| With sports such as ice hockey and ice skating being | | | | for the beginners that are cheaper than leather. |
| one of the most popular forms of entertainment all | | | | Recreational ice skates may appear like figure skates |
| around the globe, ice skates are nothing new to the | | | | but they do not have the padding or support required |
| average individual. | | | | for figure skating. These skates are made for those |
| Boots having blades attached to the bottom and used | | | | who simply skate for pleasure. |
| to propel a person across the sheet of ice is called ice | | | | Hockey Skates: Ice hockey players mainly use this |
| skates. There is a crescent shaped hollow creating | | | | type of ice skates. These are made of synthetic |
| two sharp edges on the bottom of the ice skate. The | | | | leather, molded plastic or ballistic nylon. Hockey skates |
| depth of this hollow (Radius of Hollow) varies with the | | | | look like athletics shoes that angle the feet forward. |
| ability, strength, weight and activity of the skater as | | | | The blades are almost as long as the boot and curved |
| well as the type of sporting activity and style of play. | | | | at front and back. This is to allow the player |
| Some skates like speed skates and touring skates | | | | comfortable movement on all sides. The skates must |
| that do not have a hollow bottom, have an efficient | | | | be strong and durable to withstand the battering from |
| glide but it cannot cut ice effectively. | | | | hockey sticks, pucks and other players’ skates. Ice |
| There are different types of ice skates: | | | | hockey players have their skates on for longer periods |
| Figure skates: This type of ice skates is specifically | | | | than figure skaters. Hence the ice hockey skates are |
| used in figure skating. Figure skates are leather boots | | | | padded and designed to give the comfort and support |
| with steel hollow ground blades extending an inch past | | | | akin to the best 'running' shoes. The goaltenders of ice |
| the boot and small heel. In front of the blade there are | | | | hockey use a special type of hockey skates- |
| toe-picks made of aluminum or steel. Toe-picks are | | | | ‘Goalie skates.’ The ankle of such ice skates is |
| used for certain jumps like ‘toe loop’, ‘Lutz | | | | lower than hockey skates to let the boot remain closer |
| jump’. Several layers of leathers are used to make | | | | to ice. The boot is protected by hardened plastic. The |
| figure skating boots. The stiff layers of leather provide | | | | blade is generally longer with a low curvature that |
| ankle support to the skater. There are also vinyl boots | | | | helps in easy side-wise movement. |