How to choose your wheels for inline figure skating ?

Several parameter to take into account to choose your inline figure skating wheels

First of all, I invite you to read this article to understand the general anatomy of an inline roller wheel.

What diameter can I choose?

The diameter of wheels is often chosen by default and must generally remain consistent with the size of frame that we wear. The manufacturers also make documents available about that. Some wheel models only fit on the largest frames (usually above a size 38 EU).

The size of the wheels can’t be really modified, because the shape of our frame and the placement of the wheels does not allow all combinations, otherwise the wheels can touch between them. Synergy models (Snow white) or Zero (from roll line) in 86A only go on large frames, in fact, impossible to find them in 64 or 68mm. Which is very unfair for small feet skaters (no matter the level).

The four most used diameters are:

• 64mm
• 68mm
• 70mm
• 72mm
• (some even go up to 76mm)

Correspondence table between boot size, frame size and wheel size for inline figure skating (Roll Line)

Size of the boot (mm)	215 to 220	225 to 230	235 to 240	245 to 250	255 to 260	265 to 270	275 to 280	285 to 290	295 to 300
Size of frame (inches)	8′	8,5′	9′	9,25′	9,75′	10′	10,25′	10,75′	11,25′
Size of frame (mm)	203 mm	215 mm	228 mm	235 mm	247 mm	254 mm	260 mm	273 mm	279 mm
Max. diameter (mm)	64 mm	64 mm	64 mm	64 mm	72 mm	76 mm	76 mm	76 mm	76 mm

Snow White frames and EDEA or Risport boots

Snow White Size	10′	11′	12′	13′	14′	15′	16′	17′	18′	19′	20′
Boot size	205 to 210	215 to 220	225 to 230	235 to 240	245 to 250	255 to 260	265 to 270	275 to 280	285 to 290	295 to 300	305 to 310
European size	31 EU	32-33 EU	34 EU	35-36 EU	37 EU	38-39 EU	40 EU	41-42 EU	43EU	44-45 EU	46-47 EU
Wheel size	64 mm	64 mm	64 mm	64 mm	68 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm	72 mm

Which wheel profile should I choose for inline figure skating?

The idea is to have fairly soft wheels that have a good grip (more and more skaters are between 84 A and 76 A. Figure skating, unlike hockey requires a lot of precision and as much power, but also requires good stability. Certain technical elements such as spins (we turn on an axis on the ground; on a single wheel) require a lot of power, stability but must be hard enough to allow us to turn for a long time. Then, it’s interesting to cross different hardness of wheels to be effective on all the technical elements.

However, it is your choice as skater. Some keep the same hardness on the whole frame. This is a matter of feeling and personal experience. Quad figure skaters also use this method. As the discipline is still quite young, only few skaters are experimenting with the wheels combinations.
Yi Fan Chen, for example, chose to have a different hardness on the center wheel. Antonio Panfili or Chiara Censori have chosen to have a different hardness on the front wheel, while Angela Martin Mora keeps the same hardness on the whole frame.

It all depends on what kind of floor you’re going to skate !

The slippery the ground, the softer the wheels should be and have a good grip, it depends on your skating technique and your weight too. For a fairly smooth parquet for example, I would recommend a hardness between 84 A and 76A.

You can try to skate with roller hockey wheels. Be careful because some have either a round profile or an elliptical profile. A round profile provides more stability, but will be slower than an elliptical profile. Not all hockey models are compatible with the frame, make sure you have the same cores and the same axis width.

An article on the maintenance of the wheels

Here is a table of the wheels currently existing and specific to inline figure skating :

Photo	Brand / model	Hardness	Available diameters	Floor type	Price	Comment
	Harmony Sports / Geneva	Not available	68mm	Indoor	$60 for 6 wheels	Mostly used by skaters equipped with Pic Skates frames. The hardness of the well is unknown, but it”s quite hard (more than Snow White Champ. wheels)
	Harmony Sports / Axel 6.0	83A	70mm	Indoor	$ 37,5 for 6 wheels	These wheels have an elliptical profile. The chemical formula has been thought to reduce the loss of grip on landing.
	Snow White / Synergy	89A	72mm only	Indoor / outdoor	$42 for 6 wheels	Synergy wheels have a 40% wider profile to improve grip, especially when landing.
	Snow White / Champ	84A	64mm 68mm 72mm	Indoor	€31,95 for 6 wheels	BASF SHR (Super High Rebound) polyurethane, a special formula created by the Wheel laboratory in California (United States). The rebound percentage reaches 80% to compensate for the absorption of shocks by the parquet. The best-selling and most used wheels.Replaced by SPIRAL
	Speed Max	89A	64mm 68mm 72mm	Outdoor	€ 32,95 for 6 wheels	The ultimate outdoor wheel! Perfect even on the worst concrete floor !
	Snow White / Spiral	84A	64mm 68mm 72mm	Indoor	€ 32,95 for 6 wheels	This new 2019 Snow White wheel now replaces the old Orange Champ. wheel. It is intended for practice on parquet. They use a polyurethane SHR (Super High Rebond) designed by BASF in a laboratory in California, USA. Their bounce rate reaches 80%. The brand indicates that they have excellent grip, as well as resistance to wear and traction.
	Roll Line / Zenith	78A	72mm	Indoor	€37,50 for 6 wheels	Normally used for inline hockey, these wheels are currently used by the best skaters. Unfortunately, Roll Line has stopped manufacturing. Complete test here
	Roll Line / Zenith	74A	72mm	Indoor	€37,50 for 6 wheels	Used for inline hockey also, they are also used by figure skaters in addition to the Zenith in 78A. Unfortunately, Roll Line has stopped their manufacture.
	Roll Line / Zero	82A	64 mm 72 mm 76 mm	Indoor	€42,95 for 6 wheels	A new model available since September 2019. A specific wheel design by Roll Line for inline figure skating.
	Roll Line / Zero	86A	72mm 76mm	Indoor / outdoor	€42,95 for 6 wheels	A new model available since September 2019. A specific wheel design by Roll Line for inline figure skating.
	G.H. Golden Horse	86A	72mm 76mm	Indoor / outdoor		A core with 5 spiral branches for a versatile wheel.
	G.H. Golden Horse	80A	62mm 66mm	Indoor		The core of this wheel reminds the freeskate models such as the famouse Hyper Concrete.
	Marque inconnue	89A	72mm 76mm	Outdoor	$29 for 6 wheels	Une marque inconnue mais avec un design ultra-classique de noyau à 5 branches en étoile, très courant dans les anciennes roues Hyper des années 1990/2000. La dureté élevée la destine plutôt à un sol lisse et roulant.
	STD Starlight	89A	68mm	Outdoor	€30 for 6 wheels	Round profile
	STD Starlight	84A	68mm	Indoor	€30 for 6 wheels	Round profile
	Tron MegaHertz	82A	64mm 68mm 72mm 76mm 80mm	Indoor	$3 per wheel	The datasheet on the WebSite of the manufacturer says: Slot Core Technology increases rebound and overall grip. Test Proven Urethane. High rebound urethane for superior grip and wear. Great performance at a reasonable price.

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