The 8 Best Inline Hockey Skates
Special Honors
Bauer Mission RH Inhaler With their effective metatarsal guard against lacebit and discomfort, these are come of the coziest models on the market. They're designed to serve strong skaters who spend a lot of time on the tile, and offer exceptional ventilation to prevent fatigue or overheating. They come with a set of Labeda Addiction wheels on the brand's signature Hi-Lo chassis. bauer.com
CCM Tacks 5R52 Just like the company's ice skates, the chassis on these position your foot a little higher form the playing surface than most other brands, making them a smart choice for short players looking to gain an inch or so on the competition. Of course, that can throw of your center of gravity at first, but most advocates for the line report getting used to it pretty quickly. ccmhockey.com
Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Everything about these is designed to contour to your foot as tightly as possible, so they'll transfer all the available energy from your body to the floor. That includes an innovative asymmetrical toe cap and quarter and a lining that can be baked to fit. They're definitely an expensive option, but they should last a lot longer than cheaper models. bauer.com
Editor's Notes
April 24, 2020:
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.