Friday 11 October 2013

How to Choose the Best Ice Skates for Kids


By Theresa Cohen


The first thing to understand about buying ice skates for kids, is that it can be quite difficult, as little kids are not really good at deciding if a skate is a good fit. The best thing to do, is to go alone to the store or purchase the skate online. This is because children are usually going to be drawn to the look of the skate and not the fit. So, if you do not have them try on the ice skates, how are you going to make sure they fit?

This is simple, before you purchase skates make sure that they offer a return policy, also it is a good idea to take your child to the skate store to have their foot measured. Spend some time with your child and let them play around and have fun trying on all the skates. Then come back to the store alone or find ice skates for kids online, and all you have to do is find your child's accurate size. Then simply pick the ones that have the features you desire.

Have Your Child Wear Them Around

Once you have received the skates, you need to have your son or daughter move around in them for just a little bit. There needs to be some wiggle room, having said that, the boot really should be fairly tight. When your child moves, the skate should fit tight enough that the toes are not able to shift, and the heel should not rub on the inside.

If this does happen, it is because the fit is not right and there is too much room, this is why I mentioned the return policy, because all brands fit differently. If the skate does not fit correctly, you need to return it and try again. All of this really is worth the trouble, as the correct fit is essential for your child to really enjoy the art of ice skating.

The Art of Ice Skating

Which brings me to my next subject, you may not realize that ice skating is truly an art form, even the rough and tough sport of ice hockey. This means that it is going to take time for your youngster to turn into a really good skater. Your child should take some time to experience the enjoyment of recreational skating, after learning how to skate your child may wish to pursue figure skating or ice hockey.

Figure Ice Skates for Kids

If your child wishes to do traditional figure skating, they will need a special skate because these skates will need to have prominent toe picks. This is the roughest section of the blade, which allows a skater to really be able to dig into the ice, when they are doing the many different tricks found in figure skating. Ice skates that are used for hockey do not have toe picks, since these skaters usually do not execute these types of maneuvers. Also, recreational skates are going to have to picks, but they are smaller and much less prominent.

What About Hockey?

When looking for hockey skates for your child, it is important to understand that they are the most important element of your child's skating equipment. The correct fit is important for all types of skating, but it is essential for hockey. There are many injuries every year that are caused by poorly fitting skates.

They must fit correctly and safeguard your child, so they will be able to safely get the most from the hockey experience. If you buy hockey skates that happen to be too big, or not big enough, it is only going to result in aching feet and even severe injury. All skates take a little time to adjust to your child's foot, but if you follow a couple of guidelines whenever you are thinking about buying hockey skates, you will undoubtedly find the right skate for your child.

Ice Skating Just for Fun

Recreational ice skates resemble figure skates, but are not quite as high quality since they are just for fun and entertainment. They are great for those that just skate occasionally, because they lack the cushioning and support which a skilled figure skater would need. The best thing to remember is that ice skates for kids, are really not that much different than adult skates. So when purchasing these items, all you need to do is consider what features you would like in a skate.



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