Street hockey skates have endured several major innovations since the sport first hit the scene in the late-1970s. One such innovation is the Hi-Lo chassis used by several major skate manufacturers as of 2010, including Bauer and Mission. This chassis configuration balances speed and maneuverability for improved performance on the street.
Hi-Lo Explained
Inline hockey skates with a Hi-Lo chassis setup typically have 80-millimeter wheels in the back and 72-millimeter or 76-millimeter wheels in the front. This wheel configuration provides a slight forward tilt, which is ideal for roller hockey. The bigger 80-millimeter wheels provide a higher top speed potential while the smaller front wheels improve turning and increase acceleration.
Wheels
The best Hi-Lo skates use top-of-the-line wheels made for street use. Street wheels are slightly harder than indoor wheels and improve durability on rougher surfaces. The hardness of inline skate wheels is measured using the durometer scale. Hi-Lo skates with 78A to 84A wheels are ideal for street hockey because they provide a good balance of grip and durability.
Top Brands
Mission has been a leader in the inline hockey skate industry since its merger with hockey equipment maker Itech in 2004. Mission skates use a Hi-Lo chassis configuration that eventually found its way onto Bauer inline skates when the two companies merged in 2008. Bauer unveiled its popular Vanguard Hi-Lo inline hockey skates in 2010, which was the Hi-Lo standard chassis in all Mission and Bauer skates that year.
Pricing
The best street hockey skate from Mission, as of January 2011, is the Axiom A4 Hi-Lo skate priced at just below $150. Mission's Axiom T9 skates are its top-of-the-line indoor roller hockey skates; simply change out the stock wheels to a harder 78A to 80A wheel for outdoor use. Bauer's top-rated skate for 2010 is the RX-60 priced at $650. This skate is ideal for both indoor and outdoor play because of its innovative wheels that feature an outer urethane hardness of 83A that grips like a traditional indoor wheel. The best choice for those on a budget is the Bauer RX-15, which uses multisurface wheels and is priced at $125 as of 2010.
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