Sports is always an important part that plays in the development of the growing child. Even doctors suggest every person have a single sport as their hobby, making them remain fit.
Many games are played inside the home, called indoor games, while some of them are played outside on different grounds or fields, called outdoor games.
Ice sports are one of the common sports played worldwide but are still not much popular in India as the snowfall is limited to the mountain areas.
Figure skating, Hockey, skating, skiing, snowboarding, and many others are some of the games played on ice.
Key Takeaways
- Figure skates feature a toe pick and a longer, flatter blade for jumps and spins, while hockey skates have a shorter, curved blade for quick turns and agility.
- Figure skates have a softer boot construction with more ankle support, while hockey skates offer a stiffer boot for better energy transfer.
- Figure skates prioritize aesthetics with various boot designs and colors, while hockey skates have a more functional and streamlined appearance.
Figure Skates vs Hockey Skates
The difference between Figure Skates and Hockey Skates is that the toe pick region present in figure skates persists in a serrated edge while comparatively, on the other hand, hockey skates persist in the toe pick with a narrow edge. The blades of these skates have different thicknesses. The figure skates are thicker, having a 4 mm thickness, while hockey skates have a thickness of 3 mm.
Figure skates are meant for performing different functions, including running, sliding, jumping, gliding, dancing, and many others.
The material used in manufacturing these skates is leather. The price of the skates is quite hefty because of their material and the replaceable quality of the blades from the base.
Hockey skates are the skates that are primarily meant for the ice hockey game. They are made up of a mixture of two materials, and they are – plastic and leather.
The blades mounted at the base are very light in weight, making them more smooth and quick movements. Also, the price of these shoes is less.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Figure Skates | Hockey Skates |
|---|---|---|
| Toe Pick | Serrated edge | Narrow edge |
| Purpose | Jumping, sliding, aerobics | In an ice hockey game |
| Made Up of | Leather | A mixture of plastic and leather |
| Weight of the blades | Heavy | Light |
| Price | High | Low |
| Attachment of blades | Separately attached to the surface | Blades are already built on the base |
| Comfort | Less comfort | More comfort |
| Blade thickness | 4 mm | 3 mm |
| Length of blades | Larger than the base | Similar to the base |
| Toe back | Absent | Present |
| Shape of blade | Curved in front | Curved at the end |
What are Figure Skates?
According to its name, figure skates are the skates that are being popularly used for figure skating.
And this figure skating includes different functions that help the individual to glide, spin, jump, dance, doing aerobatics, and do many other activities using them.
Because the skates are required for performing on the ice, this is advised that the blades should be properly maintained and sharpened for smoothness. These skates are mainly manufactured with leather.
Figure skates persist toe pick made up of a serrated edge that helps the person stop, smoothly glide, and spin while using them.
Although these blades are quite heavy and are less comfortable for the foot, even the length of the blades is longer than the size of the boot, and those blades are attached to the base separately.
The thickness of the blades that are used in the figure skates is about 4mm. The blades present at the front are in curved shape.
And they don’t have toe-back regions like Hockey Skates. Even the price of the figure skates is quite hefty.
What are Hockey Skates?
According to its name, the Hockey Skates are the skates that are meant for playing hockey, but the twist in the game is that hockey is not played on the field but on the ice rink; thus, they are valuable equipment for the ice hockey game.
And this is the main reason that they should be maintained properly, and the blades must be sharpened for smooth gliding.
The hockey skates have a narrow edge toe pick that helps the person in the running with speed and in making twists and turn sharply.
The blades that are present beneath the base are almost equal in size to the boot size.
The advantage of these blades is that they are very comfortable for the foot and are light in weight allowing in making smooth movements.
But the disadvantage of these blades is that they are irreplaceable from the base.
Main Differences Between Figure Skates and Hockey Skates
- The toe pick of the figure skates comes with a serrated edge, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the toe pick of the hockey skates comes with a narrow edge.
- The main purpose of using figure skates is – jumping, spinning, dancing, aerobatics, and many other activities, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the primary purpose of hockey skates are used to play the famous ice hockey game.
- Figure skates are mainly made up of leather, whereas, comparatively, on the other hand, hockey skates are made up of two materials called plastic and leather.
- The figure skates are much heavier, whereas, comparatively, on the other hand, the hockey skates are much lighter.
- Figure skates are very costly because of the material used in their manufacturing, whereas, comparatively, on the other hand, hockey skates are less costly.
- The blades in the figure skates are additionally attached to the base of the boot, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the blades in the hockey skates are built with the base of the boot.
- The comfort level of using figure boots is less, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the comfort level of using hockey skates is much better.
- The length of the blades in the figure skates is longer than the actual size of the boot, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the length of the blades in the hockey skates is equal to the size of the base of the boot.
- The thickness of the blades in the figure skates is about 4 mm, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the thickness of the blades in the hockey skates is about 3 mm.
- Figure skates contain the toe back in the front region, whereas, comparatively, on the other hand, hockey skates don’t have the toe back in the front region.
- The shape of the blade in a figure skate is curved from the front, whereas comparatively, on the other hand, the shape of the blade in a hockey skate is curved from the ends.
- https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/theses/9k41zh74r
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-52136-7_25
- https://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/4773
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12283-017-0227-0
Last Updated : 13 July, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
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