I thought it would be helpful to have a thread about choosing and buying ice skates, especially for adult skaters.

Just to start it off, here's a link to an About.com skate-buying article:
http://figureskating.about.com/od/bo.../bb/skates.htm

Please feel free to add links, opinions, and suggestions.

Thanks,

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For the first few weeks of skating, please dress beginning skaters in snowpants, warm jacket, gloves/mittens, and of course, a helmet.

For the little tiny tots, there's a company called "BabySkates" that makes boot-and-blade combinations that are a slight step above the usual strap-on double runners. I've seen a few people use them for their kids at public sessions. Since they "never need sharpening," they are NOT really useful for anything other than marching around the ice. They don't glide, so it's not really "skating." Still, it makes it easier on the parents' backs since the tot can stand on their own within a few minutes.

www.babyskates.com

For mucking around the pond, or skating with family, they're fine, as are double runners. Since they don't really glide, the skates would hold the skater back in lessons, however.

Most skating programs recommend that beginners start off in single-blade figure skates, even for kids interested in hockey. The hockey blade is curved at both the front and back of the skate, requiring beginners to learn balancing not just side-to-side, but also front-to-back. Since the figure skate blade is flatter, it allows the skater to stand up and keep their balance more easily without falling forwards and backwards. Less frustrating and tiring for the skater, too!

Once the skater has mastered one-foot gliding and stroking, the changeover from figure skates to hockey skates is minimal.

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