learning the basics, getting you motivated by the best content creators, and finally getting you connected to community to keep you rolling. Not everything here will be completed in a day and this resource is ever changing. Continually check back as you’re getting started and take advantage of everything this guide has to offer.

Finding the right kind of skates

You’re thinking about getting your first pair of skates but really don’t know where to begin. From an outsider perspective, it seems like there are a ton of choices and this can quickly become overwhelming. Let’s simplify your options down to two basic groups and help you find the right pair of skates to get rolling.

This video by our friends over at Blade In NY will help you visualize some of the options available and what these various types of skates might look and feel like. You can check out more of their content by clicking the button below.

How to Buy Skates

Now that you’ve got an idea of what kind of skates you’d like to buy, you’re ready to start the search for your first pair. One complexity people often encounter when looking for inline skates is the lack of physical stores. Not being able to try on a skate before you buy it does make it challenging, but most online shops are prepared for this, and offer returns on skates that have not been skated or damaged.

We highly recommend getting something from an inline specific store versus a big box store because of the quality and expertise you’ll receive when buying from one of these shops. Call the number they list on the site, talk to one of the shops employees or owners, and let them help you with your decision.

One last thing before you pull the trigger. Measure your feet! Just because a skate says it’s a US 9 doesn’t mean it’s going to fit like a US 9. Each manufacture fits differently, and even in the same brand, different models will fit differently too. Your best unit of measurement is either centimeters or millimeters. Compare this to the listed specs on a skate, and you should be able to find a skate that fits you well.

Check out the below list of shops. All of these shops have been vetted by Blader Union and we’ve either worked with them directly in the past, or they have an exhaustive track record in the industry. Just because a shop isn’t listed here doesn’t mean they are bad. It just means we might not be aware of them or have worked with them before.

Let’s Start Skating

It’s finally happened! Your new skates have arrived and you’re ready to get moving! Check out these great videos to help you get inspired, learn the basics, or try something new! We’ve hand picked these instructional videos in this ever growing catalogue to specifically help you with your first few session, or learning something slightly more advanced like your first grind or jump.

Finding Inspiration

You’re now rolling and maybe you’ve learned a trick or two along the way. As your confidence grows, you’re going to start looking for inspiration for what to do next. There a lot of content creators out there and we’d like to highlight some of our favorite personalities who help create some of the best skating content around. This list of hand picked creators are people who think most bladers should be subscribed to and checking out all the new content they are producing. This list changes over time, so when you are reading this, these are the current folks who should have your attention. This list contains both recreational and aggressive skating. Some skaters do both and some just like sticking to one type of skating. There is no right or wrong answer here. As long as you have skates on your feet, who cares how you choose to have fun right? Select any of the below images to be directed over to each content creators YouTube channel.

Staying Connected

The inline skating community is thriving. You likely already have people in your city or at least close by who are skating. There are a ton of options for getting connected with the community, but one of our favorite places has been the Back to Blading Slack channel. Back to Blading is one of our favorite content creators and this community is top notch. Skaters from beginners to professionals share, connect, discuss, and celebrate one another here. This is absolutely the best way to get connected into the skating scene and even help you find some local friends. Sign up and join the community using the link below.

Once you’re connected you should pop into the #general channel and say hello! Join the discussion around the best new #bladevids or talk with others about #design, or even swap some of your hardware in the #bladetrade channel. You can even take it a step further and join one of the monthly community challenges with challenges for both beginners and advanced skaters. Check out the newest challenge and most recently completed challenge below.