Skates

Skaters building foundational skills and learning proper technique. This level is ideal for those new to artistic skating even if they do not plan to compete. These are supportive, quality boots that allow safe skill development and keep future competitive options open. 

Typical Event Tiers - Intro / Newcomer Tracks

• Angle skates from Riedell - $

• Gemma from Skate Oasis - $$

Skaters regularly participating in regional or state-level events. They are refining technical consistency, edge quality, and artistic presentation with equipment that supports increased skill demands.

Typical Event Tiers - Bronze & Silver / B & C Events

I highly recommend having your skater’s foot properly fitted and purchasing skates through a knowledgeable skate professional.

Used boots can also be a great option at this stage. If you are one of my skaters, I often have quality used equipment available and am happy to help you find the right setup.

Brand Guidance by Discipline & Age:

• Figures, Freestyle, and general training

  • Riedell is an excellent choice for adults and teens who are past puberty.

  • Edea is often a great option for younger skaters, as the boots can be professionally stretched from the inside to accommodate growing feet.

• Dance-focused skaters

  • Riedell is typically the preferred choice due to fit, support, and feel for dance work.

High-performance athletes training and competing at the top levels of the sport. Equipment at this stage supports advanced technical difficulty, precision, and competitive excellence. 

Typical Event Tiers - Gold & Silver / A & B / World Skate

Equipment Progression at This Stage:

As figure quality and strength develop (often within about a year at this level), many skaters benefit from transitioning to:

• Edea Chorus figure boot paired with a Giotto plate for enhanced control and response in figures.

When skaters begin consistently training double jumps, a move to a higher-support boot such as:

• Edea or Risport

is typically appropriate to provide the stiffness and support required for safe jump execution and landing control.

Artistic inline skates are great for outdoor skating and cross-training with ice skating! The number of events a skater can do soley in inline skates is limited, so many skaters who do artistic inline skating also do quad skating.

Typical Event Tiers - Gold & Silver / A & B / World Skate Free style events

• Jackson Ultima Inlines (great for intermediate skaters. Open B Creative Solo was won at nationals by a skater wearing this skate from this website)

Skater

Typic

• Fame skates from Sure-Grip - $

• Wave skates from Riedell - $$

I am NOT an expert in Jam skating nor boot recommendations, so I would seek out someone who is. Please reach out to me and I can point you in the right direction!

In my observation and practice in Jam skating styles, I usually find a stiff boot with a supporting but loose (compared to Edea for example) high-cut boot. 

If you are also interested in artistic skating, let's discuss the best boot for you!