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The internet is FULL of roller skating tips and advice for beginners but you won’t find them all in one place like this! I’m breaking down the most important topics & questions that I see googled so we can get you started as a beginner skater. *Save or bookmark this post!

Top Roller Skating Tips for Beginners | Naturally Stellar

If you are brand new to roller skating, meaning you have NEVER even tried on a pair of skates in your life, this post will answer most of your questions and get you set up for success.

*this post contains affiliate links. At no cost to you, this blog makes a small commission off of links clicked in this post.

Roller Skating Tips For Beginners

If you’re like me, someone who has skated as a kid but is newly revisiting the sport as an adult, this post is targeted to you. But this is also a great resource for anyone who simply wants to learn.

Adults. It’s different this time around.

That center of gravity has changed lol! We may not be spring chickens and everything may not come back as quickly as we’d like but getting back into skating is great exercise and a LOT of fun!

It’s also the perfect stress reliever.

Roller Skating Tips for Beginners | Naturally Stellar

Roller Skating Tips To Remember

Best roller skates for beginners

These are my top picks for beginners. If your budget will allow, don’t go cheap on your first pair or you may regret it.

However, you don’t have to break the bank buying the most expensive skates out there. You just need a good quality skate & wheels to get started. You can always upgrade parts or buy new skates down the road.

Tip – If budget is an issue or you’d prefer to pay in interest-free installments, just look for alternative payment options at checkout, like Afterpay, Klarna, or Affirm when making your skate purchases.

Here are my top picks & price estimates.

There are other great brands out there. These are just my top 3 picks.

Where to buy skates

You can buy skates direct via Impala & Moxie or you can buy a wider variety of skate brands through these online retailers:

Tip – Be prepared for backorders. If the skate you want are unavailable due to backorders, my suggestion is to get on the mailing list for the item and/or check out your local skate shop to see what they have in stock.

Skate tools/accessories you may need

How to lace up & adjust your skates for first use

Lacing up your skates for the first time shouldn’t be difficult as most of them come already pre-laced, up to a certain point. But, if you should have or develop any foot issues such as high arches, heel slippage, numb toes or corns, a new lace pattern may be necessary.

For basic lacing, check out How to lace your skates

For help with properly breaking in your new skates, check out How to quickly adjust (tighten/loosen) your trucks

What to wear

It’s important to wear comfortable, breathable clothing when skating. I also highly recommend wearing good protective pads & a helmet. Here are a few suggestions on what to wear.

protective pads
leggings
bike shorts
skate socks – these help cut down on shoe friction.
fanny pack – to hold small items, phone and keys.

Where to skate outdoors in the city

Unless you live in a skate friendly are you may run into issues with finding good places to skate.

Where I live, in Nashville, there just aren’t a lot of safe roller skating options besides a few indoor roller skating rinks. We don’t even have skate parks that take roller skaters into consideration. So, skaters have to get creative when finding good spots.

If going to a skating rink isn’t an option for you or you’d like to skate outdoors, look around for:

*use these suggestions at your own risk

empty parking structures (garages & lots) – I find that a lot of commercial office buildings that are up for sale or lease have some of the best parking garages & lots that tend to stay empty.
level parking areas
tennis courts/basketball courts
public parks
bike greenways

Tip – Try to skate on skate friendly surfaces until you’ve mastered navigating rougher terrain.

Best Roller Skating Tips for Beginners | Naturally Stellar

Personal safety

Personal safety is always at the forefront of my mind no matter what I’m doing outdoors. It becomes especially important when in vulnerable situations, like when you’re skating. Be sure to carry whatever personal safety items that make you feel comfortable.

Pocket knives
Knuckles
Pepper spray
Alarms
Self defense keychains

Skate with a partner

This goes right along with the personal safety tips. If possible, skate with a partner or find a small group of like-minded people to venture out with. Not only is safety in numbers a smart move but skating with others can help make the experience more fun, motivational and consistent. .

Stay Hydrated

Skating burns a lot of calories and requires a lot of energy. So, staying hydrated is SUPER important. Find a nice refillable water bottle that can tag along with you to your skating location. Or, fill one up and toss it in a backpack for long distance sessions.

Best Video Tutorials for Beginners

Dirty School of Skate

My #1 favorite video resource for skating tips is Dirty Debra Harry’s Dirty Skate School on YouTube. I love the way Debra teaches! Plus, she’s of a certain age and weight, so she understands center of gravity and the challenges facing adults that are revisiting or new to the sport.

Debra teaches you all of the basics plus tricks and even HOW to fall. Before watching her videos, I was constantly falling on my behind and I couldn’t figure out why. It wasn’t until I watched one where she explained about paying attention to your center of gravity and using your core that I began to skate whole sessions without falling.

I highly recommend subscribing to her channel and watching a LOT of her videos BEFORE you venture out on your skates. It’ll save you a lot of frustration, time and possibly pain lol.

⇒ Subscribe to Dirty Skate School on Youtube ⇐

That Nicole Fiore

If you want tips from a world champion, choreographer and coach then Nicole Fiore is the one!

You’ve probably seen her skating in your favorite commercial, video or with celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Kevin Hart. Her videos are really detailed and fun. She’s also great at teaching you how to stay fit with plenty of skate workout videos thrown in the mix on YouTube.

⇒ Subscribe to That Nicole Fiore on Youtube ⇐

Karen the Karrot

For those of you that may prefer to skate solo, here’s a good one by Karen the Karrot about skating alone and what to look out for.

She also covers a wide variety of related topics on her channel. There you can find skate product reviews, tip videos and I also love how she incorporates videos about her Mexican heritage.

⇒ Subscribe to Karen the Karrot on Youtube ⇐

I hope this post provided you with all of the valuable information needed to get started on your skating journey. As always, feel free to leave comments, ask questions or even share your skating experiences here.