Best Beginner Roller Skates

November 14, 2021
by Volition Skate Co.

If you are a beginner roller skater and aren’t sure what roller skate to buy, or how much money you should spend on a decent skate setup, this is the article for you!

Below we outline our top picks for beginner roller skaters and give you our top reasons for picking each one.

#3 Candi Girl Carlin Roller Skates - $125~

candi girl carlin roller skates at volition skate co.

Coming in at 3rd place is the Candi Girl Carlin roller skates. These roller skates have been completely redesigned in 2020, and are looking better than ever. The older roller skate design was notably junior in it’s appearance, and the company has done a great job to elevate the look and appeal of their flagship roller skate.

These cuties average $100 for their retail price, and are super stylish and FAR more comfortable than the Impala roller skates. They boast the same metal plate feature that the Impala has, but the ankle and upper of the Candi Girl Carlin are much more padded and feel like a softer landing. We also think the vegan suede roller skate upper material looks more high quality and expensive than the price you actually pay for these skates.

#2 Sure-Grip Fame Roller Skates - $180~

sure-grip fame roller skates at volition skate co.

Sure-Grip is a staple in the roller skating industry, and for good reason. They make high quality roller skates that stand the test of time. There are plenty of reviews out there on the Sure-Grip Fame roller skates, including a highly viewed YouTube review from the folks at Planet Roller Skate (now Pigeon Roller Skate Shop) boasting the pros of this affordable skate.

The boot has superior padding and comfort and doesn’t require any break-in time, so your feet will be happy from day one. The parts on this skate are all good quality and come with a few options for plates and wheels. (We sell this skate with both nylon or metal plates, and your choice of indoor or outdoor wheels.)

Stylistically, the Sure-Grip Fame might not be the cutest or most fashionable choice, but this solid skate setup will serve you well! There are plenty of ways to pimp your roller skates, like buying fun roller skate laces, or a new colorful toe stop, and of course colorful, new wheels always make a skate feel brand new.

#1 Chaya Melrose Series - $135-$345~

We are big fans of Chaya at Volition Skate! Chaya skates are well-made, stylish, and affordable. As a beginner roller skater, Chaya delivers the most bang for your buck across their entire Melrose series of skates.

One of the main benefits of Chaya’s entire line of skates is that the boots fit those with both medium and wide feet. This is extra noteworthy because of Chaya’s lower price point - most of our other budget skates DO NOT fit well for wider feet.

Below we break down some of the features of each model of Chaya Melrose skate.

Chaya Melrose

Retail: $135~

We love the basic Chaya Melrose skate for several reasons - the Melrose boots are the most comfortable boots you will find across all brands of skates at this price point. We have not found another roller skate in the same class as Chaya when it comes to comfort, padding, and support.

Melrose Specs:

Chaya Aja plate
Bolt on toe stop
Octo Propel outdoor wheels (78a, 61mm)
WICKED ABEC 7 bearings

Chaya Melrose Deluxe

Retail: $150~

The Melrose Deluxe is built with the same boot as the Chaya Melrose. The comfort of these two skates is nearly identical. The main difference between the Melrose and Melrose Deluxe skates is that the Melrose Deluxe replaces the fiberglass Aja plate with an aluminum plate.

Melrose Deluxe Specs:

High-quality aluminum plate
Bolt on toe stop
Octo Paseo outdoor wheels (78a, 62mm)
Wicked ABEC 9 bearings

Chaya Melrose Elite

Retail: $200~

The Melrose Elite takes the same comfortable and high-quality Melrose boot and mounts it to the super durable fiberglass Shari plate. This plate is strong enough to be taken to the skate park and will hold up for many years to come.

Chaya Melrose Elite skates also switch out the bolt-on toe stop with an adjustable one - which is a far more preferred style of toe stop amongst skaters.

Chaya Love is Love note: the Chaya Love is Love skate is built with the exact same parts as the Melrose Elite - the only difference is the colorway of the boot.

Chaya Melrose Elite/Love is Love Specs:

Chaya Shari Plate
Chaya 78A/62mm outdoor wheels
Wicked ABEC-7 Bearings
Chaya Controller Toe Stop (adjustable)

Chaya Melrose Premium

Retail: $345~

For beginners who are looking for a top-notch skate to get started with, we cannot say enough about the Chaya Melrose Premium. For a full breakdown of this skate, read our review here.

We’ve come to expect great quality for the price from Chaya, and the Melrose Premium knocks it out of the park with all of its bells and whistles at a relatively reasonable price.

The luxurious soft lining, and sleek memory foam padding of the Melrose Premium boot takes comfort to a new level. Chaya Melrose boots up until this skate have all been padded well with a thick material that provided ample comfort while creating a bit of a bulky look and feel. The Melrose Premium streamlines the profile of the boot, while also improving the overall comfort - a win-win for skaters at any level.

One reason we recommend considering starting with this upgraded skate is that the higher quality parts actually make it a lot easier to learn new skills. Many beginners quit early because they are frustrated with their progress. It’s easy to blame yourself for the lack of improvement, when often we see that skaters’ are stalling out because of low-quality gear.

Top features of the Melrose Premium: