If you are looking for entry level gear to get you started on your inline or roller skating journey, I have put together some items under $200 that are good skates to start with as well as other essential gear. Once your child has become familiar with skating and determined whether or not they like skating, they can continue to use this gear or at some later point decide which type of skating they want to do and purchase skates for those needs.
Of course the cheapest way to go is to find used gear which you can find on Facebook Marketplace, Offer Up, Nextdoor, Ebay or at stores such as Play It Again Sports, Savers, & Goodwill. To find your childs size, measure their foot from heel to toe standing on the edge of the ruler and then use a sizing guide to find the corresponding shoe size.
Inline Skates:
The no name brands I see some students getting seem to collapse in the ankles. Please get a brand name such as below.
I would recommend a 4 wheel inline skate. For kids under 10, I like the Rollerblade Brand Skates that are under $100 that have size adjustments up to 4 sizes for your childs' growing feet. I have noticed that students who get the soft ones, often their feet cave in and are not on top of the wheels. Please make sure there is enough support so that their ankles will not sustain injury due to the skates.
C 7 Skates also has some expandable rollerblades that I have posted here but their sizing is not as vast as Rollerblades. Expensive skate brands would be Powerslide, Roces, K2, Seba, and much more.
I would not suggest buying off brand skates on Amazon as the quality and the brand is important when it comes to the skates themselves. Off brands for the protective gear is fine. I have noticed the Bosoner brand is too small for many of the older students.
Quad Skates:
For anyone who is interested in quad or roller skating these have 4 wheels but they are in a rectangular array. There are some outdoor style roller skates and the most affordable and highly recommended brand is C Seven which is slightly over $100 in cost. There are other brands such as Moxi and Impala but those are in the $200-300 range. Serious roller skaters will be purchasing skates in that range or even much higher. A competitive roller skate is the brand Roll Line. Quad skating is coming back in a big way and there are many reasons to love it. Being a figure skater, I am not personally ready to skate on quads but that should not dissuade you from trying if you are interested. For outdoor skating, you may find however that inline skates are more amenable to skating outdoors as the wheels seem to manage rough terrain better. Sometimes I wear what looks like if roller skates and inline skates got married and had a baby which is called Inline Figure Skating. Now these skates are at a minimum in the $300 range and that is for the lowest priced skate frame and boot. These you have to buy separately and then have them screwed together or you can do it on your own if you are inclined to. For a beginning skating course I would not recommend buying these unless you are crazy like me and really want to mimic ice skating as much as possible. If you are interested in this type of skating, I would recommend the brands PicSkate which is the cheapest option as well as Golden Horse skates.
RECOMMENDED SAFETY GEAR ON AMAZON
For my course, it is mandatory to wear inline skating safety gear including helmet, elbow pads, knee pads, and wrist guards. Most of these are no name brands from China. The Bosoner brand seems to only be good for the smaller kids under 7. If you want made or designed in the USA, you can look at Triple 8, Moxi, or Smith Scabs for better brands. A bike helmet will work fine. If your child does not want to wear a bike helmet you can get a gear package with all of the elements included. You will want the gear to have a plastic frame to help prevent injury and abrasion.
Not required but optional are butt or hip pads and some are in the form of biker shorts. I like Chloe Noel pads which you can slide into leggings when you want extra protection. In the summer the padded shorts will feel hot but they also have some that can be strapped on but they do sort of look like diapers.
Mats and pads
A yoga mat is necessary for them to practice their skating on without moving. It is also good for stretching on as well as a place to sit when getting ready. You can also use a bathmat if you do not have a yoga mat. For summer we will be meeting at the astroturf in Fallon park so you do not need to bring your yoga mat. For the classes at Emerald Glen, please bring a yoga mat for the first two lessons. Often an ankle sleeve is necessary to prevent blisters. I recommend a bunga sleeve cut in half to put on your ankles.
Inline Skate Bags
These are affordable bags that don't take up too much space. Also, a cloth tote bag can be used or a duffel bag if you already have one.