UK, my daughter wants some decent inline skates for christmas?

I have looked online and am just assuming the higher the price the better they are but I would like some other guide line to go by if you have any.

UK, my daughter wants some decent inline skates for christmas?
Sort of true. The best skates are the ones that fit what your daughter wants to do and fit her well.


What kind of skating does she want to do?


Agressive (ramps, sliding on rails, jumps)


Slalom or dance moves.


Hockey


Recreational/Fitness (skating on streets or trails)


Racing (the extreme edge of reccreational/fitness)





The needs for each of them is different. Agressive are the most specialized skates. Recreational/Fitness are the least specialized .





For rec/fit skates, there are a few important things.


Light weight, stiff frame, appropriate wheels.


Most of the major brand skates are reasonably light.


The better models will have metal frames.


Any quality skate will have the ability to have 80mm to 100mm wheels. The faster a person is going, them larger wheels they generally want. However, if your daughter is small, large wheels can be difficlult to control.





Many skates hype the ABEC rating of their bearings. It is an obsolete comparison now that all but really cheap skates come with good bearings and you cannot tell a difference from just the rating.





More important then the differences in most skates is how they fit. To work well the skates should become part of the feet. You want them to feel evenly snug all around the feet, with the length ahead of the toes being the least important except that you don't want them to be too short. Since each skate model has a slightly diffrent shape, the best thing is to have your daughter try them on before you buy them. That can be challenging for a present but you might work out a deal with a store to get a pair to give her with the understanding that you will come in to fit the final pair later.





If your daughter's feet are still growing quickly, this can be a problem.


For very young skaters, the skate companies make skates that are adjustable over about 4 sizes.


For older children, you can get a larger skate and add an extra insole that takes up space that they can grow into later.





I don't know the specific brands that are redily available in the UK. You might want to check out the LondonSkater web site at www.londonskaters.com


They may be able to point you to knowledgeable people in your part of the UK.


Another possible resource is www.thefns.com



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