Rollerblading is a great way to get in shape. It’s an aerobic exercise, which means it increases your heart rate and burns calories. You can lose weight with rollerblading, but you have to be careful not to gain weight with it. Here are some tips for losing weight while rollerblading:
- Keep track of how many calories you burn during your workout. The more calories you burn each day, the more weight you will lose over time.
- Make sure you eat healthy foods at every meal in order to keep your calorie intake low and your metabolism high.
- Mix up your exercise routine by doing other exercises such as jogging or swimming on days when you don’t rollerblade so that your body stays fit enough to handle the stress of intense physical activity like rollerblading without getting injured (which would mean stopping altogether).
Right here on Buy and Slay, you are privy to a litany of relevant information on health benefits of rollerblading, best rollerblades for every skating level, and so much more. Take out time to visit our catalog for more information on similar topics.
Is Rollerblading Good Exercise For Weight Loss
According to expert opinion, Fanella, a certified personal roller skating trainer, says,’ Rollerblading helps to improve your body strength and heart health.
How’s this so, you ask? According to her, rollerblading and roller skating play a significant role in boosting the cardiovascular system and overall body health.
Let’s quickly look into how rollerblading is a good exercise for weight loss and how the sport can help you out if you’re struggling with body fat loss.
1. Rollerblading Exercises Works the Upper Leg muscles, Glutes, Hips, and Core
The right rollerblading position requires one to slightly bend their knees in an obtuse angle with shoulders over the hips and the knees directly above the toes.
Being in this position actively engages the upper leg muscles, the glutes, the hips, and the core.
Staying in this skating posture for long, you should feel the muscles around these body parts burning under your skin.
Before I forget, this helps to tone down these areas while strengthening them.
For starters, the glutes muscles are large and found around the butt area. As a result, the glutes play an important role in facilitating body locomotion and stability.
With strong glutes, you can hold your body in an upright position without a struggle.
You can engage in many exercises to strengthen your glutes, and rollerblading happens to be one of them.
On the other hand, the core muscles form the better part of the lower parts of your body.
According to an article by the Joint Venture Blogs, “Your core is a complex of muscles, extending far beyond your abs.”
The main muscles included in this region include; the pelvic floor muscles, transverse abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and the diaphragm.
How are these muscles important to the body? You could be wondering.
Your spine supports the entire body, and it’s the role of these core muscles to support the spine. Without the core muscles, the movement would be a real hassle.
To facilitate smooth movement from one place to another or just the movement of your body parts, you need a stronger spine and stronger core muscles.
So how do you get stronger core muscles? There are many exercises you can engage in, and rollerblading is one of them.
2. It’s a Good Exercise for Cardio Workout
Amongst all the things you need for healthy living, a healthy heart should never miss in the mix.
So how can rollerblading help you achieve that? See, inline skating is vigorous and less repetitive, unlike other forms of workout.
And according to Amy Fanella, it’s low impact, and it’s possible to go long hours without experiencing body fatigue.
But, most importantly, don’t forget about the fun that’s in a good ride. So, as you’re having fun, you’re also keeping fit.
That being said, since you can go for long hours skating, your heart is actively engaged to keep pumping blood to the rest of the body and to help generate energy for moving around.
One more thing, cholesterol accumulates inside blood vessels which increases the chances of heart attacks.However, when your heart is actively engaged, the cholesterol is burned in aerobic respiration.
This reduces the strain on the vessels and the heart altogether. Eventually, you’re left with a clean and healthy cardiovascular system for healthy living.
So, is rollerblading good cardio? Absolutely yes!
3. Helps Burn Body Fat in Aerobic Respiration
The back and forth glide movement and hand swinging engage the muscles around the hands and the legs in aerobic respiration.
For starters, aerobic respiration is the process your body uses to burn down stored calories and fats and breaking them down into energy.
Therefore, the more you engage your muscles in rollerblading, the more you burn down the calories.
Excess body fats contribute to excess weight and obesity. Many times, it’s prevalent in people with a low metabolism rate.
Therefore, after consuming your food, it’s digested, and a little of it goes to the bloodstream while a lot of it is stored in your body as fat.
As we’ve already seen, rollerblading engages your body muscles, burning the body fat and converting it into energy and water. Therefore, rollerblading is solid proof that you can lose excess body fat and tone down your body to its right weight.
So, can rollerblading help lose belly fat? Absolutely yes. Rollerblading works on the core muscles, including the belly areas, and burns the fat around the belly in aerobic respiration.
How Many Calories do you Burn When Rollerblading?
It’s true rollerblading helps burn calories, but many calories are we looking at after every skating session? That’s what we’re about to discover!
According to research done by BetterMe, the number of calories one can burn depends on their body weight and intensity of exercise.
For example, a person weighing 160 pounds will burn 913 calories in one hour of rollerblading.
On the other hand, a person weighing 240 pounds will burn approximately 1363 calories in an hour of rollerblading.
To find out how many calories you can use, an online calorie calculator is available at your disposal.
And the best part is, it’s free! A phone or computer and internet connection is all you need.
Rollerblading Weight loss Success Stories
If you’re wondering if rollerblading can help you lose weight, take a look at these images of rollerblading before and after weight loss.
Then, hopefully, you get the inspiration.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Rollerblading a Good Workout?
Rollerblading can serve as a good workout when done right. While skating, all your body muscles are actively engaged from your hands to the chest, abdomen, hips, and legs.
Rollerblading is intensive, requires energy in aerobic respiration, and helps keep the cardiovascular system alive and healthy.
Is Rollerblading Good Exercise for Weight Loss | Final Thoughts
The benefits of rollerblading to your health are immense. So if you’re wondering whether it’s a good exercise for weight loss, the answer is really simple.
Rollerblading is an effective exercise for weight loss when done right.
While skating, all your body muscles are actively engaged from your hands to the chest, abdomen, hips, and legs.
Rollerblading is intensive, requires energy in aerobic respiration, and helps keep the cardiovascular system alive and healthy.
If you want to see good results, you got to commit to it at least three times a week, and each session should last at least 30 minutes.
Follow this exercise routine, and your rollerblading before and after weight loss will be pretty mind-blowing.
Health Benefits of Rollerblading
The benefits of rollerblading are immense and something best known by inline skaters. Whether you’re an experienced, intermediate, or beginner skater, there’s always a health benefit for you whenever you go rollerblading.
There is a myriad of inline skating health benefits regardless of your level of skating. The amazing thing about rollerblading is how you have fun while also boosting your health. Below are the benefits of rollerblading. Let’s get going!
Is rollerblading good exercise for weight loss? Absolutely yes! Like many types of body work out, rollerblading engages all parts of the body from your hands to the chest to the abdomen, to the hips and the legs. All these can be summarized to the body core and glutes.
Besides, inline skating is rigorous, intensive, and involving. This means for your body to move smoothly, it needs to produce enough energy in aerobic respiration. What does that even mean, you ask? An aerobic respiration is a process by which your body produces energy.
The process involves burning down body fats in the presence of oxygen to produce energy for powering all body functions. Remember, excess weight is brought about by too many stored calories under your skin. However, when you burn them in aerobic respiration to produce energy for the body, you’re helping your body shade some weight.
BetterMe, in their article ‘How Many Calories Does Rollerblading Burn?’ asserts how it’s possible to lose weight by rollerblading. However, in their opinion, this depends on two things. One is your body weight and the intensity of the workout.
Therefore, if you want quick results, you’ve got to put in the effort and go rollerblading at least three times a week. Besides, the number of calories you lose on every session will depend on your weight. According to their research, a person weighing 160 pounds will burn 913 calories in one hour of rollerblading.
To find out how many calories you’ll burn every time you go inline skating, you can use a free online calories calculator. So, whether you can lose weight or not when rollerblading, it’s already settled. So, keep a regular rollerblading session, drink adequate water and watch out for your food portions.
2. Muscle Development around the Core, Glutes, Hips, and Legs
According to the US National Library of Medicine and Definitions.net, muscle development leads to the formation of the adult muscular system, which includes differentiation of the various types of muscle cell precursors, migration of myoblasts, activation of myogenesis, and development of muscle anchorage.
Wait, if you think that’s quite a complex definition, here’s the simple one. Muscle development is the transformation of body muscles. In this case, we’re looking at the core, glutes, hips, and legs. So, how does inline skating influence this? You could be wondering.
Before getting into that, let’s hold the thought and see what these body parts by any chance you have a problem knowing where to find them. So, the core area, according to the article ‘Core Training: The What, Why and How’, by Bodybuilding.com, is the body midsection area.
The core muscles around the mid-section include muscles located in your front, sides, and your back. In addition, lower lats, traverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae all form part of the core. As you can see, these muscles hold your entire body together.
Therefore, they need to be stronger and healthy all the time. In addition, for remarkable results, the core muscles need to grow and develop to support your body while in motion or rest. So, while rollerblading, the core muscles are actively engaged as you move and glide.
Doing this for a while translates to core exercise, which is a good thing for your core development.
On the other hand, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, the glutes are a large muscle of the buttocks. And in another article by BreakingMuscle, the muscles that comprise the glute include; gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus mini.
Staying in the best position for you for a long time trains your core and tones muscles around the core, making them lean. The more you practice, the more you put the core to good use. A stronger core also helps with steady body posture.
Get into skating for a while, and you’ll see the many transformations around your core, butts, hips, hands, and legs. As you skate, all your body parts are involved.
Moving your hands and switching from one to another helps improve the muscles around them. This also happens to your leg muscles when you glide on the surface.
Overall, rollerblading is vigorous and keeps all the body muscles in shape. When your muscles are healthy, it translates into a healthy body.
3. Improve Body Balance
One of the drills for mastering inline skating is going on one foot for a few seconds. This exercise is meant to help you master your balance and weight transfer on rollerblades when done right. Why is body balance important, you ask?
See, in everyday life, you need to walk from one place to another, carry an item or two, or engage in other sporting activities. It can be such a hassle running your day-to-day activities when you don’t have proper body balance.
In a statement by Nina Strang, a certified physical therapist, the right body balance contributes to good posture. The key benefit of good posture, according to Nina Strang, is how it enables muscles around the spine to relax for a more composed body.
Lastly, an improved body balance is beneficial in anyways. Typical examples include; reduced incidents of back pains, reduced headaches, more energy, relaxed shoulders, and neck,
4. Boosts Cardiovascular System
For starters, the cardiovascular system comprises the heart and the blood vessels—capillaries, veins, and arteries. A key component of the system is blood which flows to all parts of the body. Therefore, the heart pumps blood through the blood vessel to distribute oxygenated blood and other essential nutrients to all body parts.
A healthy cardiovascular system is essential for human survival. That’s why it’s advisable to watch over your heart’s health and other blood vessels. The good news is, inline skating is a rigorous and intensive sporting activity that helps keep the heart young and healthy.While you’re skating, you burn calories, thereby reducing the quantity of fats stored in your body and, in particular, the cardiovascular system. in the process, the heart is kept active as it pumps blood to all body parts that need oxygen for energy production.
5. Helps Keep Diabetes at Bay
In a comprehensive study by Mayo Clinic, Diabetes is a lifestyle disease brought about by excess weight, unhealthy diet, and affects how the body uses glucose—blood sugar. So why is glucose essential to the body, you ask.
Your body needs the energy to run all functions, and this energy is drawn from glucose in anaerobic respiration. When there’s too much sugar in the blood, you risk a diabetes attack.
The potential dangers of diabetes include; heart disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, foot damage, hearing impairment, skin conditions, and even depression.
According to Mayo Clinic, one can prevent diabetes by; eating healthy foods, getting more physical activity, and losing excess weight.
If you’re wondering a cool way of getting physically fit and dropping off some pounds, that’s where rollerblading comes in. The sport is vigorous and helps reduce excess blood sugar levels by converting it to energy for your body cells and muscles in aerobic respiration.
6. Tones Limbs (Arms and Legs)
Inline skating engages both the lower limbs and the upper limbs while you’re in motion. Normally, to push yourself forward, you’d have to swing your hands sideways as you glide. But, sometimes, your hands will be calm and probably resting on your back while you’re bending.
Whichever is the case, rollerblading helps tone the muscles in your arms. This includes the biceps, triceps, and all other arm muscles. So while your hands are in a swing mode, they’re using energy generated in your arm muscles.
If there are fat deposits in your arms, they’re converted to energy in aerobic respiration leaving behind lean muscles. The same applies to your legs and the glutes.
When you’re bending, the muscles around the legs, hips, and glutes are engaged in producing enough energy to keep you moving.
This energy is generated from the muscles around these body parts. And like I’ve already mentioned, this helps to burn fat around these parts, thereby toning them down.
7. Boosts the Production of Feel-Good Hormone
If you’re wondering how this is a health benefit, here’s the thing! Rollerblading is fun and exciting. In addition, rolling on your skates helps in boosting the production of dopamine—the feel-good hormone.
In an article, ‘What Dopamine does in the Brain,’ PNAS reports how dopamine production contributes to feeling good in the body. Without dopamine, feeling and reacting to pleasure would be a monumental task.
Whenever you feel the pleasure and you’re relaxed, your mental health also improves. Everyone wants to feel good, and I believe you’re no different. And most importantly, we all need to watch over our mental health. That’s where rollerblading comes in to save the day!
8. Keep Joints Strong and Healthy
The typical skating position involves slight bending with shoulders above the hips and knees bent in an obtuse angle and over the toes. This position alone, when done right, keeps the joints strong and healthy regardless of whether they’re leg joints, knee joints, ankle joints, shoulder joints, hip joints, etc.
The real deal happens when you’re in motion. As you glide and push yourself, your hip joints are engaged in tension and release kind of effect. This also affects knee joints, shoulder joints, wrist joints, and ankle joints.
Strong and healthy joints mean little to no joint pains. Rollerblading helps grease all body joints and helps them healthy and moving.
9. Helps with Body Coordination
Body coordination is the ability to use the senses and body parts to perform tasks efficiently and accurately. This is according to an article by Sports Training Adviser. With proper body coordination, you have control over your muscles and can accomplish tasks smoothly.
On the flip side, poor body coordination means a lack of control, and accomplishing tasks can be a hassle. To overcome this problem, you need to engage in body coordination exercises to train the muscles.
So, how does rollerblading help, you ask? The sport is intensive and involves all body muscles around your hand, core, glutes, hips, and legs. The more you practice, the muscles become sturdy and responsive, which helps to improve overall body coordination.
10. Boosts Self-Esteem and Confidence
Inline skating is a people’s sport. Therefore, it’s more fun when you’re skating in a group with like-minded skaters. Depending on your interests, you can try speed skating, aggressive skating, fitness skating, recreational skating, or hockey skating.
Based on the skating venue, you can consider a couple of options, like skate parks, sports parks, urban skating along the street, or skating on ice. The more you bond with fellow skaters, your self-esteem and confidence are boosted.
How does this affect my health? You could be wondering. See, self-esteem and confidence have a direct correlation with your mental health.
The more you have them, it’s the more your mental health is stabilized, meaning you’ll live a balanced life with little to no depressions to deal with.
Your mental health should mean everything to you. Therefore, upholding it should be a primary focus. If you can get it from rollerblading then, why don’t you give it a try?
Skaters are happy people! The reason being, it’s impossible to skate and frown at the same time. Remember the feel-good hormone? Yes, the more you skate, your body releases dopamine that helps to refresh and relax your body muscles.
Final Thoughts: Health Benefits of Rollerblading
Rollerblading benefits are immense and go beyond the recreational aspect. After skating for a while and with consistency, you’ll begin to notice some inline skating health benefits. This transformation is best seen in your body by you or your friends.
If you were slightly overweight, your rollerblading body before and after inline skating would tell it all. Therefore, rollerblading helps you burn excess calories for weight loss, keeps your cardiovascular system active and healthy, and develops your muscles.
The best part is while skating; you’re gaining twice—having fun while keeping your body in good shape. Isn’t that fun enough? If you’re starting, never give up and keep pushing. Soon, you’ll reap all the health benefits of rollerblading. Cheers and happy skating!
Best Rollerblades For Every Skating Level
Finding the right rollerblades for you depends on your skating style and skill level. Athletes need snug skates that offer control, while casual skaters need comfortable padding. Beginners need supportive skates that don’t cost a fortune, while advanced skaters may want to invest in quality. And everyone needs skates that fit.
To determine the best rollerblades, we spent hours researching top-rated options, considering skate style, comfort, support, and value. We also spoke to four experts about different skating styles and what to consider when buying rollerblades.
According to our research, here are the best rollerblades for every skill level.
Best Women’s Overall: Rollerblade Women’s Zetrablade Inline Skates
Pros
- Stabilizing shell and cuffs
- Low center of gravity
- Cushioned with memory foam
Cons
- Best for entry-level skaters
- Limited range of motion
We picked Rollerblade’s Zetrablade Women’s Inline Skates as our top women’s pick because they’re comfortable, durable, and easy to use—an ideal combination for recreational skating. The skates have a low center of gravity, supportive high cuffs, and a durable composite shell. These features will stabilize your ankles and feet as you skate, making it easy to maintain your balance.
To keep you comfortable, the skates are lined with plush memory foam. This padding will adjust to your feet over time, so your fit will start snug and become more personalized as you skate. These features, combined with easy-to-fasten buckles and grippy wheels, make these rollerblades great for recreational skaters who need rollerblades that win on convenience and comfort.
Shell Material: Composite | Level: Beginner | Padded: Yes
Best Men’s Overall: Rollerblade Men’s Zetrablade Inline Skates
Pros
- Soft boots
- Stabilizing frame and cuffs
- Lined with performance padding
Cons
- Best for entry-level skaters
- Limited range of motion
Rollerblade’s Men’s Zetrablade Inline Skates are perfect for the casual skater. Designed with soft boots and durable composite frames, the skates are comfortable but supportive, which is why we chose them as our top men’s pick. Their low center of gravity will help you stay balanced and in control as you skate. And their sturdy high cuffs will provide even more support.
The skates are lined with plush performance padding, which will cushion your feet and keep you comfortable as you skate. This makes the skates great for beginners who need as much padding as they can get. The skates also boast other useful features, like easy-to-tie laces, quick-fasten buckles, and durable wheels.
Shell Material: Composite | Level: Beginner | Padded: Yes
Best Budget: Roller Derby AERIO Q-60 Women’s Inline Skates
Pros
- Comfortable, soft boots
- Supportive high cuffs
- Cushioned with memory foam
Cons
- Best for entry-level skaters
- Limited range of motion
Looking for a great deal on recreational rollerblades? We recommend Roller Derby’s AERIO Q-60 Inline Skates for a value buy. The skates are designed with soft boots, lightweight frames, and supportive high cuffs. This combination makes the skates comfortable and supportive, which is what casual skaters need from their rollerblades.
The skates are lined with plush memory foam padding, which will cushion your feet to keep you comfortable as you skate. And they’re equipped with convenient closures—like laces, buckles, and velcro straps—which make it easy to lock in a snug fit. Another perk? While many budget-friendly rollerblades are one-size-fits-all, these are available in specific sizes (currently, sizes 5–10). So you can score a pair that securely fits your feet.
Shell Material: Synthetic textiles | Level: Beginner | Padded: Yes
Best for Beginners: LIKU Black Professional Inline Skates
Pros
- Stabilizing shell and cuffs
- Low center of gravity
- Removable memory foam liner
Cons
- Limited range of motion
When you’re learning to skate, you need support and comfort. And LIKU’s Black Professional Inline Skates offer both. Designed with a stable aluminum frame and a sturdy outer shell, the skates are durable and supportive. We like that they’re designed with other beginner-friendly features, too, like supportive high cuffs and a low center of gravity. All these sturdy details will protect and stabilize your foot, making it easier for you to balance.
Though these LIKU skates may not look as cozy as skates with soft boots, they don’t skimp on comfort. The skates come with removable memory foam liners, which will cushion your feet as you get used to your skates. The skates are also lined with breathable vents to keep your feet from overheating.
And they’re equipped with shock-absorbing bearings, which smooth out any bumps in the road.
Shell Material: Composite | Level: Beginner | Padded: Yes (removable)
What the Experts Say
“The first step in learning to skate is to stay on your skates,” Alex Shulgan, professional slalom skater and partner at InMove Skates, says. He recommends that beginners look for stabilizing features, like sturdy shells and supportive cuffs.
Best Intermediate: K2 LT Trio 100 Urban Inline Skates
Pros
- Flexible, soft boots and cuffs
- Speed-friendly, 3-wheel design
- Padded with foam
Cons
- Not supportive enough for beginners
- Not tailored to a specific skating style
Comfortable, fast, and versatile, K2’s Trio LT 100 Inline Skates are an upgrade from entry-level skates. Equipped with soft boots made of mesh and synthetic leather, the skates are less restrictive than beginner skates with sturdy shells. And we love that their flexible cuffs will support your ankles without feeling stiff or uncomfortable. Each skate is also lined with three big wheels instead of four small wheels, letting you pick up more speed than you could on beginner rollerblades.
These upgrades are great. But you don’t have to say goodbye to all your favorite entry-level features: The soft skates are padded with foam, just like your beginner skates were. And their convenient laces should make it easy to find a fit that feels snug and comfortable.
Shell Material: Mesh, synthetic leather | Level: Intermediate | Padded: Yes
Best Advanced: Powerslide Swell Nite 125 Rollerblades
Pros
- High-quality parts and materials
- Customizable cuffs (cuff spacers)
- Lined with adaptive padding
Cons
- Not supportive enough for beginners
- Not tailored to a specific skating style
- Expensive
For advanced skaters who want to invest in quality, we recommend Powerslide’s Swell Nite 125 Rollerblades. The sleek skate boots are made from glass fiber reinforced plastic. And they’re lined with 3DAP, a type of padding made from casted polyurethane. Since this padding is seamless, it’s more durable than traditional padding. And it’s designed to mold to your feet for a personalized fit.
Comfort and durability are important, but it’s the little details that make these skates so special. Integrated air vents keep your feet from overheating. Waxed laces are unlikely to come untied mid-skate.
Cuff spacers make it easy to lengthen or shorten your cuffs, depending on preference. And reflective accents increase your visibility in low-light conditions.
Shell Material: Glass reinforced plastic | Level: Advanced | Padded: Yes
Best for Commuting: Rollerblade Twister XT Inline Skates
Pros
- Light but durable shell
- Control-friendly, 4-wheel design
- Padded liner, plus added shock-absorbing foam
Cons
- Expensive
Commuters need durable city skates that are easy to control. And Rollerblade’s Twister XT Inline Skates fit the bill. Designed with an aluminum frame and hard outer shell, the lightweight skates are sturdy enough to withstand wear and tear without weighing you down. We like that the skates are lined with four small wheels, instead of three big wheels. This swap makes the skates easier to control, so you can accelerate or stop whenever you need to.
To keep you comfortable, the skates are cushioned with a padded liner and equipped with extra shock-absorbing padding in their heels. And they also come with a footboard sizer, which you can use to customize your skates until they fit your feet perfectly.
Shell Material: Composite | Level: Intermediate | Padded: Yes
Best for Slalom Skating: Flying Eagle F5S Eclipse Pro Inline Freeskates
Pros
- Supportive shell with adjustable cuffs
- Removable padded liner
- Rockerable frame
Cons
- Tailored to slalom skating and freeskating only
Slalom skaters perform technical tricks around lines of cones. So they need support, control, and some pretty specific features. For these types of skaters, we recommend Flying Eagle’s F5S Eclipse Skates. The freeskates have an ultra-supportive hard shell made from molded plastic. And their cuffs are adjustable, so you can tighten them to get the snug support you need. The skates also come with a detachable padded liner, which you can leave in for comfort or remove to get a more responsive fit.
The skates are also equipped with high-rebound wheels and a rockerable frame—two features that are great for slalom skates. (Rockered frames are frames where the first and fourth wheels are smaller than the second and third wheels. They’re big in slalom skating, because they make it easier to turn and transition between tricks.)
Shell Material: Molded plastic | Level: Intermediate and advanced | Padded: Yes (removable)
Best for Aggressive Skating: Rollerblade Blank Inline Skates
Pros
- Streamlined but durable shell
- Low center of gravity
- Small performance wheels
Cons
- Tailored to aggressive, park, and street skating only
- Expensive
Aggressive skaters need performance skates that can handle tricks like grinds and jumps. And with their low center of gravity and small wheels, Rollerblade’s Blank Inline Skates are up to the task. Designed with a glass reinforced nylon frame and a molded shell, the skates are streamlined but durable. And their small performance wheels make landing jumps much easier.
Aggressive skating can get intense, so we like that these skates are padded strategically to keep you comfortable. Each skate is also equipped with a shock-absorbing liner, which will cushion your heels as you tackle grinds and jumps.
Shell Material: Molded composite | Level: Intermediate and advanced | Padded: Yes
Final Verdict
We love Rollerblade’s Zetrablade Women’s Inline Skates because they offer comfort, support, and durability—all at a reasonable price. Designed with a supportive shell and a low center of gravity, the skates make it easier to stay on your feet. And since they’re padded with memory foam, they’ll keep you comfortable as you skate.
Rollerblade’s Men’s Zetrablade Inline Skates are another great option for recreational skaters. Designed with soft boots and lined with performance padding, the skates are comfortable enough to wear for hours. And thanks to supportive features, like sturdy frames and stabilizing cuffs, they make it easy to maintain your balance and stay in control.
How We Selected the Best Rollerblades
Before recommending any rollerblades, we needed to understand what made great rollerblades great. So we turned to four experts: a personal trainer, a professional slalom skater and skate shop manager, a skating instructor and skate shop owner, and another skate shop manager. These experts walked us through the basics of rollerblading—helping us understand which features make rollerblades great for different skating styles and skill levels.
We kept these insights in mind as we researched dozens of top-rated rollerblades, assessing fan-favorites for quality, silhouette, comfort, support/flexibility, and value. We prioritized comfort and support for beginners, quality and flexibility for experts, and specific performance features for athletes. We also considered value, acknowledging that recreational skaters have different price expectations than athletes.
What to Look for in Rollerblades
Comfort
Comfort is key when shopping for rollerblades. Why? “If your skates aren’t comfortable, you’ll skate less,” Shulgan says. But comfort may mean different things, depending on your skill level. Beginners may prefer supportive skates that are heavily padded with foam. Intermediate skaters may prefer a softer, more flexible skate. And some advanced skaters may want to forgo padding to get a more responsive fit and feel.
Support vs. Flexibility
With rollerblades, support and flexibility are often at odds. High cuffs and hard boots stabilize your feet, whereas low cuffs and soft boots make it easy to move around. Since balancing can be tough when you first start skating, beginners typically need the most supportive skates they can find. Intermediate skaters may want to experiment with more flexible skates. And advanced skaters need the combination of support and flexibility that best suits their skating style.
Fit
“A pair of rollerblades should fit fairly snug,” Arnav “Sonic” Shah, instructor and owner of Kinetic Expression Skate Shop in New York City, says. With your foot fully flat in the boot, he says that you can check the fit of your skates by bending at the ankle and knees. If your foot remains flat in the boot without any curling or pressure points after ten minutes, you should be good to go. Shah says that, in terms of adjustment for fit, you should ensure that the top strap is fairly tight. Look for features like straps, buckles, and laces, that will help you feel secure in the boots.
Silhouette
If you’re a beginner skater, a boot-shaped rollerblade—that will stabilize your ankle and foot—is a good choice. “Having a skate that isn’t too loose, and ensuring that the top strap is on tight are both important in terms of stabilization,” Shah says. If you’re a performance skater, a rollerblade with a lower-profile boot may be preferable, since it offers a wider range of motion.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How should rollerblades fit?
For most people, rollerblades should fit a little tighter than your shoes. “Your feet shouldn’t be able to move around inside the skate,” AJ DeLong, operations manager at Shop Task Skates, says. “It’s OK if your toes have a bit of wiggle room, but the rest of your foot should be snug. This kind of fit will give you good control and support while skating.”
What is the difference between rollerblades and roller skates?
The main difference between rollerblades and roller skates is the number and arrangement of the wheels. Roller skates always have four wheels that are aligned in two rows. The rubber brakes are arranged in front of the wheels. On the other hand, rollerblades may have three, four, or even five wheels on each skate. The wheels are usually thinner than those on roller skates and the rubber brakes are placed in the back, behind the wheels. Rollerblades also have larger wheels than roller skates, so they’re much faster and a better choice for speed skating.
“Most inline skates use a hard outer plastic shell that comes up above your ankle and that provides a lot of lateral support,” DeLong says. “In contrast, roller skates are usually made of leather and come up just above or even below the ankle, giving the skater more ankle mobility which can be helpful for certain styles of roller skating.”
Is rollerblading a good workout?
Rollerblading is an excellent cardio workout, and it also works a lot of muscles at the same time. “Rollerblading is a really great physical activity,” Plascencia says. “It targets your quads, lower legs, and even your core.”
How do you stop on rollerblades?
Beginner-friendly rollerblades come equipped with heel brakes, which you can rely on when you need to stop. To stop with your heel brake, bend your knees slightly, push one foot forward, and tilt your heel toward the ground. Let your heel brake drag along the ground until you come to a stop. You can also stop on rollerblades by dragging one foot behind you and turning it sideways, with your toes pointed out. In this stop, you want to use the sides of your wheels to create enough friction to stop.
