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Ice skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom, used in Ice Skating to propel oneself across ice surfaces.

There are four main types of ice skates:
  • Figure skates are used in the Sport of Figure Skating . They have a pick at the toe that allows the skater to push off of the ice. They also typically come in three colors: tan, black, and white (for girls/women).

  • Hockey skates are used for playing the game of Ice Hockey . The boot is generally made of molded plastic, leather (often synthetic), and ballistic nylon. Skates used in competetive hockey rarely use molded plastic for the upper boot, as this results in limited mobility. All hockey skates (excepting goaltender's skates) are designed such that they will not cause injury to an opponent, and are fitted with Safety Blades .

  • Racing skates have long blades and are used for Speed Skating .

  • Touring skates are long blades that can be attached to hiking or cross-country ski boots and are used for Tour Skating or long distance skating on natural ice.


A Clap Skate (or ''clapper skate'') is a type of skate where the shoe is connected to the blade using a hinge.

The steel ice skate was invented in 1867 by John Forbes, foreman at the Starr Manufacturing Company , Dartmouth, Nova Scotia . It was a clip-on design. Their Acme brand became famous worldwide.

Modern ice skate blades are not shaped like knives. The bottom of the blade has a crescent-shaped hollow, creating two parallel sharp edges on each skate (recently, Parabolic Blades have been developed as well). The skater uses these edges in different combinations in order to maneuver. When ice skates are ''sharpened'' the blade is ground against a template that restores the hollow. Sometimes, however, there is a back brake, which is a point that stops you from moving any further.


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