Buying ice skates for 8 year old boy

[Big Dave2]

I want to get my son a pair of ice skates for christmas. He has never skated before but has roller skated and liked it.

Just wondering, what kind of skates I should get him? I would think that figure skates would be easier to learn on but I don't want to take him to the rink and have him be mad at me because he is the only boy there with figure skates and all of the others have hockey skates. I'm just not very with it or hip so I thought I would ask all of you, what would you get? What are the pros and cons for each type of skate.

I am probably over-thinking this but I am used to buying ice fishing equipment. Lord knows you have to research every little detail, right?

[nofishfisherman]

i would probably get him hockey skates. Young kids are pretty amazing in terms of how fast they can learn to do stuff like skate. They still have coordination and the fearlessness to get out there and give it a go. If you put a kid and an adult on skates for the first time the kid will be skating circles around the adult in 20 mintues I'm sure.

I am not sure if hockey skates are any harder to learn on but I wouldn't worry about it to much. I think an 8 year old boy would rather fall down 1000 times while wearing "cool" skates then to skate like Gaborik while wearing "uncool" skates.

[Caleb S]

Agreed, you gotta go with the hockey skates.

[hoggs222]

I also agree. I know that if I had gotten figure skates when I was a kid, I just wouldn't have gone.

[jwhjr]

I'd go with the hockey skates as well. The blades on them are rockered, so until he learns his balance it will be a little easier to go over backwards than with figure skates. I've been taking my son out skating for a couple of years and that was the only thing he had trouble with. I've gotten some nice skates at play it again at the end of the season when everyone is trading them in. Good luck!

[Big Dave2]

Sound unanimous to me. I'll go with the hockey skates. I'm glad I asked, thanks for the help.

[bucketmouth64]

make sure he is protected because he's gonna fall a lot. I've seen kids use walkers to help with their balance. Gives them something to hold on to and push around. Good luck and have fun. Taping him learning would make some fun memories.

[Andrew Erickson]

i work at a sports store and the biggest thing we sell is skates.Since he is young right now i would get him vapor 9's.They are the lowest class of bauer vapors but good for a young kid.They run around 55-60$

[sticknstring]

Don't hesitate to to check Play It Again Sports either. You'll be able to pick up a used pair pretty cheap. He'll be outgrowing them in a year anyhow and they'll be broken in as well. I always kept my skates through my hockey days and passed them off to other family members.

[hoggs222]

You can also use a folding chair for him to hold onto the back of so he can figure out his balance. Just have him skate while holding onto it. I've seen it before and it seems to work good.

Starting to skate is like starting to walk again!

[jwhjr]

You can also stack a couple of 5 gallon buckets upside down for him to hold on to. I've seen a lot of kids starting out on skates this way.

[gonefishin11]

Dave -

Here a couple tips from a guy who has played hockey since he was four (am 24 now) and has had both used and new skates:

Skates are very different from shoes and need some time to fit a person's foot correctly. There is nothing worse than skating in ill-fitting skates. They have gel which fits around the ankles of the wearer and this must be broken it to fit. Used skates will fit the previous wearer but may not fit your son.

To size hockey skates correctly, have your boy slide his foot all the way forward. You should be able to slide your pointer and middle finger between the back of the skate and his heel. This will give him room to grow but will not be too big to allow discomfort.

To break in hockey skates:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and hold the skates over the top of it for 3 to 5 minutes. The heat and water will soften the gel in the ankles.

WITH SKATE GUARDS ON, sinch the skates around your boy's foot as tight as possible, with comfort. Let him wear the skates around the house for about 30 minutes to an hour. Repeat this a few days and it will greatly reduce the break in time during skating, thus making it much more enjoyable.

CCM is my personal favorite for hockey skates.

[IFallsRon]

If he's been on roller blades, go with hockey skates. The boot is similiar.

A key to making it easier for first-time skaters is to get the skates tight enough to prevent the skates from being wobbly but not so tight as to be painful across the tongue.

For as many times as the kid might skate this year, I'd go with a used pair and upgrade after he builds some confidence. Having said that, I saw a generic pair of men's hockey skates at Dunham's for around $35. A skate like that would be good enough for random, outdoor use.