It still surprises me that I got my son a pair of roller skates a little over a year ago. I know it sounds a bit strange, but it was one of those ‘how-old-before-my-child-can-have-strawberries’ decision. You’re sure your kid would love them, but you also know there are risks involved. Isn’t motherhood a funny thing? You step outside of your comfort zone for your kids, you agree to doing things you never thought you’d do… Simply put, parenting isn’t what you expected and it isn’t perfection. But I digress.

As scary as roller skating still sounds to me, I’m actually glad Ethan convinced me (with few kisses, a huge bear hug and a drawing of our family) to get him a pair of skates. It’s amazing how many life lessons kids can actually learn from this fun activity and not to mention the health benefits. Plus, it turns out that roller skating is safe. It’s safer than going down a slide, riding a bike and even playing basketball. So far, he hasn’t broken anything (which is great), and most importantly, he enjoys it. And so do I. Which is why I decided to get a pair of inline skates for women for myself.

Learning roller skating at my age is… well, terrifying. But at least I know how to stand on skates. Mastering moonwalk or backward crossovers will have to wait because I do not plan on breaking a hip (or two). After all, buying skates for myself was not about becoming a pro, it was about spending more fun time with my boy (and losing post-baby belly fat).

What surprised me the most about the whole “buying inline skates for women” experience was the fact that it took me twice the time to choose the right pair for me than it did for Ethan. I thought since I already have such buying experience, it would be a breeze. I was wrong though – so many models to choose from, so many things to take into consideration. At the end, I think I made the right choice. I hope my experience and the following few tips that I’ll share with you will help you too.

The right fit

I recommend you to start your skating adventure with a good pair of inline skates – ones that fit right. Poorly fitting skates will not only give you blisters and sore ankles, but they will also increase your chances of tripping and falling. Also, make sure that you choose inline skates specially designed for women. Many think there are minor or no differences between men’s and women’s inline skates, however, the ones designed for women have a specific line, a lower profile boot shape, footbed, etc. Once you try the skates on, they should feel comfortable – be snug enough to respond swiftly to your every command, and at the same time, loose enough so that your feet are not cramped. If they don’t feel comfortable in the store, believe me, they will feel much more uncomfortable after an hour of skating.

Your budget

Decide upfront how much you want and how much you can actually spend on inline skates. Don’t forget that you will also need to buy a helmet and safety pads. Use 60 % of the budget for purchasing the skates and the rest 40% for buying safety gear. And yes, please don’t forget to use the safety gear, it is manufactured for a reason.

The best inline skates for beginners

If you are looking for inline skates to have fun with and as a form of exercise at the same time, you should go for multipurpose inline skates. As an added benefit, multipurpose skates are often the most affordable ones. They are generally made of plastic, have an inner foam liner and their fasteners are usually in the form of laces, buckles, or both. Most manufacturers design multipurpose skates, so finding them shouldn’t be a problem.