Top 8 Hockey Skates List & Comparison

To be a good player on the ice and be at your best performance, having high-quality hockey skates is always the first step.

But finding the best hockey skates for you is quite daunting. Your foot width and size, weight, level of expertise, playing style, budget, and many more important variables come to play. Hockey skates also come in different designs and colors, and this can be really confusing.

Comparison Table

Best Hockey Skates to Buy

With so many factors to consider, you’ll need some guidance to get the best possible skates. Here are the best hockey skates to consider:

1. Bauer Vapor X400

These hockey skates bring with them performance and comfort that justify their high-end price tag. If you’re a professional skater, they’ll boost your maneuverability and speed. They also come with a TUUK Lightspeed Pro blade holder and Super Stainless steel runner for better acceleration and flexibility.

The Bauer Vaper X400s are durable skates with reliable performance.

2. CCM Super Tracks

These skates are stiff through the ankles and skate tops giving you lots of forwarding flex. They come with a mono-frame technology to prevent energy loss.

The CCM Super Tracks are very comfortable. They have an anatomical heel design that makes them asymmetrical and easy to fit any feet size. They also use a memory foam for extra comfort.

If you are looking for best hockey skates with explosive power, comfort, and fit, consider the CCM super Track. It will never let you down!

3. Bauer Vapor 1X Skates

These skates guarantee you strength and reliability. They come with a suede sole to offer extra cushioning for smooth gliding on ice. Its authentic synthetic material makes them lightweight to offer greater flexibility.

They are durable and reliable, so you don’t have to worry about regular repairs, maintenance or replacement costs.

If you are a regular ice hockey player, consider getting yourself these affordable Bauer skates.

4. Bauer Supreme 1S


Botas – Largo 571 PRO – Men’s Ice Hockey Skates | Made in Europe…

  • Recommended use: for professional hockey skating and top class level
  • Upper: durable synthetics with waterproof finish
  • Lining: soft nylon fabric laminated lining combined with synthetic materials

These skates provide the ultimate comfort and impeccable fit. From its heel, four-part ankles, instep and forefoot soles, they have a unique design that will seamlessly fit your feet. They also offer plenty of support for your feet with their forefoot wrap.

Made of lightweight materials, they guarantee you a long, swift, and hard skating.

They are also incorporated with composite and titanium for durability and strength. Its outsole is made from a perforated composite material that is well-vented for efficient breathability and energy transmission.

Its blades and holder construction have extra 3mm height to give you a better offensive angle and tighter turns. They’re designed with memory foam ankle pads and thermo-formable speed plate footbed for better comfort, durability, control, and balance.

5. Ribcore Pump Skate

These are the lightest skates on the list. They incorporate a pointed design with a narrow forefoot that is suitable for acceleration and implausible motion.

They enhance agility and comfort with their modified quarter package. For stiffness and stability, they have firm carbon fittings on their malleable composite body. Their dual zone liners for great heel locking, moisture management, and durability.

Its pump tech ensures your heel and foot is safely secured in place.

6. American Athletic Ice Force


American Ice Force 2.0 Hockey Skate, 9, Black

  • Perfect skates for beginner skaters to intermediate skaters
  • Indoor and Outdoor skates, good for pond hockey
  • Light weight sidewall injection mold giving the skate a custom fit right out of the box

Affordable and simple in design, these skates are made for beginners. However, you can still pull some impressive skills with them.

With their wide base and narrow upper, they provide efficient stability so you don’t have to worry about skidding or falling. It comes with a Cambrelle interior padding making it moisture-resilient and guarantees you the much-needed comfort.

They come in all sizes.

7. Graf PeakSpeed 300


Zerust Hockey Skate Blade Covers Rust Protection and Rust Prevention…

  • Uses a soft absorbent material to keep moisture off of the blades, keeping them rust-free
  • Will also protect your blades from becoming dull and chipped
  • Protect from rust and corrosion for up to 5 years

The Graf PeakSpeed will offer you the ultimate comfort and fit. They are light weight and come with a stay-dry liner (anti-moisture) in their interiors. They are designed with a replaceable runner Graf Attack and have a symmetrical tongue for extra comfort, control, explosive speed, and acceleration.

They are a great bargain for reliability and performance.

8. American Athletic Senior Soft Boot Skates


Men’s Cougar Soft Boot Hockey Skate

  • Grey and Black camouflage pattern
  • Soft boot hockey skate for non-competitive ice hockey and recreation
  • Thick foam padding for warmth and comfort

If you are skating for fitness or working on getting back into shape for the next season, get yourself these American Athletic skates.

They have a multi-layered construction to support your ankles and Velcro straps to keep your feet in place. The thick padding construction helps to keep your feet warm and comfortable while on the ice and the steel runner blades provide the much-needed breakaway speed and acceleration for a top-notch performance.

Get a New Pair of Hockey Skates Today!

Whether you are an amateur or professional, these 8 choices are great picks to consider. Remember, your hockey skates will determine your gameplay.

Happy skating!

Featured Image via Pixabay

How to Shoot, Dribble, and Play Basketball the Right Way

Turn on your television and watch a basketball game for a few minutes. In that short time, you will see many playing styles, techniques, and strategies for shooting a basketball. Want to focus on one single player and attempt to emulate their style? Even in that scenario, you may find yourself trying to keep up with the changes they make throughout a season or even a single game.

There’s no single right way to play basketball. However, there is a basic set of tips you can use in your practice sessions to help you master the game.

How to Shoot a Basketball:

A Beginner’s Guide

Since you can’t win a game without scoring points, knowing how to shoot a basketball is pretty important.

When taking a shot, you need good form. Start with your feet shoulder-width apart. A slight bend in the knees can help give you some momentum and guide the ball to the basket. One hand will hold most of the ball’s weight while the other is placed on the side for stability. Your shooting hand is the one holding the ball. When lining up your shot, align your elbow directly below your wrist.

Square Up The Basket

Before you take your shot, try to square up with the basket. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should face your target to help you easily line up your shot. Finally, once you have your form set, release the ball. A lot of people talk about dipping their hands into the cookie jar. As you release the ball, you want your fingers to follow through the shot like you are sliding them into the top of a cookie jar.

Reading all of that may sound complicated. In reality, setting up for a shot is a speedy process and the movements will become natural as you put in more practice time.

The Layup

Layups often make for some of the best basketball highlight reels. This is the perfect shot when you are driving toward the basket and want to bank the ball off the backboard and into the hoop. If you miss, there is a good chance that a defender may take a foul and allow you to earn points with free throws. A layup may look complicated as you watch the day’s highlights on television, but the process is straightforward. One mantra to remember is “outside, inside, up.”

Footwork

This describes the footwork as you drive the basket into the air for your layup. “Outside” refers to your first step. If you are attacking the net from the right, your outside foot is your right foot. “Inside” describes your second step using, of course, your inside foot. The “up” portion of the movement is when you use your outside leg to drive your body into the air and bank the ball off the backboard.

As you take off, use your inside hand to hold and release the ball while your outside hand protects the ball from being blocked or knocked away by defenders. At first, you may find yourself having trouble with the movements. It sometimes helps to say, “outside, inside, up” while practicing your footwork. As you become more experienced, the movements will come naturally without a second thought.

Moving the Ball: Dribbling Basics

Before you can take your shot, you need to advance the ball from your end of the court to the opposite end. Passing with your teammates is one way to advance the ball, but at some point, you will have to dribble the ball. Dribbling is bouncing the ball off the floor repeatedly with your hand. Sounds simple, right? Not so fast. There are a lot of rules concerning dribbling that you must keep in mind. First, you can only dribble with one hand at a time. You can alternate between hands, often known as a “v dribble.” However, dribbling with both hands at once will result in a turnover to the other team.

Push The Ball

When dribbling, you must “push” the ball straight back down. Use your hand on the top of the ball and push down to bounce the ball off the floor. You cannot hold the ball and then start dribbling after you were previously dribbling. Again, this will result in a turnover to the other team. If you stop dribbling, you must shoot or pass to a teammate.

Also, you cannot move without dribbling. The only case where this does not apply is when driving the net for a layup. In that case, you can take three steps without dribbling if you release the ball for a shot.

Practice Makes Perfect

All of that probably seems a little bit complicated. Now you know how to shoot a basketball and some dribbling basics. Get out there and practice your new skills, so they come naturally the next time you hit the court.

Featured Image via Pixabay