How to Choose the Right Pair of Roller Skating Shoes for Girls
When it comes to choosing free-time activities for your little girl, there’re more options than you can imagine. For instance, kitchen play pretend games are many little girls’ favourite and at the same time great to teach them skills such as organization and teamwork. On the other hand, there are a bunch of other activities to stimulate their creative and motor skills such as drawing, painting, playing musical instruments and enjoying the good weather while roller skating.
Roller skating is one of the best activities for stimulating your girl’s motor skills. However, as is with most hobbies, having the right equipment (the right roller skates) is crucial for a successful experience.
Quad vs. Inline Roller Skates
Before you decide to go for a specific pair of girls skates, it’s best to learn to differentiate between quad and inline roller skates as they’ll impact the entire skating experience of your girl.
Quad Roller Skates
If your little munchkin is a newbie, it’s best to get quad roller skating shoes for girls. These skates feature 4 wheels in total- 2 wheels in the front and 2 in the back which provide excellent stability and balance. These wheels are broader than regular roller skates’ ones, so your girl doesn’t suddenly get too much speed and take off.
To enhance stability, girls quad skates are designed with a wide baseplate, a toe stop which is used for setting off or as a brake and have trucks underneath to adjust the skate for more maneuverability or directional stability. A pair of quad roller skating shoes for girls is undoubtedly a must-have. Not only are they the safest type out there, but they’re also the most popular type we all started skating with since our childhoods.
Inline Roller Skates
Unlike girls quad roller skates, inline ones can be a great option for every girl that already has gained some experience in skating. These skates are designed with narrow wheels that have less surface contact, and therefore less rolling resistance. In other words, with a pair of inline skates, your girl will be able to build up and maintain speed way easier.
Except for that, inline skates are designed to be very lightweight since they don’t have trucks that can additionally slow down and prevent your girl from taking off. This also means that they have less strength in their ankles and legs and they can be more difficult to handle than quad ones.
So, make sure you skip these skates unless your girl is already comfortable skating or you’re planning to take her on longer trips.
Size
When buying regular shoes for your little girl, you’re probably getting a pair that is a little bit bigger so she doesn’t outgrow them within a couple of months. But when it comes to buying roller skates, getting a larger pair can be very wrong as it can make your girl hover and struggle to maintain proper control.
This is why many parents recommend getting a pair of adjustable-size roller skates, as they’ll allow your little girl to grow with them for about 3-4 sizes. Such roller skates are also easy to adjust- the only thing you need to do is to slide the boot forth and back by pressing a button or other mechanism.
However, if you decided to go for girls skates that aren’t adjustable in size, make sure you carefully check the sizing chart or guide of the specific manufacturer or brand you chose. Also, as a rule of thumb, it’s recommended to choose one size bigger than your girl’s normal shoe size to ensure maximum comfort and control maintenance when riding.
Replacement Parts
Considering that your little girl will keep her new skates intact over a period of time is a myth, especially if she’s a beginner into the skating world. So, instead of buying a new pair each time she falls and destroys her roller skates, it’s best to choose ones that come with replacement parts.
The most common parts of skates that often require replacement are brakes, straps and buckles- the most important safety features that a kid shouldn’t ride without. Except for these, you’ll occasionally need to replace missing bolts too, so make sure that the manufacturer you chose includes these in the roller skates package, or at least offers them for purchasing.
Protection Essentials
Talking about safety features, except for proper brakes, straps and buckles, it’s recommended to get a full set of skate protection that will cover your little girl’s head, wrists, elbows and knees.
When it comes to head protection, specialized skate helmets are the number one choice among parents. This is due to these helmets covering the entire head, especially the back area to protect your little one from nasty backward falls. Some of them are even size-adjustable to ensure a snug fit and proper protection as your little girl grows up.
When it comes to wrist, elbows and knees protectors, it’s recommended to choose ones that are made of shock-absorbing foam or padding to offer maximum protection from injuring and breaking.
Designs
Finally, it makes no sense to choose a simple pair of girls roller skates since they come in a bunch of interesting colours and designs to fit every little girl’s preferences. For instance, if your girl is into pink stuff, you can always go for a gorgeous pink design featuring floral patterns, animal prints or gorgeous gradient themes. On the other hand, there’re also many other designs such as the ones with red pops of colours, combos of blue and pink and gorgeous rose-gold designs.
