Ice skate
Metal blades underfoot for gliding across ice.
Ice skates are footwear with metal blades fixed underneath, designed to let a person glide across ice. The earliest versions were made from the leg bones of horses, oxen, or deer, strapped to the feet with leather. Instead of blades, these bone skates required a long pole tipped with a sharp metal spike to push the skater forward.
Modern skates come in many forms, each built for a specific activity or surface. People use them for fun at indoor rinks or on frozen lakes, and they are the required footwear in sports such as figure skating, bandy, ice hockey, ringette, rink bandy, rinkball, speed skating, and tour skating.
**History**
Research by Federico Formenti of the University of Oxford and Alberto Minetti of the University of Milan suggests that Finns invented ice skates about 5,000 years ago, using animal bones. This innovation helped them save energy while hunting during harsh winters in the Finnish Lakeland, a region with roughly 187,888 lakes. These lakes separated villages, so people either took a long route around a lake or crossed its frozen surface.
The oldest known skate with a metal blade was found in Fennoscandia and dates to around 200 AD. It had a thin strip of copper folded and attached to the bottom of a leather shoe.
Starting in 1976, excavations in York, UK, uncovered 42 pairs of Viking-era ice skates at Coppergate. Most were made from horse leg bones, though some used cattle bones. The bones were cut flat, polished on one side, and had a hole drilled at one end. A leather thong, secured by a wooden peg, passed through the hole to fasten the skate to the wearer’s ankle. The Viking invasion of York occurred on November 1, 866, indicating that bone skates were used in England by the 9th century.
In the 12th century, William Fitzstephen wrote about bone skates being used in London. During the 13th century, the Dutch transformed ice skating by sharpening the steel blades of their skates.
**Types of Ice Skates**
There are five main types: figure skates, ice hockey skates, bandy skates, racing skates, and touring skates.
**Figure skates** are used in figure skating. Unlike hockey skates, they have saw-toothed toe picks on the front of the blade. The blades are usually stainless steel or aluminum with a steel runner. The toe pick helps with jumps like the Lutz and toe loop, and with starting a backspin.
- Earliest known skates
- made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, attached with leather straps
- Earliest metal blade
- found in Fennoscandia, dated to 200 AD, a thin strip of copper folded and attached to a leather shoe
- Viking-era skates found
- 42 pairs at Coppergate, York, UK, starting in 1976; mostly horse leg bones, some cattle leg bones
- First to develop ice skates
- Finns, some 5,000 years ago, from animal bones
- Dutch innovation (13th century)
- sharpened steel blades
- Main types
- figure skate, ice hockey skate, bandy skate, racing skate, touring skate
Lore & Background
The first ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, and were attached to feet with leather straps. These skates required a pole with a sharp metal spike that was used for pushing the skater forward, unlike modern bladed skates. According to a study, Finns were the first to develop ice skates some 5,000 years ago from animal bones, which was important for saving energy in harsh winter conditions when hunting in Finnish Lakeland. Finland has about 187,888 lakes, which separated villages from each other; to travel between villages, the Finnish people had two options: to take a longer route around the lake, or to find a way across the frozen surface of the lake.
The earliest known skate to use a metal blade was found in Fennoscandia and dated to 200 AD, fitted with a thin strip of copper folded and attached to the underside of a leather shoe. Starting in 1976, during excavations of the city of York, UK, 42 pairs of Viking-era ice skates were found at Coppergate; the majority are made from horse leg bones, although cattle leg bones were also used. The bones were cut flat and polished on one side and drilled with a hole at one end. A leather thong, held in place by a wooden peg, was inserted into the hole to attach the skate to the wearer’s ankle. The Viking invasion of York took place on November 1, 866, suggesting bone ice skates were being used in England from the ninth century. William Fitzstephen, writing in the 12th century, described the use of bone skates in London. In the 13th century, the Dutch revolutionized ice skating by sharpening the blades of ice skates, which were made of steel at the time.
Reader's Guide
Ice skates have evolved from animal bone tools to specialized equipment for multiple sports and recreation. The five main types—figure skate, ice hockey skate, bandy skate, racing skate, and touring skate—each serve distinct activities. Figure skates feature saw-toothed toe picks and curved, hollow-ground blades for jumps and spins. Ice hockey skates have molded plastic or composite boots and hollow-ground blades with two edges for maneuverability; goalie skates are cut lower in the ankle, have a longer blade with less rocker, and are encased in hardened plastic to protect from pucks. Bandy skates have longer blades than hockey skates, a lower boot, and a flatter bottom without a hollow, prioritizing speed over tight turns. Racing skates have long blades with a completely flat bottom for glide, and include clap skates with a hinged connection. Touring skates are long blades attachable to hiking or cross-country ski boots, designed for stability on uneven natural ice. Sharpening is key for hockey and figure skates: the blade is hollow ground to create two edges, with sharpness measured by the radius of the grinding wheel; a 1/2 inch radius is common for players, while goalies often use 3/4 inch. The choice of sharpness is based on preference, not player size or level.
Did You Know?
- The earliest ice skates were made from leg bones of horse, ox or deer, attached with leather straps, and required a pole with a sharp metal spike for pushing.
- Finns developed ice skates from animal bones some 5,000 years ago to travel across frozen lakes in Finnish Lakeland.
- The earliest known metal-bladed skate, from 200 AD, used a thin strip of copper folded under a leather shoe.
- Viking-era bone skates found in York, UK, were made from horse or cattle leg bones, cut flat and polished, with a hole for a leather thong.
More in Ice Hockey Equipment 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced