The 7 Best Inline Hockey Skates
Updated by · How we research
Seven roller hockey skates for rec players and growing kids, compared on boot support, frame, wheels and fit. The Alkali Cele III leads for most players. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Roller hockey skates usually run one to one and a half sizes smaller than street shoes, so ordering your sneaker size is an easy way to end up with a sloppy, blister-prone fit. The skates here are recreational and intermediate models for street, driveway and rink hockey, plus adjustable pairs for kids. Elite carbon boots sell mostly through hockey shops.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
The Alkali Cele III now leads this list. It pairs a heat-moldable composite boot with a proper aluminum frame at a rec-league price, and Alkali publishes its specs, wheel setups and size chart in full.
Almost everything from the last version is gone. The Bauer X90R, Tour FB-725, Tour FB-9 Pro, Tour Hockey Code 1, Alkali RPD Team and Tour Code 9 Senior have all left the market. The Tour Goalie FB-LG72 is a goalie skate, which this page doesn't cover. The Bladerunner Dynamo Jr stays as the pick for young kids, and the Tour Code DK9 takes over from the Code 9.
This page covers player skates for roller and street hockey, from adjustable kids' pairs to adult recreational boots. We worked from Alkali's spec pages and size charts, a hockey retailer's spec sheets for the Bauer XR and the elite models, and federal recall records. The carbon-boot skates serious players chase, like the Mission Inhaler FS1 and CCM Jetspeed FT890, sell mainly through hockey shops, so they sit in the special honors instead.
Earlier notes
April 24, 2020, by Daniel Imperiale:
It's hard to ignore what a force Tour has become on the roller hockey scene in recent years, and they represent the most dominant name on our list by a long shot, with high-quality construction and fast, durable bearings. This is partly due to the difficulty in acquiring inline skates from companies like Bauer or CCM on anything but their websites or through authorized dealers, but we linked to those pages in our special honors section.
One interesting feature to look for on a given pair of skates is what's commonly referred to as a Hi-Lo chassis design. You'll see it on the Bauer X90R and other offerings from this company and the Mission brand. Mission actually pioneered the style for roller before being bought by Bauer. Essentially, it pitches the skater's boot forward by using two wheels at the back that are larger than the wheels at the front. It's intended to keep players on their toes, and some swear by it, while others hate it.
We sent a few older models by Tour packing that were a little too pricey for their durability, mainly in an attempt to make them as lightweight as possible, and brought out the Tour FB-725 to replace them, which takes the lessons they learned making skates as light as they could make them and applies a few durability-enhancing elements like new composite outsoles.
Special Honors
Mission Inhaler FS1 Mission is Bauer's roller hockey line, and the Inhaler FS1 is its high-end skate, with a stiff, light boot and a frame built for indoor rinks. It suits league players who skate several times a week and costs several times more than a rec skate. Hockey shops and Bauer's own site carry it. bauer.com
CCM Jetspeed FT890 Roller CCM builds its Jetspeed roller skates on the same boot family as its ice skates, so ice players who already like the Jetspeed fit can carry it to the rink floor. The FT890 is near the top of the range and sells through hockey shops and CCM's site. ccmhockey.com
Alkali Fire Skates Alkali sells its Fire line direct, and it's the one to look at for wide feet: Alkali lists these boots in an E width and says they can be heat-molded. The Fire 1 and Fire 2 ship with softer indoor wheels, while the Fire 3 uses outdoor wheels for pavement. alkalihockey.com
Getting The Size Right
5th Element says the Enforcer fits true to shoe size, and Bauer uses its own chart, so always read the maker's chart for the exact skate.
Most roller hockey skates should be smaller than your street shoes. Hockey Monkey's buying guide says senior skates usually run about one and a half sizes below shoe size and youth skates about one size below. Alkali gives the same advice for its skates: a size 9 shoe takes a size 8 skate (Alkali Hockey). Not every brand works that way. 5th Element says the Enforcer fits true to shoe size, and Bauer uses its own chart, so always read the maker's chart for the exact skate.
A good fit feels snug. Your toes should just brush the front of the boot when you stand, and your heel shouldn't lift when you bend your knees. A skate that's too big lets the foot slide, which causes blisters and makes the ankle work harder.
Hockey skates are unisex. Women can use the women's shoe column on charts like Alkali's, where a women's shoe size maps to a skate about three sizes smaller. For kids, adjustable skates such as the Alkali Cele Adjustable and Bladerunner Dynamo Jr cover several sizes, which saves money while feet grow.
Wheels, Frames And Where You Play
Almost every hockey skate here uses a Hi-Lo frame: two smaller wheels in front and two larger ones in back. That tips you slightly forward into a hockey stance. Adult skates usually run 76 to 80 millimeters; youth skates use smaller wheels, which are slower but easier to control.
Wheel hardness matters more than most buyers expect. It's measured on the A scale, and a higher number means harder. Outdoor wheels around 82A, like the Loki wheels on Alkali's Cele skates, last longer on asphalt but slide more on a smooth rink. Indoor wheels around 74A to 76A grip sport-court tiles well but wear quickly outside (Hockey Monkey). If you play mostly on pavement, keep the outdoor wheels, and rotate them every few sessions so they wear evenly.
Bearings rated ABEC 5 to ABEC 9 are fine for recreational play, and the rating says little about real speed. Frames on these skates are aluminum, which is stiffer and lasts longer than plastic. If you want to skate for distance or fitness rather than play hockey, a softer, faster boot makes more sense; see our speed skates list.
Heat Molding, Safety Gear And Care
Some boots can be heat-molded, so the shell softens and shapes around your foot. The Alkali Cele III, the Bauer XR and Alkali's Fire line are made for it, and Alkali gives the Fire 3 up to six minutes of heat (Alkali Hockey). Have a hockey shop do it with a skate oven, since a kitchen oven heats unevenly and can warp the boot or melt glue. Skates that aren't heat moldable simply need a few sessions to break in.
Skates are only part of the kit. Roller hockey players wear a helmet with a full face cage, gloves, elbow and shin pads, and a mouthguard, and organized leagues set their own helmet and gear rules, so check yours before the first game. Don't skate on wet or gritty pavement, since hockey wheels lose grip there quickly.
We checked every brand on this list against the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's recall records and found no skate recalls for these models. The closest case is the 2023 recall of Rollerblade Fury youth adjustable skates, whose brake support could break (CPSC); none of the skates here is affected. With any adjustable skate, lock the size mechanism before every session. After play, open the boots to dry, and check the frame bolts and wheel axles now and then.
How we researched this
We compared about 15 roller hockey skates from six brands, read the makers' spec pages and size charts for the seven finalists, used a hockey retailer's spec sheets where a maker publishes little, weighed how much owner history each skate has, and checked every brand against U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recall records. Updated October 26, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Editors.
Frequently asked questions
Are roller hockey skates the same as rollerblades?
Not quite. Rollerblade is a brand, and most of its adult skates are fitness skates with a soft boot and a heel brake. Roller hockey skates use a stiff hockey boot, laces and a Hi-Lo frame, and they have no brake, since players stop the way ice skaters do.
What size roller hockey skate should I buy?
Usually one to one and a half sizes below your shoe size, but it varies by brand. Alkali says one size down, 5th Element says true to size, and Bauer uses its own chart. Check the maker's chart for the exact model.
Can you use roller hockey skates outdoors?
Yes. Use outdoor wheels, around 82A or harder, on asphalt and concrete, and avoid wet or gritty pavement. Softer indoor wheels wear out fast outside.
Can I bake roller hockey skates at home?
Only if the maker says the boot is heat moldable, and even then a hockey shop with a skate oven is the safer choice. A kitchen oven heats unevenly and can warp the boot.
Are inline hockey skates good for beginners?
Yes. Recreational models such as the Alkali Cele III are stiff enough for good ankle support but need little break-in. Wear a helmet and pads while you learn to stop.
Do women need different hockey skates?
No. Hockey skates are unisex. Convert your women's shoe size with the maker's chart. On Alkali's chart, the skate comes out about three sizes below the women's shoe size.
