Best Roller Derby Skates

Whether you are a seasoned veteran or brand new to the sport of roller derby, we can help you find a pair of skates that best fits your skill level, commitment, and budget. Using these qualities, we defined two types of skaters: competitive skaters are experienced, committed, and want the best gear, while recreational skaters are new, less certain of their commitment, or limited by budget. For each category, we picked one skate package that offers best-in-class performance and a second option that we felt provided the best all-around value.

Continue reading below to find out more about why we chose the skates we did. Keep in mind, these evaluations were made specifically with roller derby in mind and may vary for other skating disciplines.

Riedell uses premium components from top to bottom on their Solaris Pro Skate, starting with the cutting-edge Solaris Boot. This supremely comfortable leather boot has a wide ball and rounded toe box that makes it fit like Cinderella's slipper on a wide range of foot shapes and sizes.

The Solaris Pro uses a PowerDyne Reactor Pro Plate that is lightweight, powerful, and responsive. Halo Wheels make it almost effortless to engage your edges and nail crisp stops, starts, and everything in between. Even the bearings and toe stops, so often overlooked, are perfectly suitable for world-class competition.

Roller Derby Elite, aka RD Elite, has somewhat quietly developed one of the best all-around derby packages available with their Legacy Skate. The namesake Legacy Boot is a high performance leather boot with a stitched leather outsole and a comfort microfiber lining.

Perhaps the most impressive component is the magnesium alloy Octane Plate, which has outstanding response and power capabilities. Plus, if ultra-responsive action is more your style, you can get the same skate with a 45˚ Axis Plate of the same construction. Throw in Labeda wheels and bearings, and the Legacy Skate is undoubtedly one of the best elite-level values on the market.

Bont and performance go hand in hand, so it's no surprise that their affordable Hybrid Tracer Skate package is best in class for new or casual skaters. The quality starts with the microfiber Hybrid boot that is built around a fiberglass base, one that provides unparalleled strength and responsiveness at this level. Bont's anatomical fit is also unique, featuring a deep heel cup and a wide, rounded toe box that feels amazing.

The aluminum alloy Tracer plate is strong and responsive, with delicious 20˚ action that is fantastic for derby. The Ballistic wheels are solid indoor wheels and the adjustable toe stop has good qualities as well; only the bearings leave a little bit to be desired at this price range.

Riedell's R3 has long been the skate of choice for new skaters, and the R3 Derby Skate is the best of the bunch. The soft, padded boot fits and feels like a sneaker, so it serves as an excellent transition into the world of snug skate boots that are less forgiving. Vinyl construction means it can withstand the beatings that a new skater typically puts their boots through.

The Thrust Plate that sits under the R3 boot is very lightweight but also quite flexible and if the skater continues to advance into higher competition, they will likely outgrow this plate. The Sonar wheels carry an excellent size profile for roller derby while providing the reliable grip that many newbies appreciate.

Want to know more? Visit our extensive Learning Center for more helpful knowledge, guides, and videos, or jump directly to our collection of articles that focus on roller skates. If these picks aren't what you are looking for, try your hand at designing your own skate, piece by piece, using our custom skate builder!