By Skate Shoes
Published: Sep 25, 2013
So you have a wear out canvas pair of skates. You want to replace them with a really nice new leather pair that will last you for years to come, but they are so expensive! What is the next best thing? Well what about those really nice canvas shoes that they sell now as “skater shoes”?
Can you use those as a replacement for your canvas ice skates?
If you’ve been looking around or been tempted I’m going to break it down here.
In short – NO! Not even close….not even if you spend three times as much money on them as you would on the traditional type of ice skate…you still will not be happy with your purchase.
Canvas ice skates are designed and used for one thing: to skate on the ice for recreational use.
The flexibility, durability and fit of a canvas skate is perfect for this purpose….not even close if you plan to do any jumps like hockey players or figure skaters…or heaven forbid “street skating” as those shoes are now referred to as!
If you plan to play roller derby why put those terrible things on anyway?
There just isn’t enough support in those skater shoes and there is no way I would ever trust my ankles in them! Please don’t!!! They look awesome but they aren’t made for speed, precision or jumping so please don’t try it!
Save your money and get the real thing.
You’ll be so glad you did!
Is canvas shoes good for skating?
In short – No it’s not good for skating. It looks good but not as strong. If you go to those skate shops, you will find out the suitable skates it is good for street skating and roller derby.
In fact, people believe that it is a better choice of them as they have already been trendsetters in this field. They say that they can perform more advanced tricks on these “harder” surfaces so the transition from skating rink to a court where there are no pads may be easier than expected with your traditional soft boots/composite steel blades.
But seriously…canvas shoes are just sneakers! They won’t help you much if you plan to skate aggressively or do any jumps whatsoever!! So please, for your own safety and sanity, don’t go out and spend that money on a pair of “skater shoes”.
Can Vans be used as skate shoes?
In short – NO! Of course not…it’s just a simple canvas shoes so there is no such thing as “skater shoes”! They will not perform like ice skates and they will not be made of the same material so you won’t get the same performance! It’s just an alternative for those who want to try something new and maybe don’t mind ruining their regular shoes.
Can I use regular skateboarding or snowboarding boots as ice skates?
In short – NO!!! Not only do they come with metal screws that won’t fit into your holder plates but also they are way too heavy to even make them skate-able. You would be better off wearing bricks on your feet than those boots! Even figure skates are made much differently and have much more expensive frame prices so please, don’t even think about it!
So now that we have put those canvas shoes to rest where they belong…let’s talk about what you should look for in a pair of regular ice skating shoes. There isn’t anything special or mystical about them, but there is one thing that I find the most important: the fit!!
The best way to tell if your skate fits properly is to try on your regular street shoe first without any extra padding; then take your regular sock and put it on (NO HOCKEY STICKER!). Now try to bend the skate at the ankle like you would be doing with your toe stops and make sure it doesn’t dig into your skin or create any pressure points.
The next thing to do really depends on the type of skate you buy:
(1) If you get a traditional lace-up skate, then you want to make sure that there is at least 1″ between your toes and the end of the boot;
(2) if you get speed skates or racing skates then they should fit like a regular shoe with no gap in the heel and no extra room in front of your toe.