Roller skate buying guide
Best Roller Skates Under $100
Across the 12 named skaters, coaches and specialist shops we compiled for this page, the dividing line under $100 is not the price but three checkable features: a leather boot, an aluminium plate (a metal frame on inline skates) and an adjustable brake, the test given by rhythm-skating teacher Dunbeezy. On 7 October 2026 none of the three skates under $100 on Amazon.com passed all three: the Impala Quad Skate ($91.36) came closest with its aluminium plate and 82A wheels, the Bladerunner Advantage Pro XT ($89.23 women's, $99.99 men's) has the 80 mm wheels inline coaches recommend but a composite frame, and the Candi Grl Sabina ($79.99) meets none of the checks we could verify.
Gear on this page: four products are named further down — Impala Quad Skate, Bladerunner by Rollerblade Advantage Pro XT Women's, Bladerunner by Rollerblade Advantage Pro XT Men's, Candi GRL Sabina. 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. Price and availability are set by Amazon and can change.
What top skaters recommend
Boot: leather or firm, with real ankle support
- Dunbeezy (teaches rhythm skating on YouTube (Dunbeezytv); profile outside YouTube not verified; no sponsor named): For a cheap skate of real quality, look first for a leather boot; a bright boot colour often signals a non-leather boot. Source, 12 Aug 2024.
- Lisa J (Lisa Jaspers) (coach and creator, 35 years on skates (self-reported); her site likely uses affiliate links): The boot is the most important part: firm, padded, leather or suede. Source, 25 Apr 2023.
- Asha (Skatefresh, London) (coach at a reference UK skate school; no declared sponsor): Inline: a stiff boot for anyone heavier than a child or a small woman; she says soft-boot beginners pronate twice as often. Source, 2 Feb 2021.
- Dirty Deborah Harry (Dirty School of Skate) (coach, ~299,000 YouTube subscribers; says she backs no brand): Ankle support exists at entry level too; the boot should fit like a slipper without relying on extra length. Source, 21 Jun 2022.
Disagreement: Asha rules out soft inline boots for nearly all adults; Jan Welch and Powerslide presenter Casper accept them for comfort. Viktor Hald Thorup notes a soft-shell fitness skate is what most adult beginners start on.
Plate or frame: aluminium / metal, not plastic
- Dunbeezy (see above): An aluminium plate is the second of his three features separating skate levels. Source, 12 Aug 2024.
- Lisa J (see above): Quad plate in metal (aluminium or magnesium), never plastic. Source, 25 Apr 2023.
- Thisissoul (Amsterdam specialist shop channel, presenter not named: a seller, not a competitor): Inline frame in metal rather than plastic; plastic is only justified for grinding. Source, 20 Sep 2020.
- Viktor Hald Thorup (two-time Olympic speed skater (as he presents himself), Rollerblade World Team; owns a skate shop): Prefers aluminium to carbon: stiffer and more durable. Source, 21 Apr 2021.
Ten compiled derby and park skaters ride aluminium competition plates (see the full compilation), but those are skates far above $100.
Brake: adjustable
- Dunbeezy (see above): An adjustable brake (toe stop) is the third feature. Source, 12 Aug 2024.
- Dirty Deborah Harry (see above): A fixed “bullseye” toe stop marks an entry-level quad; a height-adjustable one gets more comfortable as you progress. Source, 21 Jun 2022.
- Asha (see above): Inline: keep the heel brake until you master one, ideally three, other ways to stop. Source, 2 Feb 2021.
Wheels: real urethane, sized for a beginner, hardness for the ground
- Viktor Hald Thorup (see above): Avoid the plastic wheels of low-end skates; soft wheels for rough roads. His quote: “I suggest 100 millimeters for adult beginners.” Source, 25 Jul 2023.
- Jan Welch (editorial director of Big Wheel Blading, 30 years in the industry; owns Dream Urethane (wheels)): Inline beginners: 80 mm wheels, 80A-85A for leisure, a 165 mm mount so the skate can evolve. Source, 14 Apr 2026.
- Thisissoul (see above): Never above 90 mm for a beginner; stock wheels and bearings are enough at first. Source, 20 Sep 2020.
- Caro Hernandez (Colombian bowl skater, ex-derby; Moxi rider (video published by Moxi)): Soft “gummy” wheels are great for a beginner on the street and unpolished ground, and easier on the knees. Source, 7 Oct 2020.
- Kelly (Skate Base London) (instructor, local reputation): Adult quad beginner: 62-65 mm wheels, ABEC 7 bearings. Source, 9 Sep 2024.
Disagreement on diameter: Thorup suggests 4x100 mm for inline adults, Welch and Thisissoul stay at 80-90 mm. Dirty Deborah Harry adds that wheels are swappable, so any pair works to start.
Bearings
- Viktor Hald Thorup (see above): ABEC 7 or 9 is enough; good bearings won't win you anything, bad ones are a pain. Source, 25 Jul 2023.
- Kelly (Skate Base London) (see above): ABEC 7 for an adult beginner. Source, 9 Sep 2024.
Price floor: don't buy the very cheapest
- Oumi Janta (jam skater from Berlin, a face of the 2020 skating revival; no skate sponsor verified): Very cheap skates don't last and are dangerous for dancing. Source, 29 Feb 2020.
- Thisissoul (see above): For an inline hard boot, 200-250 euros is where value peaks: above this page's budget. Source, 20 Sep 2020.
Gap: no top skater we compiled names a specific model under $100.
Protection: all of it, helmet first
- Michelle Steilen (Estro Jen) (founder of Moxi Skates (her own brand)): In order of importance: helmet, wrist guards (the most common skating injury), knee pads, elbow pads. Source, 9 Jan 2021.
- Alex Shulgan (professional skater, co-owner of In Move Skates): A helmet is essential, a skate helmet rather than a bike one, plus knee and wrist guards. Source, 9 Sep 2024.
The comparison
| Model | Price (date, where) | Who it is for | Recommended features it meets | Misses or doesn't publish | Weak point |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impala Quad Skate | $91.36, Amazon.com (B07N7PZ84S, “only 1 left”), 2026-10-07; $84-$119 by colour at impalarollerskates.com, 2026-10-06 | Quad beginners, rink or smooth outdoor | Aluminium plate (Dunbeezy, Lisa J); 82A wheels, inside the 78A-85A outdoor band; ABEC-7 (Kelly, Thorup) | Fixed PU stop, not adjustable (Dunbeezy, Dirty Deborah Harry); boot material not published; 58 mm, under Kelly's 62-65 mm | Low-top boot; Impala tells men to go up two sizes from men's shoe size |
| Bladerunner by Rollerblade Advantage Pro XT (women's / men's) | $89.23 (B01LY9WUYQ) / $99.99 (B01LWNDQKH), Amazon.com, 2026-10-07 | Inline beginners on a strict budget | 80 mm wheels (Welch; under Thisissoul's 90 mm cap); ABEC-7; heel brake (Asha); buckle + 45° strap + laces | Composite frame, not metal (Thisissoul); wheel hardness not stated; men's specs not checked on the listing | Composite frame; wheel hardness unknown |
| Candi Grl Sabina | $79.99, Amazon.com (B08KGVCD83), 2026-10-07; $79.99 at rollerderby.com, 2026-10-06 | The tightest budget; high-top boot | None we could verify | Nylon composite plate (Dunbeezy, Lisa J); boot material, wheel hardness, bearing rating and stop type not published | Flagged: meets none of the compiled checks; the cheapest of the three, which Oumi Janta warns against |
Our pick
No pick. No skater we compiled, and no recognised tester we found as of 7 October 2026, has compared these three models. Measured against the compiled checks, the Impala meets the most (plate, wheels, bearings); the Sabina meets none we could verify, so we flag it rather than recommend it. Its link stays for readers who choose it anyway.
What the skater behind this site adds
- Size: follow the brand's own size chart, including “go up a size” when the brand says so; measure your foot in millimetres, standing, at the end of the day.
- Tight means the fastenings, not the size: laces, straps and buckle done up firmly.
- Outdoors, 78A-85A wheels; 95A and up on a rink.
- Quad vs inline: he mostly skated inline and learned on quads without continuing, so quad-specific claims are taken with care. Quads often have a soft, sneaker-like boot and generally hurt less at the start.
- Wide feet, with his reservation (he does not have wide feet): quads may suit wide feet a little better because they are not rigid shells.
- Better wheels on a cheap skate: worth it for occasional cruising; if you skate often, there comes a point where a better skate is the better buy.
Cheap skates fail by hurting, not by being slow (the skater behind this site).
FAQ
What should I look for in roller skates under $100?
Three checks from rhythm-skating teacher Dunbeezy: a leather boot, an aluminium plate and an adjustable brake. Lisa J also asks for a metal plate, never plastic; for inline skates the Thisissoul shop asks for a metal frame. Then real urethane wheels (Viktor Hald Thorup) of the right hardness for your ground.
Are cheap roller skates worth it?
Only above a floor. Oumi Janta warns that very cheap skates don't last and are dangerous for dancing. The skater behind this site adds that poor-quality skates are the ones that hurt, and no break-in fixes a wrong size. See why skates hurt.
What wheel size and hardness for a budget beginner skate?
Inline: around 80 mm (Jan Welch), never above 90 mm (Thisissoul); Viktor Hald Thorup suggests 100 mm for adults, so they disagree. Quad: 62-65 mm (Kelly, Skate Base London). Outdoors, the skater behind this site says 78A-85A; Caro Hernandez finds soft wheels great for beginners on rough ground. See outdoor wheels: what to buy.
Can I put better wheels on a cheap skate later?
Dirty Deborah Harry says wheels are swappable, so any pair works to start. The skater behind this site: for easy cruising now and then, new wheels are worth it; if you skate often, there comes a point where a better skate is the better buy. On inline skates, Jan Welch and Casper (Powerslide) advise a removable frame so you can change wheels later. See outdoor wheels: what to buy.
What size should I order online?
The brand's size, from your foot in millimetres, standing, at the end of the day, including the size above when the brand says so (the skater behind this site). Tightness is for the fastenings: laces, straps and buckle should be done up firmly. See how to size roller skates.
Do I still need all the protective gear on a budget skate?
Yes, from day one. Michelle Steilen (Estro Jen) ranks them: helmet first, then wrist guards, knee pads, elbow pads. See protective gear that actually fits.
Method: this page cites 12 named skaters, coaches and shops from our compilation of gear advice across quad rink and rhythm skating, quad park, roller derby, inline urban, fitness and slalom, and inline speed. Compiled 7 October 2026 from their own videos, team pages and interviews; each claim links to its source. Shops and brand-run channels are flagged as such. Full compilation: the guide.
What this page does not cover: kids' skates and used skates.
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.