At first glance, all ice skates may seem the same. With more careful inspection, significant differences can be noted between the two primary styles of ice skates. Ice hockey and figure skating are significantly different in the style and manner of skating required, and each type of skate is designed for the specific needs of the sport in which it is used.
Purpose
With a couple of exceptions, such as goalie skates, hockey skates are designed primarily for the high speeds, increased maneuverability and sudden stops that are demanded in the game of hockey. Regular figure skates are intended for smooth, graceful skating movements combined with acrobatic tricks, such as jumps and spins.
Blade
The blade of a figure skate is relatively long with a short tail on the back. Figure skate blades are usually welded to two horizontal metal plates that provide points where the blade can be attached to the figure skating boot. Most modern hockey skate blades are made of a combination of a plastic frame that fastens to the boot and a relatively narrow metal blade that connects to the frame.
Toe Pick
Another important element of the regular figure skate blade is the toe pick. The toe pick is a sharply toothed area at the front of the blade. It is used to grab the ice for turns, jumps and stops. Because hockey skates are designed for speed and sudden changes in direction, without acrobatics, a toe pick is unnecessary. For this reason, hockey skate blades have rounded ends without a toe pick.
Rocker
The rocker is the curve of the edge of the blade. In regular figure skates, the rocker has a slight curve at the back of the skate with an increasing curve toward the front. This design not only allows the figure skater to turn smoothly, the steeper front curve of the rocker allows the skater to spin easily. The rocker of hockey skates is generally much flatter allowing for greater speed and power. Hockey skates are often designed with different profiles in their rockers to suit different positions. For instance, goalies have relatively flat rockers, providing a high level of stability.
Style
The style and aesthetic design of these two types of skates also differs. Regular figure skates look like high-top boots made of smooth leather and are designed as much for style as they are for use. They usually have a well-defined heel and sole and the surface of the boot is generally uniform in both texture and color. Hockey skates are far more utilitarian. Their appearance is decidedly athletic, with a strong toe cap, heel cup, ankle support and a protective tongue. The boot of the skate is also absent the prominent heel found in figure skates.
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