What to Wear Ice Skating

Ice skating is a fun and challenging physical activity. Simply staying on your feet while moving around the rink requires practice, focus, balance, and steady nerves. It also requires the right wardrobe.  If you’re getting ready for your first ice skating lesson, or if you are just going out skating with some friends, here’s what to wear ice skating!

From the Waist Down

Start by focusing on what you’ll wear from the waist down. It’s best to keep two words in mind here: comfort and flexibility. Ice skating requires athletic movement, and flexibility is important so you don’t feel restricted as you move around the rink. Then, by wearing something comfortable, you should be able to focus on your skating without being distracted by your attire.

It’s also important to keep in mind that you may fall once or twice (or a whole bunch of times, but who’s counting?). With that in mind, wear pants that you don’t mind damaging if they come out a little worse for the wear when you’re done skating. And, since falling on ice can mean getting wet, pick something that won’t hold onto water. Athletic pants made from synthetic materials are a good pick, and leggings can be a great choice too—as they’ll keep you warm and are very stretchy. Long underwear made from synthetics can also help to keep your legs warm under another pair of pants.

Layer on the Top

While you might be able to get away with a single garment on your legs, layering is the best option for your upper body. Wearing just a single shirt would likely leave you too cold, but wearing a big winter coat will make it hard to move around freely. By layering, you maintain mobility and comfort while staying warm at the same time. Plus, the biggest advantage of wearing layers is that they allow you to adjust as needed. If you have a knack for skating and start to work up a sweat, you can simply take off layers to cool down.

As an example, you might choose a plain T-shirt as your base layer. From there, you can add a long-sleeved shirt for a second layer, before finishing it off with a fleece jacket. This combination should be comfortable as you skate, and the jacket can easily come off if necessary.

When layering, try to avoid cotton, especially for your base layer. This is the layer that will be in contact with your body, so it needs to be able to deal with your sweat. A cotton shirt will soak up moisture and leave you feeling wet and chilly. A moisture-wicking shirt made from synthetic materials, however, will help to keep you dry and comfortable even as you sweat under your layers.

Three Important Accessories

Beyond deciding what bottoms and tops to wear, you’ll want a few key accessories on hand to protect your extremities and make your ice-skating experience as enjoyable as possible:

• Gloves. Wearing gloves is a good idea when ice skating for two reasons. First, your hands may get cold as you skate, especially if you are skating outside on a cold winter night. Also, outdoor ice can be rather rough, so landing on your hands during a fall could lead to cuts and scrapes. Consider wearing an old pair of gloves that can be sacrificed if you take a few spills and slide your hands across rough ice.
• Hat. Wearing a stocking cap can help to keep your head—and especially your ears—warm as you skate. This is particularly important when skating outside, since temperatures can drop pretty low, and wind can make it colder, too. That said, you still may want to wear one to an indoor rink, too. After all, if you get warm, it’s easy to take the hat off and stow it in your pocket.
• Socks. Okay, so this one might not count as an “accessory,” since you probably wear socks on most occasions. Still, a few key points need to be highlighted here. When choosing socks for ice skating, consider a pair of thick wool socks. These will keep your toes warm and can help to snug up the fit of the skates on your feet. Then, since your feet will likely get sweaty as you skate, consider bringing an extra pair of socks to change into before you leave the rink.

Keep Your Skating Clothes Clean & Smelling Fresh!

You may be getting ready for your first ice skating trip, but it probably won’t be your last. Ice skating is too much fun to give up after just one try! This means that you’re going to want to wear your skating outfit again—and it probably needs to be washed.

To keep your skating clothes smelling great, turn to WIN Sports Detergent. While most standard detergents are only designed to treat cotton, WIN Detergent is specifically designed to clean and remove odor from clothes made with synthetic materials—like the clothes you’ll wear to the rink. Order your first bottle today!

Try WIN Detergent