Top 5 Ice Skating Brands
Ice skating is a popular winter sport with several disciplines. People variously skate for recreation, competition, artistic expression, and transportation. There are many brands making ice skating skates, boots, blades, and accessories; keep reading for a list of the best.
What Are the Most Popular Ice Skating Brands?
- Jackson Ultima
- Riedell
- Lake Placid
- American Athletic
- K2
1. Jackson Ultima
- Founded: 1966
- Website: https://jacksonultima.com/
- Products: Boots, Blades, Performance Accessories, Skates, Skate Guards, Luggage
Jackson Ultima Skating has been around since 1966, and they are known for how versatile their products are. Although they can be seen being worn by some of the top Olympic skaters, including Karen Chen and Mirai Nagasu, they also produce a ton of great skates for beginners.
Jackson makes both skating boots and blades, and they are known for having a wider fit, which allows them to be worn by almost everyone. In addition, their skates are easy to find at any sporting or skating store, as well as online, and all of their skates are heat-moldable, allowing customers to really customize the feel and fit of each pair.
2. Riedell
- Founded: 1945
- Website: https://riedellskates.com/
- Products: Ice Skates, Roller Skates
Coming in at a very close second to Jackson is the company Riedell. The main reason for this placement is because Riedell is famously known for having a much more narrow fit when it comes to their skates in comparison to Jackson.
Riedell manufactures both the boot and the blade of their skates, and they are also famously seen being worn by Olympic skaters. Some of these include Kurt Browning and Elena Radionova, and it's very common that if someone doesn’t fit into Jackson’s skates, they will love the fit of Riedell’s. Riedell has been around since 1945, and they are so well known because of the wide range of skates they provide to their customers of all different skill levels.
3. Lake Placid
- Founded: 1930s
- Website: https://360-inc.com/
- Products: Ice Skates
In third place on the list of the most popular ice skating brands is Lake Placid Ice Skates, currently owned by 360-Inc. This company earns its spot so high on the list not just because they have over 50 years of experience, but because of their awesome price points. They focus more on recreational skating in terms of family and friend fun throughout the winter, and they provide skates that are especially great for children.
More recently, Lake Placid has become very well-known for their Monarch adjustable model, which was made to actually expand in order to accommodate growth spurts. Another reason that many skaters are drawn towards this company is because the majority of their products can be purchased for under $100.
4. American Athletic
- Founded: 1959
- Website: https://americanathleticshoe.com/
- Products: Figure Skates, Hockey Skates, Rental Skates
American Athletic was established back in 1959, and they have been a top competitor in the industry ever since. They have more than six decades worth of experience behind them which has allowed them to use their expertise to really support their customers in terms of finding the skates that fit them best.
More recently, they were rated the best overall ice skate by Tripsavvy for their American Ice Force 2.0 model. Their skates are of very high quality, and their customers continue coming back for more.
5. K2
- Founded: 1962
- Website: https://k2skates.com/en-us/
- Products: Ice Skates, Inline Skates
K2 Skates has been around since 1962, and they are a leader in manufacturing ice skates. K2 Skates tends to focus more on the recreational side of ice skating when it comes to their products’ purpose, and therefore each skate is made with the intention of allowing the skater to be comfortable while skating all day long.
In addition, the company is popularly known for the FIT Ice Skate, which uses a soft boot design to instill all-day comfort. With a hard outer shell and a very soft and cushiony inside, skaters can wear these for hours without any issues.
Honorable Mentions
Here is a list of other great ice skating brands:
- A&R
- Bauer
- Bladerunner
- Botas
- DBX
- Edea
- Gam
- Graf
- Harlick
- Jerry’s
- John Wilson
- MK Blades
- Paramount SK8s
- Risport
- SP-Teri
FAQ
What is the best ice skating brand?
Jackson Ultima is the best ice skating brand. Their skates are available in a variety of styles and have been worn by numerous world and Olympic champions. Other great ice skating brands are Riedell, Lake Placid, American Athletic, and K2.