How to Stop with an Inline Skate Heel Brake
Learn how to use an inline skate heel brake with a calm, low-speed progression covering stance, brake contact, common errors, and equipment checks.
Inline Skates
We are looking for an inline speed skating boot that fits well and has heat moldability. Additionally, it is lightweight, has durable frame mounting connection points, and uses good quality materials.
Speed skating boots, like all shoes, are built around plastic molds. Unlike most footwear, the cuff of a speed skating boot is above your ankle bone, and hard carbon fiber is not far away from your foot.
There are a ton of inline speed skating boots on Amazon and eBay that will hurt your feet so bad you will make you wish you never bought them. We know because we, unfortunately, tested them. Getting that plastic foot right seems beyond the reach of many skate manufacturers. Some of them have identified that they make painful boots, so to compensate, they add more padding. Consequently, this makes the boot more comfortable, but you lose power because the foam is absorbing your energy.
After all, this is speedskating, we buy speed skates to skate as fast as we can, and we don’t want padding absorbing our speeeeed!
How Should Inline Skates Fit? Heel Hold, Toe Room, and First-Roll Checks
Learn how inline skates should fit, from measuring both feet and setting the heel to checking toe room, closures, pressure points, and the first controlled roll.
Kids Inline Skate Stopping: How to Practise a Heel Brake
Teach a child to practise a controlled inline-skate heel-brake stop with a calm setup, small drills, and simple checks before rolling farther.