When starting with ice skating, it can be difficult to find the perfect ice skates for beginners as the market is filled with different varieties.
There is no one-size-fits-all in ice skates because every player has different needs, and every foot is different.
Our choice for the best ice skates for beginners is the Bauer Supreme S37 Ice Skates.
This is because they have a comfortable footbed, provides a good range of motion, are lightweight, and keep your foot dry throughout the game. There are other options available depending on your needs and budget.
Hockey skates offer great support to the foot and are maneuverable and fast making them a great choice for beginners.
If you are interested in cozy rides, hybrid ice skates are a good choice for you because they have soft boots. However, if you want to practice spins, jumps, and other technical tricks, Jackson Ultima JS1290 figure skates are for you.
This article will provide you with more information about the different ice skates available for you as a beginner and how you can choose the best one for you.
10 Best Ice Skates For Beginners (2023)
Brand | Skill Level | Gendre | Rating | Check Now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Bauer Supreme S37 Editor's Choice | Beginner/ | Men | 100% | |
2. Jackson JS1290 Editor's Choice | Beginner/ | Women | 100% | |
3. Bauer X-LP Skates Budget Friendly | Beginner | Men | 96% | |
4. Botas Regina Budget Friendly | Beginner | Women | 98% | |
5. CCM JetSpeed FT485 For Wide Feet | Beginner/ | Men | 98% | |
6. TRUE TF9 Most Comfortable | Beginner/ | Men | 97% | |
7. Bauer Supreme 3S | Beginner/ | Men | 100% | |
8. Botas Stella | Beginner | Women | 96% | |
9. Bauer Vapor X2.7 | Beginner | Men | 95% | |
10. Jackson ST2300 For Toddlers | Beginner | Toddlers | 94% |
1. Bauer Supreme S37 Beginner Ice Skates
Best Ice Skates For Beginners (Editor's Choice)
If you are looking for the best beginner ice skates for men, our recommendation is the Bauer Supreme S37.
The S37 Ice skate is designed for skilled players who play more frequently and looking for a skate that offers both comfort and value, to maximize their performance.
Design
It is also available in two widths, EE (wide) and D (regular), and comes in an intermediate size range, giving you the best fit possible.
It has a flex rating of 65 to allow the player to have a full range of motion, making the skate easier to use throughout the game. The fiber composite quarter makes the S37 skate stiffer, offering more energy transfer, support, and stability.
Features
This skate features a 40-ounce Felt tongue that has mesh metatarsal protection as well as an ankle pad that is constructed using light memory foam to offer extra flexibility, comfort, and support.
The TUUK Lightspeed sled holder is reliable and easy-care and allows for a quick switch and release of the blade, making it more dependable and easier to maintain.
The footbed is upgraded and has thermoformable properties making the skate comfortable and stable as the player skates.
It also helps the player to achieve a perfect fit by molding itself to the shape of the player’s foot for a customized fit. This helps with efficiency because the foot will not slide or wiggle during the game.
The microfiber liner in the inner side of the skate keeps the foot dry by wicking away the moisture. This makes the foot more comfortable for the player throughout the game.
2. Jackson JS1290 Beginner Ice Skates
Editor's Choice - Women
Our choice for the women’s best ice skates for beginners is the Jackson Ultima Excel Series. These are classic-looking white ice skates made with a vinyl coated upper and synthetic lining to keep your feet dry.
The support rating for these skates is light, which means they are a great choice for beginners. More advanced skaters would need to go with something stiffer, but that is harder to learn with because your movement will be restricted. Because they have a light stiffness, they do not take too much time to break in.
The foam backed vinyl/mesh comfort tongue of the skates will make sure that the top of your foot is comfortable and protected from the laces. The blade of the skate is screwed into place, so you will not be able to trade it out if that was your intention. The blade will also need to be sharpened before you use it the first time.
The outsole of the skates is made up of stylized PVC, which means it will be durable and reliable underneath your boot. All in all, these skates are a great choice for women just learning to ice skate, especially since you get a lot of value for your money.
3. Bauer XLP Beginner Ice Skates
Budget Friendly - Men
The XLP ice skate is designed for a player who wants to start playing ice hockey because it provides clear feature upgrades and is easy to use especially when learning how to skate.
Design
The boot construction is unique and includes a plush ankle foam to ensure that learning how to play and skate is as fun and comfortable as possible.
The 3D Poly Carb Boot also provides extra boot flex making it easier to use and comfortable for the recreational or casual player.
Features
The 13ft runner is easy to balance and boosts the confidence of the player since it is strategically designed to give the player more stability than the traditional runner.
The XLP skate features a pro-inspired 30 ounce Felt tongue that comes with additional padding required to protect the top of the foot from various impacts during the game and prevents lace bites.
While the TUUK Lightspeed Pro II holder of this skate does not have a runner that is removable compared to other skates, it provides similar durability and performance benefits and has the same appearances as the skates used by pros.
This skate comes with a traditional hockey lacing system to make it easier for a beginner to use. The fleece liner in the skate is more comfortable, warmer, and keeps the foot dry by wicking the moisture away.
Finally, the EVA foam footbed provides the comfort that the players need to do their best in the game by cushioning their feet. The EVA foam footbed also provides the player with durability, flexibility, lightness, and shock absorption.
4. Botas Regina Beginner Ice Skates
Budget Friendly - Women
Botas Regina is a European design skate that is designed for women to enjoy.
Design
This skate combines the technologies that create a sturdy and comfortable product. This model is innovative to provide solid ice skates for women, and it is available in both adult and child sizes.
REGINA can be used as an ice skate for children as well as a figure skate for women. The boot of this skate is constructed using high-quality synthetic leather for figure skates with a finish that is waterproof making it enjoyable for kids to wear.
Features
Both the kid's and women's models have a foam lining and brushed knit to ensure that it is comfortable. This skate has a tongue slip that is designed using a soft felt inner lining with high-quality synthetic materials.
The sole is made of tough plastic making this skate perfect for children ice skates or girls and women figure skates.
The flexible collar, ankle padding around the calves, wider shape, and reinforced upper makes it comfortable for girls to use.
The blade in this skate comes with a TUV GS European certification and provides improved support making it safe for children to use it.
5. CCM Jetspeed FT485 Ice Hockey Skates
For Wide Feet
The FT485 is made for the player that skates 2 to 3 times a week and desires a touch of maximum performance and great technologies features while getting value for their money.
Design
The CCM Jetspeed FT485 provides a wide or regular fit depending on the player’s foot size. It allows for a customized feel, faster strides, and a closer fit.
This skate comes with high-level features that prove to be an option for skaters who do not want to pay a high price but still need quality comfort and performance benefits to do their best on ice.
Features
The boot of the Jetspeed FT485 is one-piece with a lightweight RFM composite material. This gives players a closer fit for faster strides and a more direct transfer of energy because of its performance and acceleration.
It is lighter and less stiff compared to the FT4 and FT4 Pro providing enough support for a performance-level player.
The XS Tongue is the newest to the 2021 Jetspeed line and takes protection and comfort to the next level by making them interchangeable.
The player can switch the Tongue inserts to maximize protection and feel when skating. This XS Tongue System allows the player to decrease or increase the volume of the boot’s interior to ensure that they get the best fit and that the boot is comfortable.
This skate comes with a 7mm dual layer high performing Felt tongue that provides protection against lace bites and offers enhanced and improved comfort as well as feel. However, you can purchase extra tongue inserts that CCM offers.
The inserts range from slim to thick depending on the choice of the player. The first custom tongue is 4 mm and allows for more movement as it increases the volume of the boot.
The second standard tongue is 7mm and it provides more protection because it is 20% stronger while the third tongue is 10 mm and provides a better lace bite protection as well as a snug fit.
The TotalDri liner and the Memory Foam pads help with the custom feel that this skate provides. These multi-density foam pads help in wrapping around the foot while taking its shape making this skate comfortable. The TotalDri liner prevents abrasions on the player’s foot while preventing moisture from building up. It also helps prevent rubbing or wear as well as preventing lace bites.
The FT485 footbed is constructed using the Ortholite technology by CCM, which is a design featuring 5 percent recycled rubber and eco-friendly to provide ideal support and a lightweight feel.
The senior skate has the Speedblade XS stainless runner with Speedblade XS holder while the intermediate skate has the CCM XS stainless steel. The runner provides an edge that is durable to provide long-term performance.
6. TRUE TF9 Ice Hockey Skates
Most Comfortable
TRUE changed the market by designing the TRUE TF9 skate with its high technology in the categories of competitive and performance stock skate.
Design
This type of skate is made for skaters who are looking for the best fit and performance in the market.
It is designed around the fundamental benefits of players that are synonymous with True skates. This boot is ultra-lightweight and delivers elite performance.
Features
This skate is a combination of several scans of various feet and several hours of designing it to ensure that the custom skate is fit as possible.
TRUESHELL technology is used on the True TF9 shell combined with thermoplastic one-piece shell and their proprietary co-molded carbon fiber to make a thermoformed boot.
This offers a high level of performance and protection while still being lightweight. The TRUESHELL technology wraps the toe box to remove any weak points around areas of high impact as well as provide superior protection.
True TF9 senior skate features the T-Guard insert and anatomical tongue at the top. This tongue has a contoured and stiff design allowing anatomical fit on the foot and is lightweight for improved comfort.
The tongue is adjustable; therefore, the player can easily position for a desirable fit of their comfort level and style. The T-Guard Insert prevents lace bites and delivers protection against impact.
The interior of the boot is constructed with the Hydrofoam liner. The moisture-wicking and antimicrobial liner through a multi-density foam construction provides superior comfort and helps to keep your feet dry. True implemented a personalized fit system for the insole to accommodate low, mid, and high arch feet. The fit inserts placement is marked on the insole for easy positioning for any arch type.
The bottom of True TF9 Senior skates uses its all-new versatile SHIFT Holder that features enhanced BenchChange technology that allows faster blade replacement without using a special tool. The holders are designed to keep you from missing important playtime on the ice.
The boot is thermoformable to enhance the comfort and fit of the skater and ensure the feet have a good fit inside the skate.
7. Bauer Supreme 3S Ice Skates
These use new fit system and accommodate different widths and volumes of feet.
Design
Looking at the design of the Supreme 3S Pro, you will find that they use an increased forward flex. The skates themselves will provide a high level of comfort, which is enhanced by the Reflex tendon Guard, the Reflex tongue, and Standard Facing.
These skates come with a power cut, which is there to increase the wrap for optimal foot stability. That will increase your stride efficiency and reduce the typical fatigue you get from skating. The footbed is a Lock Fit, which will help keep your foot in place.
Features
The Supreme 3S skates come with Power Profile features that will help you maintain your speed and a powerful stride. The Power Profile is a 4-zoned radii, which is also called a quad profile, helping with four different movements on your blades.
They are thermoformable, so it can be heated to make it a more customized fit without having to go through a period of break-in time. The skate blade holder is a Lightspeed Pulse TI Edge. The skates use the Bauer Tuuk LS Pulse premium grade steel for the blade, which has a mirror finish to enhance your glide while adding some extra height for faster movement on the ice.
The skates also have an 80 flex rating as well, which is really nice for more elite skaters who have a lot of experience, but might make it hard if you are really just starting out as a skater.
8. Botas Stella Ice Skates For Beginners
A budget friendly option for ice skates for women are the Botas Stella skates. These are comfort skates that were made for women and children and are constructed to have a good longevity.
Design
Starting with their design, the Botas Stella skates are made with your comfort in mind. They are made with a laminated fabric lining with a PU coating that will not only help with comfort, but it will also help with keeping your feet as dry as possible. The design is classic for figure skates, so they really look how you would expect them to.
Luckily, the skates come pre-sharpened and are good to wear right out of the box, with little break in time. You might want to replace the laces for a stronger set since they are a little thin, but the blades will only need to be sharpened as you use them.
Features
Looking at the features of these skates, you will see that the blade is screwed into the outsole of the boot, giving you a solid foundation to skate on.
These are a great pair of skates for beginners, but their quality really helps make them work for skaters of all levels, though they might be a little too basic for advanced skaters, as your skills develop. Experienced skaters need stiffer skates than the Stella skates are, but they still offer a good amount of support for beginners.
The best feature of these skates is their comfort level. They are made so that you can skate on them for hours without any issue as well, which can be useful for skaters who are really working on developing their skills and practicing for long periods of time.
9. Bauer Vapor X2.7 Beginner Ice Skates
Even though these skates might not have all of the bells and whistles more expensive skates do, they still have Bauer’s high level of quality and a lot of great features to work with.
Design
The design for the Vapor X2.7includes skates a memory foam padding for more support in the bottom of the skates.
The memory foam has been combined with microfiber, helping to prevent the memory foam from absorbing any kind of moisture in the skates and keeping your feet nice and dry.
They are designed through Bauer’s ComfortFlex system, which uses certain techniques to give you an overall improved feel. They also come in a range of sizes and fits, though they do not use the new Bauer fit system.
Features
The Vapor X2.7 skates are made from a 3D polycarb quarter package, which will help keep the skates lightweight and easy to wear. This construction will also give you a nice fit through the heel while securing your foot within the skate, all while keeping your feet comfortable. The construction also helps with their durability, ensuring they will last a long while.
The skates use the Bauer TuukLightspeed Edge Holder. This is nice, because it provides you with a little extra height and stability on the ice, giving you an edge over the competition.
There is also a trigger system, which will allow you to swap out the blades without any trouble. They also have a two-piece, 40 ounce tongue. This includes an injected metatarsal guard for even better protection against lace bite.
10. Jackson Ultima ST2300 Ice Skates
Best Ice Skates For Toddlers
Finally, we will take a look at the best ice skates for toddlers. We recommend the Jackson UltimaSoftec Classic.
These skates come in a range of size from toddlers to children and up to adult. They also offer more than one colour to choose from.
The blade that is attached to it is a high quality Softec figure blade, which is great for little ones who are just getting the hang of moving on the ice.
The skates are comfortable enough for both young and beginning skaters as well, but do offer the right amount of support to help prevent injuries.
The quality on the skates is great, especially for the price. The sizing on these skates can be tricky, however.
You will need to make sure that you are following the right size guide for the age of your child before committing to one size or another.
It can be tempting to buy skates for little feet to grow into, but really you should not go more than a half a size larger than their feet. Even though they will outgrow them, if there is too much room, they will not have stability and are at risk of injury.
How To Choose The Right Ice Skates For Beginners
Choosing the right skates does not need to be an overwhelming process. Here is what you need to think about.
Type Of Ice Skates
The type of ice skates that you want depends mostly on what you are going to do with them. The main types are:
Recreational skating: Recreational skating is when you go into a rink or on a frozen lake for fun and play. This is where you can learn your skating skills.
Hockey: Hockey skates are meant to help with agility on the ice for the game of hockey. The blade on hockey skates is usually wider than a figure skate’s blade.
Figure Skating: The sport of figure skating requires skates that are tall and blades that are narrow in order to get the graceful skills. Figure skates have toe picks on the front.
Speed Skating: Speed skates are built for speed. These are the lightest and most streamlined ice skates that you can get, but they are not necessary for beginning skaters.
Skate Boot
Your skate’s boot is made up of several parts that you should take into consideration, including:
Blades Quality
Having a high quality blade can help you save hours in sharpening and frustration. A good quality blade will not go dull immediately. It should also make it easier for you to manoeuvre around the ice.
A beginning skater, however, does not need to spend excess money for new and quality blades. The quality of blades can vary from person to person, so make sure you pay close attention to the blades on the skate.
Ice Skates Sizing
When it comes to sizing your ice skates for beginners, most recreational skates do not come in the same size as your everyday street shoes do.
Depending on the brand, most skates run one or two sizes smaller than your street shoes, but you really need to consult with a size chart or try them on in order to be sure.
When making sure that you have a good fit, be sure that the skates are snug on the feet without wiggle room, unless you are shopping for children who need the room. Having snug and comfortable skates will keep your feet as safe as possible.
Hockey Skates vs Figure Skates For Beginners
A common question that comes up for beginning skaters is whether they should start with hockey skates or figure skates.
In truth, the two types of skates are different from one another in several different ways that can affect how you learn to skate and your technique. Here are some of the differences:
Hockey Skates
While it is a given that hockey skates are for hockey players, hockey skates can also be used recreationally. Hockey skates are built with a short, curved blade, with a stiff boot.
They allow skaters to gain speed quickly as well as turning and stopping quickly. They do not have a toe pick and the blades are attached to the skate with a holder.
Figure Skates
Meanwhile, figure skates have a long blade that has less of a curve. The blade is longer than the blade you would find on a hockey skate. The curve of the blade is called a rocker, which allows skaters to move in long, drawn-out curves, as well as spinning.
The blade is also attached to the boot using metal plates. It also has toe picks on it that help with sharper movement. The boots are made of leather that offers both support and flexibility where it is needed.
It is advised that new recreational skaters start with figure skates, because the blade allows for better form and balance on the ice. Yet, new skaters commonly find hockey skates easier to learn on, especially if they have any experience with inline skating.
Final Words
When it comes down to it, there are no one universal skates that are the best ice skates for beginners.
Because men and women have different requirements from their ice skates, the right skates for one person is not the right skate for another.
While we picked the Jackson Ultima Excel series as the best beginning ice skates for women and the Bauer Supreme S37 for men, you do have a lot of choices available for you.
The fit of your new skates is the most important thing of all. While we all might want to spend more for the most state-of the-art ice skates, we also need to think about how our feet fit in the boot, making sure there is a snug fit. Extra room in your skates can only lead to trouble.
What’s up guys! It’s Brandon here. I’ve been playing hockey since I was a kid and I keep playing whenever I get a chance even now. And that’s why I decided to start Hockey Homie. I wanna help people who want to start playing hockey but don’t know what gear they should get. Enjoy!