The popularity of cricket and football may soon be under threat. For those in sync with the latest global trends, roller-skating is the coolest thing to do. Skating is an elegant outdoor sport that can enthral you with the rhythm of magic and enchantment in the air. The swirls, the jumps, the glides, the spins and the twirls — all these can make you feel simply amazing.

First things first. Before you go zip-zap-zoom you need to invest in a good pair of roller skates. Here are a few things which you should keep in mind before you buy your pair of skates.

A range of roller skates is available in the market each suited for different levels of skating. Once you decide on buying a pair of skates, make sure you know what kind of rollerblades you are looking for. Also, keep the price in mind. What do you look for when buying a pair of skates? The look or the feel? Says Adeep Kapoor, manager of G.K. Sports, “Priority must be given to the fit of the skates. An ill-fitting pair of skates can cause serious muscular pains. Stress should be laid on the design and the aerodynamics of the skates.”

These days there is an emphasis on colours. Earlier, the wheels used to be black in colour. To catch the eye of fashion-conscious youth, wheels now come in bright colours such as red. Hyper wheels also come in fluorescent colours. Kapoor also points out that the roller skates flooding the grey market have interesting designs to flaunt such as Disney characters but it is advisable not to invest in them. These skates are not tested for body weight. It is safer to pick up your pair of roller skates from a sports shop than from a toy shop in a big mall or from the grey market.

According to roller skating enthusiast Pradeep Roy Chaudhry, beginners should start with tenacity skates. These are made of metal with straps attached and the wheels are made of fibreglass. Adjustable to all sizes and available for Rs 500 or Rs 600, tenacity skates are very popular in India and are the conventional starting point.

If possible, try out different roller skates in different shops. Remember that the most important factor is how well the roller skates fit your feet. This problem occurs more in the case of children. Often, parents opt for a bigger size for their child, thinking that they would be able to use the skates for a longer period. But this can be dangerous.

When buying a pair of roller skates, try out both roller skates as long as possible and wear it with the socks because shoe sizes can vary with brands. If your feet ache or if you feel a pressure point after a minute, it is obvious you will have sores after half an hour of skating. Your feet expand during the day. Therefore, try out the roller skates in the afternoon. Or else you may end up buying a smaller size. If you weigh more than 80 kg, check the stiffness of the frame. See that you can move your toes a bit. If you are unable to move your toes, go for a bigger size.

Roller skates may be used for a whole lot of purposes — simply for leisure, long-distance skating, roller hockey, speed skating, roller ball and stance. For speed skating, the shoes are bulkier than those for tenacity skates and the centre of gravity changes. This gives the user a different sense of balance. The shoes are ankle high in stance skates. But the skates used for speed skating are not so. It is important for the buyer to keep the strength and aerodynamics in mind before investing in a pair of skates.

Once you have learnt the basics of skating, you can graduate to shoe skates. Shoe skates are custom made and take the size of the user’s feet. Indian companies manufacture shoe skates but at times these skates do not fit a user properly, causing ligament pain, deformed feet and constant muscle pain. Conventional Indian shoe skates cost around Rs 2,500. Hyper-roller skates cost around Rs 4,500 and these can be used for professional skating. Inline skates (those which have wheels arranged in a single line) are imported. These are used primarily for leisure skating and cost around Rs 1,000-2,000.

You can also buy your roller skates online. Roller skates for children cost around Rs 499-999. You have to pay shipping charges worth Rs 299. Inline skates (also known as rollerblades) would cost around Rs 3,500, with shipping charges of Rs 200. Shoe skates are available for Rs 2,000, with a shipping charge of Rs 200.

If you have a problem, the item must be returned within seven days. The money will be refunded. Payment is to be made through credit cards or online banking.

Now that you are ready to buy your pair of roller skates, what are you waiting for? Pick up your pair and go zoom.

Get set go

Aggressive skates are tough, durable skates made of thick plastic. They have small wheels for manoeuvrability and grind plates. These protect the boots when you perform aggressive stunts.

Artistic skates are used for figure skating and dancing. These are similar to ice skating boots and the small wheels make the shoes manoeuvrable. The newest artistic skates have only three wheels, and the front and back wheels are of a different hardness than the middle wheel.

Fitness and recreational skates are usually made of hard plastic. They have four wheels and plenty of ankle support. If you decide to purchase a pair of new soft-boot skates, make sure the one you select has a plastic cuff or some other device to provide good ankle support.

Hockey skates are made of leather and have small wheels. They come with laces for a tight fit and are manufactured to support the agility requirements of roller hockey.

Proper speed skates are lightweight and they have a low-cut leather boot with no ankle support. They have a long wheelbase and five large wheels for extra speed. They are not suitable for beginners because they have no brakes. The long wheelbase makes it difficult to turn and do other basic manoeuvres.