In-line Skates

Inline skates are a type of roller skate, used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates which have a configuration of 2 wheels in the front and 2 wheels in the back, inline skates have two, three, four or five wheels arranged in a single line. more...

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Some inline skates, especially those used for recreation, have a \"stop\" or \"brake\" which is used to slow down while skating; most inline skates have a heel stop rather than the toe stop, particularly indispensable for Inline Figure Skating.

The earliest roller skates were of the inline design, but these were later superseded by quad skates, the design of which made skating curved edges easier.

The modern style of inline skates was developed as a substitute for ice skates, for use by Russian athletes training on solid ground for Olympic long track speed skating events. Life magazine published a photo of American skater Eric Heiden, training for the 1980 Olympics, using such skates on a Wisconsin road.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the popularity of inline skates had a strong resurgence, led by the company Rollerblade, Inc. founded by Scott and Brennan Olson in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After the brothers sold the company in about 1984, Rollerblade promoted and popularized inlines, and their skates became so successful that the term \"Rollerblades\" has become synonymous with \"inline skates.\"

Parts

A skate is composed of a boot, which is worn on the foot. To the boot is attached a frame, which holds the wheels in place. Bearings allow the wheels to rotate freely around an axle. Finally, the rubber brake typically attaches to the frame of the right foot.

There are different types of inline skates for different types of skating such as aggressive skating, speed skating, and artistic inline skating. Those differ in the boots, frames and wheels that are used.

The boot

For most skating a high boot is used, which provides more ankle support and is easier to skate in, particularly for beginners. Speed skaters often use a carbon fiber boot which provides greater support with a lower cut allowing more ankle flexion. For recreational skating a soft boot is used for greater comfort, but many other disciplines prefer a harder boot, either to protect the foot against impact or for better control of the skate. The boot may also contain shock absorbent padding for comfort.

Most aggressive skates use a hard boot or a hard/soft boot for increased support.

Read more at Wikipedia.org