Buying Aggressive Skates
Finding the best aggressive skates means going for a snug fit and choosing a frame that corresponds to your skating style. Read this guide to learn exactly what you should pay attention to when buying your first pair of aggressive skates in order to perform your favourite stunts.
Check out this video, where we guide you through the most important things you should know to find the right pair of aggressive skates for you. The video is in English.
Aggressive skates are intended for more experienced skaters who wish to skate street or park and perform stunts on various objects as well as going on ramps. You may also have heard other names such as trick skates to describe aggressive skates. While this is just a synonym, there do exist other styles like powerblading which is a fusion of aggressive and freeskates (read more about powerblading in the end of the guide).
Aggressive Wheels
Wheels for aggressive skates are suitable for park and street skating.
- The wheel size is typically 54-64 mm - small wheels make it easier for you to do stunts.
- The wheel durometer is between 86-95A - hard wheels make it easier for you to do slides due to less surface grip, which prevents the wheels from sticking to the surface.
Bearings
Inside the wheel you have the bearing ensuring that the wheel spins. In aggressive, you will need to replace the bearings for new ones on a regular basis since they are going to be subject to a lot of hard impacts. New bearings will ensure you a good roll, providing you with the best circumstances to perform your stunts. Bearings can be bought as spare parts.
At SkatePro we normally specify bearings according to the ABEC scale that ranges from 1-9 and defines the precision of a bearing. Normally, the following applies:
The higher the ABEC rating, the better the rolling experience is.
Remember that ABEC does not say anything about how durable a bearing is. Moreover, we recommend that you buy bearings from a recognised brand instead of paying too much attention to the ABEC rating itself.
Aggressive Skate Frames
The different types of frames on aggressive skates each allow a certain wheel setup. Whether you choose one wheel setup over the other depends on your personal skating style that you develop over time. Each setup has its own advantages:
- Anti-rocker - consists of two big wheels and two small grind wheels that make grinding easier. The setup also locks better when you grind for increased control. This is the standard setup for aggressive skates.
- Flat - consists of four equally sized wheels that make the skates more manoeuvrable.
- Freestyle - consists of two wheels without the possibility of having wheels in the middle of the frame. This allows you to grind objects that otherwise wouldn’t be possible to grind, for example, a tree stump. This way you can really express your creative side.
Notice: All UFS frames can be replaced with any other UFS frame, regardless of brand and size.
Boots/shell
Trick skates are designed with a hard shell reinforced on exposed areas in order to withstand the many beatings and hard landings. This makes the aggressive boots more durable and prolong their lifespan, so you can enjoy them for yet a long time. Due to the reinforcement, aggressive skate boots are also heavier than other boot types. Moreover, you can usually replace the wearing parts such as the soulplates and backslide plates.
Liners
The liner refers to the inner boot of your aggressive skates. A good liner supports your foot and ankle and typically has a thick padding to minimise the impact of hard landings, so you maintain comfort. On most models, it is possible to exchange the liner for a new one in case it wears down. Moreover, you can exchange it to obtain a better fit if you are not all satisfied with your original fit. This way, you avoid having to heat-mould the boot to change its fit. You should only use liners made specifically for aggressive. They are designed with better padding, provide better support around the ankles and have a better grip on your heel, so you avoid a wobbly fit.
Sizing of Aggressive skates
We always recommend that you read the size guide on the product pages for more information about the size of the model in question. Your trick skates should have a snug fit around your foot for maximum control to make stunts. In the beginning you will notice that they are very tight, but they will break in as you use them more and more.
Skate protection
Make sure you protect yourself with full safety gear like helmet, knee pads, and wrist guards as well as shin protection - something unique for aggressive skating. And if you are really going for it, strongly consider using impact shorts that protect your hips and tailbone - something you will appreciate when you fall. They can even be worn under your trousers if you prefer to hide them.
Aggressive is an extreme sport where the risk of falling is high, so make sure you stay protected in order to enjoy your sport in many years from now.
Powerblading
Powerblading is a sub-style related to aggressive, but you skate with more speed. It can be compared to parkour on skates added with speed. Skates for powerblading are typically used in urban areas and used for stunts like jumping off stairs and the likes.
Powerblade skates consist of an aggressive boot equipped with a flat setup frame and bigger wheels as you see on freeskates. This allows for doing stunts combined with speed, and you will be less affected by the road surface. The wheel size is usually between 60-80 mm.
Check out our wide selection of aggressive skates
If you still have any doubts or questions, feel free to reach out to us.