Since the roller skate was patented in 1819, the design has come a long way. Now, roller skates can help your child learn to skate and are even adjustable to grow with them (for at least a little while). Many kids pick up skating quickly, but the right skates go a long way in helping to improve the natural ability of a child.
This list of best roller skates for kids includes all the options that had adjustability, style, and made skating easy and fun for kids.
Best Roller Skates for Toddlers
PlayWheels PAW Patrol Roller Skates
The PlayWheels PAW Patrol Roller Skates are designed with alloy steel and plastic and are great for beginner skaters between ages 3-6 years (max weight 45 lbs).
A hook and loop closure allows your child to get the right fit for safer skating. Each roller skate is designed with toe brakes if your child wants to slow down that way. To help prevent injuries, these PAW Patrol skates also include matching knee pads to protect little knees.
Reviews are iffy, but some buyers have said their toddler really enjoys these skates. If you’re not sure if your kiddo will like skating at all, this is a reasonably priced option to start with before you spend too much on a nicer set of roller skates.
For a more feminine pair of toddler skates, PlayWheels offers Frozen 2 Glitter Roller Skates.
Best Roller Skates for Kids
Both the Woolitime Adjustable Roller Skates and the Xino Sports Adjustable Roller Skates have illuminating wheels that light up, while the Infinity Adjustable Roller Skates have solid colored wheels.
Woolitime Adjustable Roller Skates
The Woolitime Adjustable Roller Skates are designed with an aluminum alloy frame and polyurethane wheels and are available in sizes 9 Toddler – 9 Big Kid. An included size chart will help you decide which size is best for your child.
For a secure fit, these roller skates feature shoelaces, a strap, and a buckle. The entire skate size can be adjusted easily by pushing the “adjustable button” located on the side of each roller skate. Within the skate is a breathable and thick liner, allowing your child to skate comfortably.
These Woolitime skates also include a super fun feature: light-up wheels! No worries about batteries either; these wheels don’t require any!
Xino Sports Kids Adjustable Roller Skates
Boys want light-up skates too like the Xino Sports Kids Adjustable Roller Skates. These allow little boys and girls to get the fun while parents get the visibility they need in a sea of children out in the skating rink.
Furthermore, the skates come in a girly color or the boy colors of black, blue, and green.
They are also adjustable skates for youth sizes 1 to 4 and large for 5 to 8. Furthermore, they come with tons of cushioning and padding for a much more comfortable skating experience. With toe stops, high-quality polyurethane wheels, and high-performance bearings ensure the best and most comfortable skating experience.
Finally, the skates both lace-up and come with a velcro strap and ratchet strap to keep the adjustable skates on your son’s feet. Mind you, kids who need to go to the bathroom will do so as soon as the straps are secure on both feet.
Either way, kids will skate with comfort and style in these adorable skates.
Infinity Skates Adjustable Roller Skates
For boys who want a pop of color, you can’t go wrong with the Infinity Skates Adjustable Roller Skates. Not only are these a good option for boys, but also for girls with seven fun colors, including blue, red, black, green, pink, and purple.
They also come with a high boot design, including a wedge for kids who prefer a higher heel.
The best part of the shoes is they are adjustable without looking like adjustable skates, which some children find too babyish and a turnoff. However, the adjustability gets you more for your money as the smalls fit sizes 12 to 2, and the medium fits sizes 3 to 6.
All this from retro-style skates ready to hit the rink or the pavement with urethane wheels.
Best Roller Skates for Girls
The Circle Society Girl Lucy Adjustable Girls Roller Skates are adjustable with a simple knob which adjusts the size; whereas the Chicago Girls Quad Roller Skate Combo are not adjustable roller skates and fit true to size.
Circle Society Adjustable Girls Roller Skates
If you like the style of the Roller Derby skates but want a little more adjustability, then try the Circle Society Adjustable Girls Roller Skates. These skates come in small and medium, and each adjusts four sizes with the small fitting 12 to 2 and medium fitting 3 to 6. Even better, they adjust with a simple twist knob to adjust the size.
With the wonderful Roller Derby traditional shape, these skates look like high-top boots with great ankle support and comfortable padding. Moreover, the skates are adorable with a white and yellow theme with little pineapples and green accents. The shoes also have a bit of a wedge attached to the frame for a little bit more stability and height.
Add in a high impact chassis with PI cushion to absorb shock and gain extra traction for controlled turns. The 5-speed bearings offer a smooth and fast wheel ready to take on tricks and anything else your daughter decides to try on skates. All with 54mm x 32mm wheels designed for both in the rink and outside on the pavement.
Lastly, the skates lace-up without additional supports so girls can get in and out of the skates easily. At the top of the ankle, three extra hooks to get a tighter fit and more support for the ankle and leg.
Let your girl skate with shoes that won’t disappear in the crowd.
Otw-Cool Adjustable Roller Skates for Girls
The Otw-Cool Adjustable Roller Skates for Girls look similar to the last pair of skates, but with brighter colors.
These also come in both small and medium, with adjustability up to four sizes each, including sizes 10 to 13 and 13 to 3. With adjustable skates, your daughter can use these from around six to around ten, depending on each child’s growth rate.
Next, the wheels on the skates illuminate a mixture of pink and yellow lights to garner sounds of excitement from your child and her friends. The wheels might be able to help you locate your child in a crowded skating rink unless a lot of girls are sporting fancy wheels, which is likely.
Thankfully the shoes have other benefits like triple protection with straps around round the high top protection, 45-degree ankle straps, and lace-ups.
As the skates are like sneakers, they will provide comfort and ankle support when worn correctly. With soft padding everywhere from the collars to the tongue, your child can enjoy comfort even when exercising in the rink. All with Pu 54mm x 32mm wheels for extra durability.
Finally, a toe guard helps your child to slow down when they need to stop and also helps to prevent collisions with other skaters. Also, the skates come in either the pink, purple, and white mix or in a black, white, and pink mix to work for more girls. These can be worn on the rink or outside to make them more versatile.
Kuxuan Saya Roller Skates Adjustable for Girls
Girl’s skates need to be cute, sturdy, and fun. Enter the Kuxuan Saya Roller Skates Adjustable for Kids because they offer all of these benefits and more. The skates are highly rated because they are so amazing with benefits kids and parents will both enjoy.
First, the skates come in two sizes, either small or medium, each with a four size adjustable range. Size small fits kids from size 10 to 13 and medium fits kids 13 to 3. This means you get several growth spurts out of your money so your kid can skate longer for the price.
Second, the skates come with four illuminated wheels on each sake without the need for batteries or charging. They also come with impact-resistant polymer plastic books and durable PU 54 mm x 32 mm wheels for durability and performance. All this with sturdy shoes attached to the base and wheels with large toe stops to reduce speed.
Third, the shoes themselves look like sneakers with lace-ups and high tops to provide ankle support. They come in pastel pink and gray with a base white. Girls will have no issues putting these shoes on and getting out to skate in either a rink or outdoors.
Chicago Girls Quad Skate Combo
For the ultimate beginner, get your daughter the Chicago Girls Quad Skate Combo. This set comes with skates, a helmet, knee pads, and elbow pads. It’s a perfect starter kit for a very reasonable price to help kids get a feel for the sport safely.
The Chicago skates come in two adjustable sizes, including small, which fits 10 to 13, and medium, which fits sizes 1 to 4 for older children.
What’s really great about these skates is they don’t lace up, meaning children who have trouble with tying shoes can still go skating. The skates use ratchet-style straps and a hard plastic shell to keep the shoes on kids’ feet all with tons of padding to make sure the skates are still comfortable.
Streamline bases, and a built-in toe stop helps kids to stop easily, and high tops like skis provide tons of comfort and stability. They also come with extra thick 60 mm wheels and semi-precision speed bearings perfect for beginners.
All with universal colors in pink, blue, and white, so girls can worry about learning a new sport and not about falling.
Roller Derby Skate Corp Roller Star 350 Girl’s Quad Skate
If you aren’t looking for an adjustable set of skates, try the Roller Derby Skate Corp Roller Star 350 Girl’s Quad Skate.
They fit true to children’s whole sizes with wider feet needing to go up a size instead of down. For kids in half sizes, put them in thicker socks or add in an insert or insole for a better fit for the skates that come in sizes 1-6 for bigger children.
As these are made for older kids, they come with less added protection like ratcheting straps around the ankle. Instead, these look like lace-up boots in basic white with synthetic uppers and cushioning around the liner and the collar. These boots are attached to the frame for a lightweight fit, thanks to a patented torsion beam chassis for extra control and striding.
Furthermore, the white and pink skates come with non-marking toe stops on both skates and 54mm urethane wheels. Girls can use these skates both in and out of the rink. Girls with a little more interest in skating can get a better range of motion from skates that don’t adjust and instead allow for more range of motion than stability.
Choose these for girls with more than a passing interest in skating.
Kandy-Luscious Kid’s Roller Skates
The Kandy-Luscious Kid’s Roller Skates look like slightly high top sneakers attached to a base with wheels, which is what they are! The shoe-skates are made with fun and motion in mind without all of the extra stabilizers needed by beginners.
Moreover, you can pick from three color options, including black, pink, and aqua, all with bright accents.
Next, the skates come in size 12 to 7 so girls can wear these skates until they are ready to move into women’s skates. What’s truly great about these skates is the extra fabric around the toe to prevent kids and teens from smashing their toes in the event of a fall. Also, the laces go lower down than on other skates to provide extra support and tightness around the toes.
The easy lace-ups go high enough to provide ankle support while providing easy tightening and loosening. High-quality foam adds a comfortable space for feet for hours of skating even for beginners new to the skating world. The shoes also include toe guards to stop on a dime with other safety measures already mentioned and 58 mm polyurethane wheels for easier turning.
However, kids with wide feet may find these are the right choice. The shoes also don’t fit typical sizes, so make sure to check the size chart and measure your kid’s feet before purchasing. Although, all skates will fit a little differently than shoes.
WiiSHAM Fun Roll Adjustable Canvas Roller Skates
Another pair of adjustable skates, the WiiSHAM Fun Roll Adjustable Canvas Roller Skates offer glittery beauty to help girls skate in style. These skates come in three different color combinations, including purple and gray, bright pink with blue and yellow, and light pink with gray. With this set of skates, you will be able to recognize your daughter’s skate amongst the crowd of skaters at the rink.
Next, the skates come in small and medium to fit four shoe sizes each. Moreover, the shoes are man-made with extra secure attachment to the frame, unlike any other skates available. As a matter of fact, the frames attach to the sneaker top all the way up past the top of the toes for extra protection and security, even for beginner skaters.
These skates are made for stability and comfort with high top boots, lace-ups, ratchet-style support around the ankle, and a velcro strap too. Add in a toe guard, and you have the perfect skates.
The only possible problem is the skates sit a little higher, which will be an adjustment for little girls, but it will only be a few minutes before they are skating circles around the rink or the driveway.
Crazy Skates Rocket Roller Skates
Let your little girl light up the rink with the Crazy Skates Rocket Roller Skates. Not only are these skates epic with stunning colors, but also extra supportive without looking like little kid skates.
Girls will love the low profile on the ankle if they want more movement so they can skate without the skates taking over their range of motion.
These are the perfect skates for beginners as you can tighten them for more stability and then loosen them when needed. With the sneaker style, your daughter will still get the agility and easy turns she craves, all with high-performing parts perfect for indoor or outdoor skating. The shoes come with a toe stop and a wide wheelbase for durability and stability.
Finally, the shoes aren’t adjustable but do come in size 10 to 7 and in two different colors. As there aren’t available in half sizes, the lined shoes fit best moving up for wider or larger feet.
Another adjustment is the turning angle, so you can adjust to your child’s ability once they have a feel for the skating world.
Lenexa uGOgrl Roller Skates for Girls
Give your girl a little flower power with the Lenexa uGOgrl Roller Skates for Girls. The skates also come in four different color options, including purple, aqua, pink, and coral, to give girls a high boot style reminiscent of the seventies.
We promise beyond the cute factor, these shoes offer a ton of other benefits too.
First, the shoes come with a bit of a wedge for girls who need a little more ankle support and prefer a higher shoe. Second, they come with a streamlined and thinner base so girls can move unhindered. Extra padding on the inside helps to allow for more comfortable riding without soreness or blisters.
The nylon base plate and urethane wheels free-roll on any surface, including on a rink or even on pavement. Extra padding around the toes and extra high lace-ups help to add to the benefits and structure of the shoe to keep your daughter loving skating longer.
Also, the shoes come in sizes 12 through 7 and are not adjustable, making these the perfect option for girls with a little more experience.
Best Roller Skates for Boys
The Trac Star Youth Boy’s Adjustable Roller Skate do not have laces and use ratchet-style closure straps instead, while the Epic Skates Evolution Black Speed Skates have laces that tie your child’s skates.
Roller Derby Boy’s Trac Star Adjustable Roller Skate
If you want to get your son some adjustable skates but love the quality of the Roller Derby brand, then try the Roller Derby Boy’s Trac Star Adjustable Roller Skate. The skates come in red and black or blue and orange and in two adjustable sizes, including medium (12 to 2) and large (3 to 6).
Young skaters can learn with a high boot style and extremely think frames to hold up the boot.
Moreover, these skates don’t lace-up, instead, they use two ratchet-style closure straps to keep the shoes securely on your son’s feet.
The skates also come with real trucks for controlled turning and for a quality quad skating experience. Now boys can have a smooth ride thanks to urethane wheels for grip and bounce and toe stops to end the ride when necessary.
Chicago Boys Sidewalk Roller Skate – Black Youth Quad Skates
If you are looking for budget-friendly skates for boys, try the Chicago Boys Sidewalk Roller Skate – Black Youth Quad Skates. They offer a classic eighties sneaker style sneaker with wheels and a toe stop attached. The shoes offer basic colors with a hint of bright blue on the velcro strap keeping the laces secure.
Beyond the stable and secure design of the shoe portion, the chassis also offers durability while the bearings offer a smooth ride along with the adjustable trucks keeping them in place.
All this with a slim design and thick oversized wheels with semi-precision. The extra support around the toes also reduces injury for a fun and invigorating skating experience.
Last, of all, the skates come in shoe sizes and are not adjustable. The sizes include size 12 to size 5, and they work on both pavement and in the rink.
However, they work best outside because of the oversized wheels.
Riedell Skates – Dash – Indoor Quad Roller Skate
The Riedell Skates – Dash – Indoor Quad Roller Skates look like soccer sneakers with an extra velcro strap around the top to keep feet stable. Vivid green, black, and white provide an easy to see skate no matter whether on the rink or the pavement, although kids can also pick from pink and purple for girls or orange and blue if green isn’t their favorite color.
Next, the shoes come in sizes 1 to 7, meaning they aren’t adjustable, and you may need to buy a new pair with every growth spurt, but they offer more stability and flexibility too.
With nylon plates, strong metal trucks, toe stops, and steel ball bearings, the 60 mm wheels can provide extra grip for a smooth ride.
Everything about these skates speaks of quality and safety, so kids can skate and protect their ankles.
Epic Skates Star Hydra Indoor/Outdoor High-Top Quad Roller Skates
The Epic brand makes many wonderful pairs of skates for kids, including the Star Hydra High-Top Quad Roller Skates. These come with black and blue shoes with a simple classic design including stripes and a star. The shoe portion comes with a moderate high-top with tons of cushioning for comfort.
Moreover, the shoes come with extra padding and increased ankle support for comfort and longevity.
Boys will love skating with the lightweight nylon plate with fixed, non-adjustable toe stops. The shoes just work and well so boys can focus on skating and not on messing with the skates and trying to get a comfortable fit. Also, the skates use polyurethane compound wheels to work both inside and outside.
Last, of all, the shoes come in sizes 13 to 4 to work for children up to their preteen ages depending on their growth spurts.
Boys will love the shoe design and comfort while parents will love the high-quality material and built-in safety features plus a spare pair of shoelaces.
Epic Skates Super Nitro Indoor/Outdoor Quad Speed Roller Skates
Boys who tend to hate shoes because they are uncomfortable may want to try the extra comfortable Epic Skates Super Nitro Indoor/Outdoor Quad Speed Roller Skates also by Epic. This brand makes skates that work well so they can skate well.
The shoes are simple enough and offer a low profile sneaker-like skate in a pure black with little hints of silver, so the shoes don’t stick out, but he does.
Between the comfortable padded collar, classic quad speed design, and lightweight nylon plate, the skates work well for casual and beginner skaters as well as skaters with a little more learning. They also come with speed grooves, slotted hubs, and 8 mm speed bearings to help all boys start skating quickly.
Mind you, these are shoes sized skates with a low profile, meaning boys will get tons of flexibility and stability too.
Lastly, the shoes come with a toe stop and an extra velcro strap around the ankle to ensure full ankle support. Also, if boys fall, the extra fabric around the toes keeps digits safe. All this and the shoes come in a wide range of sizes, including youth 1 to adult 9, as boys tend to outgrow kid sizes quickly.
Crazy Skates Zoom Roller Skates
Some boys do skating for more than a casual pastime, but with the Crazy Skates Zoom Roller Skates you get a high-performance speed skate ready to help boys prep for hockey, advanced skating, or just for those who want to gain more speed than they can get from regular skates.
Although the skates come with a small shape and low profile, they come with amazing attention to detail.
First, the shoes come with an adjustable boost toe strap for better control over their speed. A velcro strap keeps the ankle protected despite the low shoe style lace-ups.
Next, galaxy plates and alloy trucks support the signature urethane wheels with rubber shielded bearings.
Lastly, these skates are built for speed and comfort, so boys can skate all day. Do know that these skates are for kids with bigger feet as they start in sizes 1 for big kids and go all the way up to men’s size 9.
Boys who need serious skates need skates made with adults in mind for high-endurance skating needs.
Roller Derby 1378-12 Youth Boys Firestar Roller Skate
Roller Derby doesn’t just make girl skates but also the Roller Derby 1378-12 Youth Boys Firestar Roller Skates for boys. They are also one of the most affordable options available and come in shoe sizes, including 12 to 4.
With a high-top boot style, boys will skate with tons of ankle support ready to keep them skating longer and with tons of comfort.
The frame of the wheels stays inside the boot besides the wheels, which measure 54 mm and are made of urethane. Moreover, the skates come with a plain black, white, and gray color scheme perfect for boys who want a low profile skate. It also includes a toe stop and extra fabric around the toes for braking and keeping toes from damage when falling.
Finally, G-force carbon bearings and a lightweight design paired with a velcro strap around the ankle provide the stability boys need. They also get tons of comfort, thanks to padding everywhere. Now they can skate for hours and burn off excess energy.
Scale Sports Adjustable Roller Skates
Boys who want to skate but want to look mature while going through chronic growth spurts need the Scale Sports Adjustable Roller Skates. While these skates are adjustable, they still come with older boy styles, including blue and black, red and black, and two girl colors, so even girls can use these skates with higher sizes.
Size small fits size 13 to 3 while large fits sizes 3 to 5 to last a little longer before investing in single size skates.
The quad roller skates protect feet with velcro straps, a ratchet strap, and lace-ups along with a thick frame with toe protection and a toe stop.
Next, the skates come with double-shielded precision bearings and smooth PU wheels for comfort and a smooth ride.
Kids can use these skates both inside and outside for tons of exercise, no matter the weather.
Comparing Kids Roller Skates
The table below compares only the recommended products on this page. A low or high Price means it is low or high compared to the other products listed. The Popularity Score reflects how often readers click on and buy the product. The Quality Score is our assessment of the overall performance and satisfaction with the product compared to others in the table.
Buying Guide for Roller Skates for Kids
Before picking your final choice of skates, take a look at all the factors that go into purchasing a pair of skates by looking at the parts of skates.
Anatomy of a Roller Skate
Roller skates come with two main sections – the shoe part that holds your foot and the frame that holds the wheels on the shoe. The shoe part is called the boot. The frame is called the plate, and it’s mounted to the bottom of the boot and the top of the wheels.
Next, the wheels, which are the magic, and make a boring shoe turn into rolling fun. Toe stops are the part of the skate that acts as a brake so kids can stop or slow down their speed. Next are velcro straps, also called power straps, to provide a secure fit.
Lastly, the tongue is the same as the tongue on a sneaker, it keeps the foot protected from the lacing. The other two parts are the bearings and the truck. Both of these keep the wheels attached to the plate, so you have a completely safe pair of skates.
Safety Gear
Because roller skating can garner much higher speeds than feet, some safety gear keeps kids safer, at least for outdoor skating, especially on hills and heights. Most of the gear centers around joint paddings, such as knee pads and elbow pads.
Helmets and wrists pads help to protect, too, as do mouth guards.
Finally, socks are one of the most important parts of roller skating.
First, socks can give better movement and control inside the shoe by controlling sweat. Second, they add extra cushion, so kids can skate longer with more comfort and get protection from the shoes as well. Beginners should always wear protection to help safeguard their bodies while they learn to balance.
Benefits of Roller Skating
Roller skating offers many health benefits by getting kids active.
First, roller skating is easy on the joints and is an activity that kids can grow up with and turn into a life-long hobby or sport. Many sports use skating because it’s fun, and people love anything involve wheels because they bring speed and exhilaration.
As a matter of fact, skating is a great cross-training exercise because it’s equivalent to jogging when it comes to calories burned and other benefits like fat burning and leg strength. That’s right, skating can keep kids healthy and help them stay trim.
Moreover, roller skating can improve their mood, balance, and reduce stress.
FAQs about Roller Skates for Kids
Are boot or shoe style roller skates better?
Both styles have different benefits and which is better depends on the person.
For the most part, high top boot styles offer more stability and are better for beginners getting used to balancing in skates.
Once balance is no longer an issue, low top sneaker style skates offer more movement and flexibility.
Start with high tops to prevent ankle injury as children learn to balance, once your child is older, try out both styles to find what works best for them.
Should I get my child inline or quad roller skates?
All of the roller skates above are quad skates, that is, skates with four wheels with one wheel on each side.
Inline skates also have four wheels, but all lined up in a row.
Roller skates help to learn balance, and inlines or roller blades are for speed and flexibility. Some people never adjust to the flexibility of inline skates and prefer to stay with the safer quad skates.
Start out with quad skates to help your child learn to balance, and later, if they want to focus on speed or sports, then you should consider inline skates.
Children with poor balance or weak joints should stick with quad skates because they are easier to use and offer more control.
If both of these still seem hard, try a kids scooter or kids skateboard to get your kids used to the sensation of moving around on tiny wheels.
What are some tips for kids learning to roller skate?
The best tip for beginners is to remember to be patient with themselves as they learn to balance and skate. Tell them to bend their knees slightly to help them maintain their balance. They should also keep their toes out and their arms tucked at the elbow to improve balance, too.
When it’s time to stop, kids should move their toes in towards each other to slow down their momentum.
For more tips, it’s best to get a basic skating lesson at your local skating rink to help beginners get a feel for the new movements.
Make sure to let kids know they will fall, but it won’t hurt much, and it’s not a big deal.
