Best Ice Hockey Skates

Whether you are a seasoned veteran ice hockey player or if you are brand new to the game, we are here to help you find the best skate for your skill level! For each category, we pick one skate for 'Overall Performance' based purely on tech and spec and another winner for 'Overall Value' that more heavily considers price, continue reading below to see why we chose each one!

When every stride and edge counts, nothing beats a skate molded exactly to your foot. The True SVH X5 uses 3D foot scans and industry-leading thermoforming to eliminate hotspots and heel slip, so your power transfer is immediate and maximized, your control is razor-sharp, and every stride feels explosive. On top of that, its SpeedShift holder and FlexFusion cuff strip away unwanted weight and let you get deeper through tight turns, making it the uncontested choice for elite players who demand peak responsiveness and custom comfort.

Key Features:

• BFIO Custom One-Piece Construction: Your skate is shaped around a custom last made from a 3D scan of your foot for a truly custom fit.

• SpeedShift Holder with DLC Steel: Redesigned lightweight holder paired with high-performance DLC-coated runners for better glide, edge retention, and durability.

You don’t need a custom boot to feel pro-caliber performance. The FT8 Skate centers on CCM’s RocketFrame one-piece composite shell with a new +6 mm heel pitch to get you up to speed quicker and to make your cuts tighter. Game Ready Fit 3.0 pre-molding gives you a broken-in feel from day one, and the ADPT/EPP Comfort Tongue and the injected tendon guard combine for skating that’s both blister-fast and surprisingly comofrtable. At this price, you get most of the FT8 Pro’s DNA in a skate that’s ready to dominate right out of the box. To top it off, it comes with a 30-Day Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee too!

• One-Piece RocketFrame Composite Boot with SuperSkin: Compared to its two-piece counterparts, the One-Piece design is lighter, better at transferring energy and better wraps around the foot for an improved fit. To top it off, the new SuperSkin insert protects the exterior better than ever before. What does this all mean? One-Piece boots make players quicker and faster.

• +6 mm Heel Shim: Increases forward pitch by 3 degrees for quicker transitions, deeper knee bend, and sharper crossovers. Players will feel quicker on their toes with a more natural fit.

For the highly-competitive player looking for pro-inspired performance with the pro price tag, the JetSpeed FT880 is your pick. It also features a MetaFrame composite one-piece construction that delivers direct, powerful energy transfer so you can launch off the line and carve corners with surgical precision. The integrated +6 mm heel shim shifts your posture forward for instant explosiveness, while ADPT Memory Foam ankle pads and the TotalDri Pro liner lock you in comfortably for back-to-back shifts. It’s the ideal skate for players who demand pro-level agility and a perfectly balanced fit at a performance-level price. Plus, it also comes with the same 30-day money back guarantee like the FT8 skate!

Key Features

• One-Piece MetaFrame Composite Boot: Compared to its two-piece counterparts, the One-Piece design is lighter, better at transferring energy and better wraps around the foot for an improved fit. What does this mean? One-Piece boots make players quicker and faster.
• +6 mm Heel Shim: Increases forward pitch by 3 degrees for quicker transitions, deeper knee bend, and sharper crossovers. Players will feel quicker on their toes with a more natural fit.

If you’re stepping up to competitive play and are on a budget, the Catalyst 3X4 wraps advanced one-piece boot tech into an accessible price point. Its Poly Fusion shell with NeuroFit engineering shapes snugly around your foot for more advanced edgework, while the Shift Max holder lets you swap in fresh steel in seconds. Combined with the protective multi-layer felt tongue and the breathable Blackwick liner, the 3X4 delivers near-custom fit and high-end feel, without breaking the bank.

Key Features

• True Shell Technology: A proprietary co-molded shell construction contours around the foot like nothing else, resulting in best-in-class fit and power.

For newcomers and casual pond players, the Next Skate strikes the perfect balance of comfort, support, and affordability. It's one-piece boot holds your ankle securely without feeling stiff, while plush collar padding and extra tongue foam prevent hot spots. Pre-sharpened SpeedBlade runners mean you’re game-ready straight out of the box, and the skate’s forgiving yet stable ride makes every stride feel natural, so you can focus on the fun, not the break-in.

Key Technologies

• 3D Injected Boot: It provides a new level of comfort and fit for recreational hockey players. The new construction makes the skate more durable with better visual appeal
• Pre-Sharpened Runner: Unlike most skates that need to be sharpened, these runners are ready to skate, utilizing a standard sharpening hollow. For more hollow options, use our Sharpening Service at checkout.

Did you know we offer professional skate sharpening services where your skates are delivered to your doorstep sharpened and even custom profiled? You simply select the hollow and custom profile when you add your skate or runner to your cart and we take of the rest!

If you love your sharpening or custom profile as much as we think you will, we even offer an Express Mail-In Sharpening and Profiling Service where you send in just your runners to have them sharpened or profiled.

Q: What are the best hockey skates right now?