thumb|Figure skates have a toe pick at the front end.

Figure skates are a type of ice skate used by figure skaters. The skates consist of a boot and a blade that is attached with screws to the sole of the boot. Inexpensive sets for recreational skaters are available, but most figure skaters purchase boots and blades separately and have the blades mounted by a professional skate technician.

History

The bladed skate was invented prior to the 14th century, probably in Holland. Up to this point, skates were not sharpened, made from the legs of large animals, and strapped to the skater's shoes. Skaters used poles, like those used in skiing, to push themselves forward, which were discarded after the invention of the bladed skate because skaters were able to push off from one skate and glide on the other. The use of bladed skates resulted in the development of stroking and gliding, figure skating's most basic elements, as well as the invention of the Dutch roll, the sport's first figure.

During the 19th century, new forms of ice skates were developed to allow for even more control and safer gliding. Specific figure skates were created in response to the rise of figure skating's popularity in the 19th century, coinciding with the beginnings of formalized competitions such as the World Figure Skating Championships. The name "figure" skating arises from the compulsory portion of the competition, dropped in the 1990s, requiring skaters to trace out precise figures on the ice, including perfect figure 8 circles. is exploited, provides for human movement impossible in other media. For example, the minimal friction required between the narrow steel blade and the ice that melts beneath it allows a skater to glide across an ice rink. As a result of this lack of friction, the skater's body is "simultaneously motionless with respect to itself and in motion with respect to its surroundings and to a fixed visual point of view".

Blade types

Various specialty blade types exist, including:

  • Tapered figure skating blades have a design which causes them to be thicker at the front near the toe picks and thinner at the tail of the blade; therefore, the edges are not parallel.
  • Side-honed figure skating blades have a concave design which causes them to be thicker at the stanchions and the edge stripe and thinner in between. They are easily recognizable because they cause reflections to be inverted.
  • Parabolic figure skating blades were first introduced by HD Sports in order to employ new scientific developments in the creation of figure skating blades. The middle section of parabolic blades is thinner than that of normal blades, while both ends are typically wider than those of regular blades. for figure skates require a certain sharpness level to maintain control on the ice. Blades are typically sold unsharpened, and it is the responsibility of the customer to make sure the blades get sharpened before leaving the shop. Typically, the blades can be expected to be sharpened by the owner of the skate shop, but knowing one's skill level is necessary to get a correct sharpness. A deeply sharpened "V" cut on the blade should be reserved for professional figure skaters, as stopping on blades this sharp without an adequate amount of skill and strength can easily cause injuries such as sprains if one is not experienced enough. Figure skating blades that are too sharp can also be cause for concern, as the skater may find their feet slipping out to the side, making falls and sprains much more likely.
  • Ice skate construction
  • History of ice skates