An inline speed skate is a specialized shoe version of the inline skate. The boot or shoe is close-fitting, without much padding and usually made of leather and carbon fiber and/or fiberglass composites. The lower part of the boot is usually made of carbon fiber and the upper part with leather. This also protects the boot from getting damaged on hitting other boots during a race. For best performance, the boot must conform closely to the shape of the foot, so most inline speed skating boots are heat-mold able, which allows the user to re-shape the boots to some extent when heat is applied (by placing the boots in oven at 185 °F (85 °C) for 15 minutes after taking off the wheels, frames, and straps/buckles). It is also quite common to have boots custom-made for improved fit Speed skating boots are low-cut and offer little ankle support, allowing the skater extra ankle movement. Skin blisters due to friction can be a problem, and common solutions include: neoprene or silicone "ankle bootee" such as "Ezeefit" or "Bunga Pads", double thin synthetic socks, smaller boots, improving technique, re-moulding the boots, sports tape, and use of "advanced healing" plasters to help recovery.
The frame (sometimes called the chassis or plate) which holds the wheels is made of aircraft-quality aluminum, magnesium, and new developments in technology have allowed Carbon fiber. Frames flex during skating, and the amount of flex can be a personal factor in which one to choose. Very "stiff" frames are usually favoured by heavy skaters. A frame which is too stiff for a particular skater may feel unstable on corners and a frame that is not stiff enough will be slower. Frame stiffness also works along with boot and wheel stiffness, so there are endless possible variations. A light frame is desirable. The new-age frames that are being developed are designed to absorb minute shocks and jerks that are usually experienced, thereby not hindering the skater's momentum. Ideal frame length is affected by foot size and wheel size. A slightly shorter frame is often preferred for the tight curves of smaller tracks but is slower. A longer frame is faster but much harder to turn.
The frame position can usually be adjusted with respect to the skate, to adjust for a skater's individual foot, ankle and leg characteristics. Frame positioning is very critical as even a minor change from the skater's actual frame position can lead to severe foot pain. Also, many times it leads to 'locking' of the skater's ankle and/or calf muscle, thereby restricting its movements. It may take a skater several days to weeks to test and adjust the frame position of his new skates. The typical Inline mounting is 195mm, which is different from the ice mounting of 165mm. The frame usually mounts three, four, or five polyurethane wheels. The three wheel frames are used by skaters with small feet, otherwise 4 wheel frames are commonly used, with 90 mm to 110 mm diameter wheels. Five-wheel frames with smaller wheel have lost favor. Each wheel contains two ball bearings with an aluminum spacer, held in place with an axle screwed into the frame.Larger wheels require better skating technique, so skaters generally progress upwards in wheel size as they gain experience. "Hi-Lo" arrangements are also available, which usually have three larger wheels and one smaller wheel under the ball of the foot, allowing a lower and shorter overall frame design.In 2014 Power slide (German inline skate company) introduced a 125mm wheel to be used on a 3-wheeled frame varying in sizes from 11.8" to 13.0". Lots of controversy surrounded this development since FIRS did not allow 125m wheels at the 2014 & 2015 world championships. On January 18 of 2016 FIRS released a press release that stated: "Dear Friends, Considering the evolution and growth that our sport has attained in the last years, the FIRS and the Speed Technical Committee have decided to allow, starting from February 1, 2016, the use of the w heels up to a maximum size of 125 mm but only for the Marathons (JUNIOR and SENIOR) and the MASTER Category (MEN and LADIES).
