Men’s inline skates

How to choose

Start with where you’ll skate: for the city and for learning, urban skates with a hard boot; for smooth paths and longer routes, fitness skates. The “men’s” label means a wider heel and a higher cuff than the women’s version. Unisex models have one shell for everyone and make up most urban skates.

Large sizes and weight

With a foot from around 290 mm, check the frame length in the specifications. In large sizes manufacturers fit a longer one — on the Rollerblade Twister XT 255 mm instead of 243 mm — which gives stability at the cost of a little agility.

Heavier skaters are better served by a hard shell and an aluminium frame, because they don’t flex under load. Choose harder wheels, 85A or more: softer ones wear noticeably faster. We cover hardness in the guide how to choose inline skate wheels.

Size

Foot length in millimetres plus no more than 5 mm. The most common mistake is copying the size from trainers, which are worn with more than a centimetre of room — in a skate that much space ends in rubbing and a lack of control. Measure both feet following the instructions: how to choose your inline skate size.