Roller skate buying guide
Best Roller Skates for Adult Beginners
Across the 18 skaters, coaches and gear specialists in our compilation who give first-skate advice, the consensus is a boot that holds the ankle, modest wheels (about 80 mm and four wheels on inline, never over 90 mm), soft wheels for outdoors, a metal plate or frame rather than plastic, and full protective gear with the helmet first. For most adults that points to a four-wheel fitness inline such as the Rollerblade Zetrablade, or, for rink and dance, an aluminium-plate quad with soft wheels such as the Moxi Beach Bunny (78A) or the Impala Quad Skate (82A). The voices disagree on soft boots and on three big wheels; both disagreements are set out below.
Gear on this page: six products are named further down — Rollerblade Zetrablade Women Fitness Inline Skate, Impala Quad Skate, Moxi Beach Bunny Roller Skates for Women, Riedell Dart Roller Skates for Men and Women, Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD Mens Adult Fitness Inline Skate, Candi GRL Sabina - Colorful Freestyle Roller Skates. They are optional, the page works without them, and the links to them are Amazon affiliate links.
Amazon prices were read on the listing on 7 October 2026, for the size and colour Amazon shows by default; other sizes and colours can cost more or less. Retailer prices are given with their own dates. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What top skaters recommend
Features first, brands only where a skater recommends a brand for a specific feature. Where a skater works for or owns the brand they talk about, we say so.
Boot: support at the ankle
- Asha, coach at Skatefresh, the London skate school, says any adult heavier than a child or a small woman needs a rigid boot; beginners in soft boots are, in her words, “twice as likely to pronate” (roll onto the inside edge). (Skatefresh, 2021)
- Alex Shulgan, professional skater and co-owner of In Move Skates (commercial interest), also tells beginners to start in a rigid boot. (NBC News, 9 Sep 2024)
- Jan Welch, editorial director of Big Wheel Blading with 30 years in the industry (owner of the wheel brand Dream Urethane), says a rigid boot is more stable for a first skate. (Big Wheel Blading, updated 14 Apr 2026)
- Disagreement. Casper, presenter of Powerslide’s official channel (Powerslide staff), says a hard boot matters if your ankles collapse inward, but a soft boot is more comfortable, easier to put on and acceptable (Powerslide, 11 Mar 2024). Ricardo Lino, a pro since the late 1990s with one of the largest skating channels, says the label is misleading: support comes from the shell and cuff height, and some soft boots support more than some hard ones (Ricardo Lino, 2 Aug 2017).
- On quads, coach Lisa J (35 years of skating by her own account; her site likely earns from affiliate links) says the boot is the most important part: firm and padded, leather or suede (Boardwalk Skater, 2023). Dunbeezy, who teaches rhythm skating on YouTube (reputation off YouTube not verified), puts a leather boot first of three checks for a cheap skate that is still good, and warns that a brightly coloured boot often means it is not leather (Dunbeezytv, 12 Aug 2024). Dirty Deborah Harry, coach behind Dirty School of Skate (about 299,000 subscribers), notes that ankle support exists in entry-level quads too (Dirty School of Skate, 21 Jun 2022).
Plate or frame: metal, removable
- Quads: Lisa J says a metal plate (aluminium or magnesium), never plastic. Dunbeezy’s second check is an aluminium plate: “the difference between levels in skates are those three features”.
- Inline: the Thisissoul skate shop channel (Amsterdam; presenter not named, a seller) prefers a metal frame over plastic and a frame about the length of your foot (Thisissoul, 20 Sep 2020). Welch and Casper both want a removable frame (standard 165 mm or Trinity) so the skate can take other wheels later; Casper says a riveted or one-piece frame locks you to one wheel size.
Wheels: small, four of them, soft outside
- Size on inline. Welch: 80 mm to start, 80A-85A for recreation, and he reports an instructor calling 80 mm “perfect” for beginners. Thisissoul: stay low, never above 90 mm. Shulgan: four wheels are more stable, three are for advanced skaters. Asha lists 4×80 mm or 3×90-110 mm for fitness.
- Disagreement on three big wheels. Thisissoul says no for a beginner; Casper says three wheels is not necessarily a bad option; Asha says choose by the skating you will do most, not by what she uses (SkatefreshAsha, 21 Dec 2022).
- Hardness. Casper gives 80-88A as the common range: softer grips better and vibrates less, but wears faster. On quads, Carolina “Caro” Hernandez, a Colombian bowl skater and Moxi rider (video published by Moxi), says soft, gummy wheels cut impact on the knees and are “amazing” for a beginner on rough ground (Moxi, 7 Oct 2020). Lisa J and Dirty Deborah Harry also say soft wheels outside, hard indoors.
- Wheels are swappable. Dirty Deborah Harry: any wheels will do at first, you change them for the surface. Klaudia, a freestyle slalom skater who presents herself as a world champion (identity not independently verified), says you can learn your first 10-20 tricks on any skates (Klaudia & Michał, 3 Mar 2025).
- Quad diameter. Kelly, instructor at Skate Base London (local reputation), recommends 62-65 mm for an adult beginner (Skate Base London, 9 Sep 2024). Most quads in the table use 58 mm; only the Riedell Dart is at 62 mm.
Bearings: keep the stock ones
- Casper and Thisissoul both say the bearings (and wheels) that come with the skate are enough to start. Kelly suggests ABEC 7 on a beginner quad. Nobody in the compilation tells a beginner to upgrade bearings first.
Brake
- Inline: Asha says keep the heel brake until you master one, ideally three, other ways to stop. Dustin Werbeski, a street, big-wheel and off-road rider (Xsjado, Powerslide, Undercover), says stopping is harder to learn than starting (Big Wheel Blading, 2017). Danny Aldridge, Rollerblade urban rider, says start, T-stop and tight turns before the city (Rollerblade, 22 Oct 2018).
- Quads: Dirty Deborah Harry says a fixed “bullseye” toe stop marks an entry-level skate, and a height-adjustable one gets more comfortable as you progress. Dunbeezy’s third check is an adjustable stop.
Size and fit
- Welch: measure your foot in Mondopoint (cm) and compare with the brand’s chart. Casper: heel locked, toes touching, “think ski boot”; he went down a size. Thisissoul: toes may touch the front. Klaudia: above all not too big, the skate gives up to half a size with time.
- Disagreement. Dirty Deborah Harry, on quads, wants a boot that fits like a slipper and says go up a size if the width pinches, since your foot does not get longer.
Protective gear: helmet first
- Estro Jen (Michelle Steilen, Moxi founder, stunt double for Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn) ranks them: helmet, then wrist guards (the most common skating injury), knees, elbows (Estro Jen, 9 Jan 2021). Shulgan prefers a skate helmet to a bike helmet, for backward falls. Ana Coto, whose 2020 dance videos started a wave of skate buying, broke her wrist early on and tells people to wear guards (Paper, 11 Mar 2020). Aldridge, Klaudia and Kelly all say full protection; world slalom champion Chloé Seyrès says take lessons to learn to fall and brake (Rollerenligne, 2011).
Do not buy too cheap
- Oumi Janta, the Berlin jam skater whose 2020 videos went viral, says very cheap skates do not last and are dangerous for dancing (Kaltblut, 29 Feb 2020). Dunbeezy agrees and gives the three checks above.
From the skater behind this site
- Size: follow the brand’s own chart and its advice, including “go up a size” when the brand says so. Sizes vary a lot between makers. Measure in millimetres, standing, at the end of the day.
- Tight means the fastenings, not the size: laces, straps and buckle done up firmly.
- Wheels: 78A-85A outside, 95A and up on a rink floor; hard wheels pass the grain of the pavement straight into your feet.
- Quad or inline: a rigid inline boot holds the ankle; quads are often built soft, like sneakers, so they usually hurt less early on. He skated inline and only learned on quads, so take his quad points with care.
- Wide feet (with his own caveat, he does not have wide feet): quads may suit wide feet a little better, since they are not rigid shells.
- New wheels on a cheap skate: worth it for occasional rides; if you skate often, it is better to invest in a better skate at some point.
The comparison
| Model | Type | Price seen (date, where) | Recommended features it meets | Who it is for | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rollerblade Zetrablade (women's listing linked below) | Inline, 4 wheels | Amazon.com $139.99 for the linked women's listing (B0DSLVFQWP), read 2026-10-07; another women's Zetrablade listing (B07G2J8QKC) showed $113.32 the same day. The Zetrablade Elite shows $119.97 at inlinewarehouse.com, last checked 2026-08-11 (flagged stale by the source) | Four wheels of 80 mm (Welch, Shulgan, Thisissoul); 82A, soft for outdoors (Welch’s 80-85A, Casper’s 80-88A). Specs are for the Elite | Adults who want the most stable first skate and will mostly roll outside | Soft boot and composite frame on the Elite spec sheet: Asha and Thisissoul would want rigid and metal; check the linked women's listing for its own specs |
| Impala Quad Skate | Quad | Amazon.com $91.36 (B07N7PZ84S, "only 1 left"), read 2026-10-07; $107 (black), other colours $84-$119, 2026-10-06, impalarollerskates.com | Aluminium plate (Lisa J, Dunbeezy); 82A, soft for outdoors (Caro, Lisa J) | Rink and street beginners on a budget; sizes 1-14 | Fixed toe stop (entry-level by Dirty Deborah Harry's test); 58 mm, under Kelly's 62-65 mm; low-top boot; sizing "true to size", men told to go up two sizes from men's shoe size |
| Moxi Beach Bunny | Quad, outdoor | Amazon.com $119.20 (B0781889KN), read 2026-10-07; $149 at rollerskatenation.com, 2026-10-06 (list price $169) | Named by Lisa J as a beginner skate; aluminium plate; adjustable toe stop (Dirty Deborah Harry, Dunbeezy); 78A soft wheels (Caro, Lisa J); ABEC-5 | Quad skaters who will leave the rink | Costs more than the Impala for the same 58 mm wheel; low-top boot; boot material not checked against Dunbeezy's leather test |
| Riedell Dart | Quad | Amazon.com $175.00 (B00655ZG0I), read 2026-10-07; $174.99 at usaskates.com, 2026-10-06 | 62 mm wheels (Kelly's 62-65 mm). Only one: nylon plate and fixed toe stop fail Lisa J's and Dunbeezy's checks | Quad beginners who want a named rink brand | 93A sits between outdoor and rink hardness; nylon plate; the dearest quad here |
| Rollerblade Macroblade 100 3WD | Inline, 3x100 mm | Amazon.com $170.46 (B08BXNVY8M, "only 2 left"), read 2026-10-07; $179.97 at inlinewarehouse.com, 2026-09-28 | Aluminium frame (Thisissoul); 85A (Welch, Casper) | Adults who already know they want a longer, faster fitness skate | Three 100 mm wheels: against Thisissoul's 90 mm ceiling and Shulgan's four-wheel advice; Casper and Asha accept it for some skaters |
| Candi Grl Sabina | Quad | Amazon.com $79.99 (B08KGVCD83), read 2026-10-07; $79.99 at rollerderby.com, 2026-10-06 | None verified. Nylon composite plate fails the metal-plate check; wheel hardness, bearings and stop type are not published | Tightest budget only; high-top boot | Oumi Janta and Dunbeezy warn against very cheap skates; you cannot judge how it rolls outside |
Our pick
Start with a four-wheel inline with a supportive boot, about 80 mm and 80-85A wheels, which is where most of the inline voices meet. The Zetrablade fits on wheels; check its boot and frame against Asha’s and Thisissoul’s advice before you buy. For rink or dance, the Moxi Beach Bunny meets the most quad checks (metal plate, adjustable stop, soft wheels); the Impala is the cheaper route with a fixed stop. The Candi Grl Sabina meets none of the checks we could verify, and the Riedell Dart only one.
Beginner FAQ
What roller skates should an adult beginner buy first?
Across the skaters and coaches we compiled, the answer is a boot that supports the ankle, about 80 mm wheels on four-wheel inline (never over 90 mm according to the Thisissoul shop), soft wheels for outdoors and a metal plate or frame. For rink or dance, a quad with an aluminium plate, an adjustable toe stop and soft wheels, as Lisa J and Dunbeezy describe. See quad vs inline: which to buy first.
Should a beginner buy hard-boot or soft-boot inline skates?
The skaters disagree. Asha (Skatefresh) says a rigid boot for any adult, because beginners in soft boots pronate more; Alex Shulgan and Jan Welch also favour rigid. Casper (Powerslide) calls a soft boot acceptable and more comfortable, and Ricardo Lino says support comes from the shell and cuff height more than the label.
What wheel size and hardness should a beginner get?
On inline, about 80 mm and four wheels (Welch, Shulgan, Thisissoul), at 80-88A (Casper). Outdoors, soft wheels: 78A-85A according to the skater behind this site, and soft wheels are kinder to knees on rough ground according to Caro Hernandez. On quads, Kelly at Skate Base London suggests 62-65 mm. See outdoor vs indoor wheels.
What size roller skates should I buy?
Follow the brand’s own chart and advice, measuring your foot in millimetres, standing, at the end of the day; then do the fastenings up tight. Casper and the Thisissoul shop say the toes may touch the front of an inline skate; Dirty Deborah Harry, on quads, says go up a size if the width pinches. See how to size roller skates.
Which protective gear matters most for a beginner?
All of it from day one, ranked by Estro Jen as helmet first, then wrist guards (the most common skating injury), knees and elbows. Alex Shulgan prefers a skate helmet to a bike helmet for backward falls. See the protective gear checklist.
Do I need better bearings on my first skates?
No. Casper (Powerslide) and the Thisissoul shop both say the stock bearings and wheels are enough to start, and no one in our compilation tells a beginner to upgrade bearings first.
How this page was compiled: 18 skaters, coaches and gear specialists who give first-skate advice (inline urban, fitness, slalom and freeskate; quad rink, dance, rhythm, park and outdoor), drawn from our skater compilation of 7 October 2026. Each claim links to its source. Full compilation and method: the skater gear compilation.
What this page does not cover: brands for kids, speed skating, aggressive/park skates, and quad-specific technique, which comes from the pages linked above.
Keep going: this is one of the buying guides that sit next to the full Roller Skating for Beginners guide — sizing, gear, stopping, and where to skate, in one page. Free, no sign-up, nothing to buy.