Which skates are easier? Quads or Inlines? Asha compares the differences to help you choose.

This technique led discussion about the differences, advantages and disadvantages of inline and quad skates, hopes to inform your decision making. Many people make the wrong purchase (for them) and later regret it when they have to buy other skates.

Additional points to remember are that Inlines are way more suited to outdoor skating where surfaces are imperfect. Quads were designed and are best indoors on super smooth (think roller disco) floors. If skating outdoors on quads you’ll have a harder time with rough surfaces and will need even more speed and precise technique to not get caught out.

For more discussion of this subject plus 3 beginner starter videos (for any skates) check out Asha’s new É-Book “Let’s Skate”.

This resource is ideal if you are thinking of taking up skating or have recently started.

Send in your skating questions in the comments.

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Who is Asha Skatefresh?
• Skate Coach for BBC and Disney's "Soy Luna"
• Powerslide Brand Ambassador (since 2011)
• Quads figure skater who represented Great Britain internationally.
• Skating for 39 years
• Teaching inlines and quads for 22 years
• 356 Instructors Certified worldwide (with ICP – Inline Certification Program)

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7. Static Preparations + Basic Movement (Quads)

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Video footage: @skaterstu_brightonskate

[uh]

Inline on one foot and quad on the other, then you are level 10+

[melodyshart]

I think the most important difference between quads and inlines are that inlines were built for outdoors and quads were built for roller rinks. Unless you have a very nice smooth area to skate over get inlines or you will be tripping over every little crack 😞

[stephmo]

Asha is out here showing us she's the goddess of skate 🤙🏼 much respect

[nicolelee]

Watching you skate with a different type of skate on each foot has done my head in! Amazing. I like your tutorials too. Thanks.

[alexandercavendishsimson]

“Learn one, or the Proceeds to put one of each, on different legs 😆👍😎. Great skills, great tutoring, I could watch & listen to you all day, keep up the good work.

[deshawntoolive]

I’m 25 now and been using inlines all my life. Quads feel almost impossible for me to skate in at this point because it feels weird not having wheel support in the front of the skate so I’m constantly tripping forward

[Mary-vzqq]

As a beginner who lives in Greece I didn't have plenty of quad shoes to chose from. So I bought a quad in a boot like those with blades. In the beginning I was so disappointed that they were not as beautiful as the brands of the US, however then I realized that that type of boot gave me more support. Yes, of course is it heavier but it helped me to never fall. I have my boots 3 months now and I never fell.

[Sorrowsofthemoon]

Thank you Asha! I'll be linking this video to all of my friends who ask me this exact same question over and over forever :)

[amyzurakowski]

I LOVE your videos Asha!

I just took up my inlines more seriously. I started skating more regularly as I am in the late stages of recovering from Achilles tendon rupture surgery (reverse tumbling off-landing, I am an adult gymnast, and grew up doing ballet). It is really helping me gain strength and endurance again. Anyway I found your videos and have been taking your lessons and finding out how much I need to fix. I always just transferred stuff I picked up from ice skates (which is probably also bad form, and I can transfer your lessons to ice!.) But my skating already improved tremendously! The hardest part was figuring out how to stroke with outside edges, it's getting there. Although I can't hold them yet and struggle with smooth front crossovers, luckily the back aren't too bad! I just bought quad skates as well! They feel so strange I have to get used to the shorter front-back base. They felt so bizarre when I first put them on, I couldn't skate, it was funny, but I started getting the hang of it. I am hoping one day I will be able to one-foot spin on them like I do on ice skates (like a sit-spin) because inlines that's nearly impossible (without toe-stop picks) and would probably take many years.

Can you do a video on proper form for preventing knee pain? I was skating so much my weak leg knee got bad tendonitis. I have been on a break from skating to heal it. But I am not sure if it's the way I am skating, or just doing too much on that leg too quick (it was non-weight bearing back in Jan for a month, and I've had lots of PT). I lean so far forward I have all this pressure in my knees, especially going backwards. I have almost all my weight in my toes, and maybe I am putting too much up front. Part of that is fear of falling backwards too, unlike gymnastics there are no mats and asphalt is rough! Yes, I wear all the gear.

Anyway keep up the good work on the videos! I think you are one of the best skating teachers out there, and such a beautiful skater! You make things so clear and break it down well. Too bad you couldn't post any old quad figure skating videos, I'd love to see that! Thanks again, sorry for the long comment. I'll keep watching! :)

[fandesoniaalicia]

I am obsessed with your videos and your style, thanks <3

[gamerofrage]

Great video, straight to point no BS love it.. thank you! I Would love to see more videos of you doing quad tutorials. Love & respect from south London

[MartinaakaCherri]

Great video! We get asked this question a lot too! Thanks for the concise info!

[e_lena]

Wow, how can that even be possible to skate on them both at the same time? 😃 it's super cool! 👏👏👏personally, I really like the both types of skates, and yes, the balance is probably the main point of difference between them

[tomchernota]

BEST video out there regarding matter of difference of techniques....

[corinthians]

Thanks so much Asha what a cool video! Just found this. Am considering getting the inlines for the support hope I can do it!!!

[elletzie]

This is the most helpful video I've seen on the topic. Thank you. I went from figure skates to roller skates, and I feel like I've been struggling pretty hard to adjust, and this video has given me some good perspective on why that is ^^; maybe I should have gone with rollerblades instead

[Jenjenbuttonx]

Hey!! That's in Brighton!!! I'll have to look out for you when I'm skating on the Promenade!

[wongowonga]

great video. no bs, straight to the point. Subbed.

[goodgirl]

Girl!!! you are Insane on those skates!! It’s MESMERIZING!!! That was so DOPE!!! 🛼🔥🔥🔥

[anthonylopez]

I learned on inlines first and then I wanted to try quads. My first set of quads have a speed skating boot so, you have no ankle support but the transition from inlines to quads was pretty simple just needed to fine tune the trucks and i realized that with quads i needed to put more pressure on my heels instead of the balls of my feet like I did on inlines. Overall, I believe starting inlines first builds strong ankles because of how easily your ankle can roll side to side. Also, i can still turn on a dime and carve in and around all the kiddos at the rink just as easily with my quads as I did on inlines.