Unless you’re a roller skating guru, you might not be aware of the different types of rollerskates that are available and what they are designed to do. Among the different roller skate types you will find are Artistic, Jam, Speed, Derby, and Rhythm. Depending on what style of quad skating you plan on doing, you will want to get the appropriate skate style for it.
Artistic Skates
Artistic skates are used in many different skating disciplines, but the easiest comparison is to that of a figure skate used on ice. Artistic roller skates are composed of a leather boot, very strong sole plate, and a jump bar that adds additional reinforcement. Like ice skating, an Artistic skate is used on a roller skating surface for single free skate, pairs skating, solo dance, pairs dancing, precision or synchronized skating, and show teams. Although each of these skate disciplines is different, the common thread that they share is the use of an Artistic style quad skate.
Artistic skaters need a skate that is strong enough to withstand the force that is exerted on the skate when jumping or landing. The boot on artistic skates is higher than those found on other quad skates. The boot sits a few inches above the ankle providing more support and stability for the foot.
Jam Skates
Jam skates are different than any other type of rollerskate because of its unique low-cut design and lack of toe stop, that’s right, no brake. The original jam skate design was actually much different, resembling an artistic skate with a high-cut artistic-style boot and tradition toe stop brake. However, over the years, the design has transformed into a skate that resembles the picture to the right. The modern skate design features a low-cut speed skate boot and a dance plug in placement of the toe stop. They feature lightweight frames for fast, agile movement for the skating style associated with jam skating.
As a skating style, Jam skating is a combination of dance, gymnastics, and skating. Jam skating’s roots stem from the roller disco days of the 1970s, but over time it has evolved and been influenced by multiple sources of artistic outlet. Modern dance, artistic skating, and break dancing have all contributed to the jam skating style of today. For jam skaters, jam skating is more about personal expression rather than aggressive or speed type of skating. The free flowing movements of jam skating have been given countless names such as hexing, shuffle skating, toe-skating, and spot skating. But regardless of its name, jam skating has always been about expression and passion.
Speed Skates
Most people instinctively think inline skates when they hear speed skates. The truth is that speed skates are available in both inline and quad form. While inline speed skating is more common and more widely recognized, quad speed skating is extremely popular. A speed skate features a boot design that more closesly resembles a shoe. A speed skate will fit closely to the fott and have very little padding, increasing the foot to boot ratio. The cut of the boot is lower and will usually sit around the ankle bone, or underneath it. The design of a speed skate creates tremendous maneuverability and freedom of movement.
From a usage standpoint, speed skates are intended to be used in lap skating, time trials, sprints, relays and marathons. They typically offer lightweight plates to reduce fatigue for skating long distances. In recent years, jam skaters have also taken to speed skates because they offer a similar design and freedom of movement. The most notable difference being that a speed skate features a toe stop, unlike a jam skate that uses a toe plug.
Derby Skates
Roller derby is a worldwide sport that many people know about, but may not fully understand. While I won’t go into detail about the particulars of the sport, just know that roller derby is a contact sport that utilizes strategy and strength to win. Derby skates are designed specifically for use in the sport of roller derby, though they resemble the everyday rollerskate design.
Derby skates feature a low-cut boot design with a lace up closure and Velcro strap to properly position and fasten the foot in place. The boot design itself has more padding than a speed or jam skate so that it can withstand the bashing and bumping that roller derby entails. Derby skates can also be equipped with accessories to protect against injury, as can be see with the skate to the right.
Rhythm Skates
Similar to a Jam skate, Rhythm skates are designed for dancing, shuffle skating, and slides. The difference between a Rhythm skate and a Jam skate is most evident in the boot design. Unlike a Jam skate boot, a Rhythm skate boot is not low cut. In fact, the boot design looks very similar to an Artistic skate, essentially providing you with the ankle support benefits of an Artistic skate, but the freedom of movement of a Jam skate.
Rhythm skates do not have a traditional toe stop brake, but instead features a dance plug like a Jam skate. If you want a skate that allows you to move to the beat, with added ankle support, the Rhythm skate is the ideal choice.
Tags: Articles, Quad Skates, Roller Skates
Thanks for the infomation. Always wondered what the difference was.
This information was extremely helpful. I am trying to determine which skates best suit my near term versus long term purpose and this article was very useful.
Do you know of any roller skates designed to go slower then usual, or with rollers closer to the ground to prevent falls?
Hey Norma,
For the most part, most beginner skates will come with lower grade wheels and bearings, causing them to go slower than the ones designed for a more advanced skater. As for lower to the ground skates, try looking for skate with smaller wheels (either 55mm or 57mm will be fine). These will bring you as close to the ground as possible when you are skating, giving you a better sense of balance than bigger wheels. Hope this answers your questions!
Regards,
Dru
All of this information is so overwhelming. I am looking to get my daughter some roller skates. She has shown an interest in skating but I have no idea what skates to get.
Hello, WOW! i never realized there was so much to rollerskates
I’m a ex-figureskater looking to purchase some skates, I’m guessing artistic would be best for me? Is there any particular surface they are best suited to? I would be using them on concrete tracks and basketball courts.
Also what are good makes of skates? My old figure skates were Riedell silver medallions, with jubille blades. Is there a difference between wheels etc?
& how do roller skates differ to figure skates?
Thankyou!
Gina xx
Gina,
Artistic roller skates are going to most simulate the fit and feel of figure skates. The fit on these style of skates are going to nearly replicate the feeling of a figure skate with great support and comfort. As with new figure skates they will take some time to break in and will not fit “perfect” right out of the box, you will need to break them in with a few skating sessions. If you skated with Riedell figure skates I would suggest trying out some Riedell Rollerskates as they will offer a similar fit you are accustom to.
The wheels that come on most rollerskates are going to be multipurpose and will work great for where you will be skating. When you replace them you can get some that are specific to concrete and outdoor use but the ones that come on the skates will give you no issue.
Thanks,
Chris
I used to shuffle skate in the 80′s and had a pair of white women’s ridell skates that looked similar to the Artistic skates. But the description for the Rhythm Skates best fit my type of skating, however I don’t like the stoppers. Is their a big difference between Artistic and Rhythm skates?
Thanks
Hi Linda,
There are a few differences between artistic and rhythm skates. As you noticed, the rhythm skates (as well as the jam skates) tend to have a dance rather than a brake to facilitate the different moves and techniques associated with the more free form types of skating. Although the boots may be very similar in the two types, there are also differences in the frames used on artistic skates; due to the force that is exerted in many jumping maneuvers, they tend to have sturdier plates combined with jump bars for added support. But, if you’re looking at a more recreational style skate, you may not see any difference between a rhythm and artistic skate besides the brake. I hope this helps!
Best,
Kate
Can you tell me what is the difference in Artistic and Precision roller skates? And is one better than the other? How would you rank Chicago skates?
Thanks
Hey Temeka,
Precision skating is actually just a type of artistic skating. Artistic skating is a general term used to describe skating using a traditional figure skating style boot and high durometer wheels. This will allow dance maneuvers and precision skating as it will allow you to spin and pivot due to the lack of friction the wheels cause. Unless you specifically need a precision model skate, a regular artistic skate will be perfectly fine for you to dance and skate in recreationally. The Chicago brand is great for beginner skaters looking for a starting model but will not be suitable or stable enough for advanced skaters. If you are just starting or looking for a learning skate they will be perfect for you. Otherwise you will most likely need to find a more advanced model. I hope this helps!
Regards,
Dru
I’m looking for an outdoor skate to use for exercise and recreational skating. From reading the different descriptions of skates I’m guessing the speed skates with an outdoor wheel would be what I would need. But what size wheel (diameter & width) and what hardness. I usually stick with a new sport for quite a while so I find that it’s usually less expensive to buy a better product than a low end (in this case, skate) as you will probably want to up grade before long. Any recommendations on a brand and model in the mid range? I’m giving up road bicycling and need another outlet to keep in shape. I’m in my mid 60′s if that makes a difference. Thanks. John
Hey John,
A lot of skates today actually come stock with outdoor wheels and plates. This is typically indicated by Outdoor being in the name or description for the skates. For outdoor use, a wheel at 62mm will suit you just fine. Since most outdoor wheels are at a lower durometer to provide a more traction and grip, they often times feel a bit more sluggish. A bigger wheel will allow you to gather as much speed while skating as possible. Just about all outdoor wheels will be at a similar width profile, but as outdoor wheels will have a higher amount of traction you typically want as little profile as possible to ensure that you do not lose speed. While all brands make their outdoor skates a bit differently, for a mid price range model I would recommend taking a look at one of the Pacer Super X models or the Rock Sonic series if you want a skate with a lower boot profile. Any of these will give you a solid choice in boot, frame and wheels without getting too expensive. I hope this helps!
Regards,
Dru
Great article! This is exactly what I was looking for.
I had a short-lived career in roller derby. I love to skate, but I only have derby skates, and I’m more a fan of grooving out on my skates. Too bad I’m always tripping over the giant monster-truck wheels when I’m trying to bust out some slick dance moves!
My question- Can I put small rhythm wheels on my derby skates? Any reason this wouldnt work? Are skate axle sizes/bearings universally standard like that? What should I pay attention to when buying wheels? (today I realized how little I know about skates!)
Thanks!!
Hey Jenny,
You can absolutely put smaller wheels on your derby style skates to make them more jam friendly, it is the opposite direction you typically have to look out for (since not all skate frames are set up to accept larger wheels). You should have no issue doing this. So long as you use the bearings that are currently in the wheels on your skates on the new wheels, you shouldn’t need to purchase new bearings either. Standard skate bearings come in two sizes, as axles come in both 7mm and 8mm sizes. If you need to determine what size axles you have, I would recommend using the Pencil Trick. Take a standard No. 2 pencil and one of your bearings, sliding the bearing onto the eraser of the pencil. If the pencil fits into the hole of the bearing, you have an 8mm axle. If it doesn’t fit, it’s a 7mm axle. When buying wheels there are two main things to look out for. Since you will already have an idea of what size you need, you should have a handle on sizing. The other spec to look for is going to be the durometer, or hardness, of the wheels. Depending on whether you plan to spend your time indoors or outdoors (or a combination of the two), you will want to make sure you have wheels of the appropriate toughness for those conditions. Softer wheels will be better for outdoor conditions, since they will not be impacted by gravel and imperfections in the concrete as much as a harder wheel. For indoors, a harder wheel will get you a faster spin overall, leading to a faster speed. You can use your outdoor wheels indoors, although not vice versa (very hard wheels can get irreparable divots and marks on them from rough surfaces). Ideally though you would want one set of skates for indoor skating and another for outdoor skating, since they both provide a much better experience when used correctly. I hope this helps!
Regards,
Dru