Structurally, a pair of inline skates can be divided into two main parts: the upper and lower skate structure. The upper part includes everything above the frame, including the shell, cuff, and liner; the lower part includes everything below the frame, including the frame, wheels, and bearings. The quality of these components directly determines the overall quality of the inline skates. Therefore, when buying inline skates, you should pay special attention to these parts. Let's discuss how to distinguish the quality of these components.
2.1 Upper part
Frame
Shells can be divided into hard shell boots, semi-hard shell boots, and soft shell boots.
Hard shell boots are fully structured, often made from PVC and PU materials. PU is generally better as it provides firm support and durability, but the comfort and fit are average, with little to no softening, damage, or leakage.
Semi-hard shell boots use a mesh structure to namibia number data increase the surface area and rigidity of the frame, and are aimed at providing more support than soft shell boots. when performing difficult maneuvers. Since they use less leather and fabric, the fit is not as tight, but they are more comfortable and secure on the foot. Soft shell boots have less structure, providing high comfort but significantly less support.
In general, for comfort, recreational inline skates and FSK (freestyle slalom) skates are often semi-hard; slalom, FSK, and aggressive skates usually have good semi-hard or hard shell support; FSK and aggressive skates choose semi-hard for comfort, but require higher rigidity in the shin area. Professional slalom skates generally have a hard shell. Ice hockey skates and speed skates are quite specialized, usually made of fiberglass, which is hard and provides good support. Their shape is similar to semi-hard boots, but they are very rigid and most of them do not have an inner boot structure. Professional ice hockey skates and speed skates can also use carbon fiber as a material. In addition, speed skates have a low cut to reduce stress and fully utilize the strength of the ankle.