Hockey skates can make or break a player’s performance on the ice, and choosing the right pair is critical to earning victory and winning big. Hockey brands engineer multiple skate lines to suit every skate style, fit preference, and experience level. If it's time to upgrade or buy your first pair, you've come to the right place. Pure Hockey carries the best ice hockey skates on the market.
Which Hockey Skates Are Right for Me?
The skate that gives you the comfort you want and the performance features you need while still falling within your budget is the right hockey skate for you. You’ll know you have the right skates if they fit properly and enhance your game.
General information about what to look for in a pair of hockey skates helps clarify the selection process.
First, manufacturers use their most advanced technologies to create their most advanced skates. These might be premium composite boots, premium-grade steel blades, and comfortable and lightweight padding and liners. Second, the higher the price, the better performing and more durable the skate. Third, skate families are now designed with performance features in mind, so a player looking for a skate that focuses on speed would look at the Vapor or JetSpeed line.
Performance-level hockey skates are designed to meet the needs of the more experienced hockey player who will push the skate more than a beginner but less than an elite or pro player. Performance-level skates generally have increased boot flex, more comfort, and include more high-tech comfort features for the footbed, tongue, and ankle wraps.
If you're a beginner who plays infrequently, a couple times a month or less, an entry-level skate will provide the level of performance designed to match your frequency of play.
Buying hockey skates often presents a challenge for anyone who’s never done it. The sheer number of choices among the best hockey brands can be overwhelming. Familiar makers like Bauer, CCM, and TRUE develop a variety of models for players of every age and every level of play, so you can choose the best hockey skates to buy for your game.
Bauer and CCM now have a Performance Fit System for their top 3 price point skates, which allows consumers to make their skate buying decision based on performance, rather than whichever line fits them best.
Bauer Vapor
The Vapor focuses on quickness with the lower part of the skate being softer for increased response and the upper part being stiffer for increased lateral support.
Shop Vapor SkatesBauer Supreme
The Supreme focuses on power with the lower part of the skate being stiffer to optimize energy transfer and the upper part of the skate being softer for increased mobility.
Shop Supreme SkatesBauer Nexus
Nexus skates have been retired but skaters who relied on Nexus for the deep heel pocket, high instep, and wider width can now find it in the Vapor and Supreme Fit 3.
Shop Nexus SkatesCCM Tacks
Tacks focuses on power; good for players who have long, strong strides and want to generate more force.
Shop Tacks SkatesCCM JetSpeed
JetSpeed focuses on acceleration and provides a better energy transfer for faster strides.
Shop JetSpeed SkatesCCM Ribcor
Ribcor is CCM's "high-volume" fit for skaters with a deep heel pocket, high instep, and maximum ankle wrap.
Shop Ribcor SkatesTRUE Catalyst
Catalyst focuses on agility with dynamic power transfer and superior edge control.
Shop Catalyst SkatesInline Skates
Inline skaters are looking for a lot of the same qualities as ice hockey players—a comfortable yet supportive boot plus the right mix of performance and affordability. Buying and fitting the right pair of inline skates is extremely important.
How Do I Choose Inline Skates?
If you're new to the sport, you may not need the best inline hockey skates available since you’re not likely to push them as hard as an experienced player. You don't yet require high-end performance features, which is great news for your wallet.
Inexpensive offerings are made to be most appropriate for the novice player, with a more forgiving boot and fewer performance features. The boots on recreational inline skates are made of cost-effective materials and provide a softer feel for increased comfort. The novice roller hockey or street hockey player needs an entry-level skate to help develop the proper stride.
As you become more experienced and get more comfortable on wheels, you'll need skates that prioritize performance over comfort. This includes models with more durable boots as well as superior bearings and inline wheels. Professional inline skates feature stiff boots and better materials, helping to maximize the transfer of energy to improve speed, agility, and power.
Once you know your price range, you should be able to find the inline offering with the maximum comfort and performance your budget allows.