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Roller hockey is quickly becoming one of the fastest-growing sports. While some of the equipment from ice hockey can cross over to roller, and the major manufacturers make products for roller, there are a few brands that are only roller hockey focused. This guide can help give you an introduction to these brands. A lot of these brands will also set up fitting centers or displays at all the big national roller hockey tournaments so be sure to keep your eyes peeled!
One of the original brands of roller hockey and it continues to be a top choice for all types of player. They have made everything from protective equipment such as helmets and girdles to sticks and goalie equipment. However, what they are known for are skates and their custom jersey designs.
Tour, year after year, is one of the top choices for skates for some of the top inline players. Their Code skates have really pushed the limits to what a true inline skate could be.
Labeda Roller Hockey
A wheel manufacturer that makes some of the best wheels in the game. They make wheels for every type of player with the Addictions being the preferred wheel for top-end guys. The Millenniums are great for every type of player from tournament players to weekend warriors. Then they make a price point quality wheel in the Gripper. The wheels are featured on several manufacturers’ skates.
In 2018, they debuted a new roller hockey-style stick to a few pros to test at State Wars. The stick featured a design similar to a mid / top end range Bauer Supreme stick. However, it was different because it featured a tacky, popcorn textured blade so roller players didn’t have to tape their sticks. It hasn’t been seen it debut in stores yet but maybe soon?
In addition to the wheels and the stick, they do gloves, pants, and girdles. They also do custom uniforms. However, at the end of the day, they are one of the best wheel companies!
Mission Roller Hockey
One of the “OG” brands in the game. They are also one of the most innovative. They are the only skate brands to have vents in the toe cap and quarter panels of the skate. This helps create airflow into the foot to keep it cool during play. In addition to that, they are backed / owned by Bauer so their skate boots are very similar to a Bauer skate with the same Poron foam and Curv Composite that is found in their top-end skates. Mission used to have more products but with the recent events with Bauer, the Mission product line has really scaled back. The Bauer / Mission skates are super similar, even down to the hockey skate laces they use! While they still make some protective equipment like padded shirts and girdles, they don’t make gloves, helmets and goalie equipment anymore.
Alkali Roller Hockey
One of the quickest growing brands in the roller game. It also has some of the best talent playing for them. They make one of the best skates in roller hockey. Their skates give you a Hi-Lo chassis feel without using two different size wheels. It is built into the boot construction. This allows a player to use one size wheel and still feel like they are pitched forward similar to the Hi-Lo design of the Bauer and Mission chassis.
Along with skates, Alkali also makes make pants, girdles, elbow pads, helmets, and gloves. Their protective is with the roller player in mind and is designed to not be bulky and allow free range of motion. Their sticks feature an unheard of 6-month warranty and are a popular choice in roller hockey hotbeds.
In addition to their equipment side of things, they have also some of the best strategic partnerships. They acquired Verbero hockey a little over a year ago. They also just became the official supplier of the National Roller Hockey League. They have also teamed up with ProShot pucks to manufacture their Alkali pucks. It is safe to say that Alkali is quickly becoming a popular brand in roller.
Konixx Roller Hockey
A new wheel brand that popped up a few years ago and is really making a big impact in the wheel market. This company is out to create the best roller hockey wheel at the best price. They offer a unique construction process that had a different wheel hardness rating system than the rest of the industry. Their Pure wheel is quickly becoming a choice for many pros and top-end players.
Wrapping it all up
There are tons of good roller hockey options out there, but if you’re looking to deviate from some of the major ice hockey brands and really get serious about inline hockey, these are some of the top brands used by pro and recreational players! You don’t want to spend huge money on a new set of inline hockey skates and have it be a waste! All of them offer different strengths in their skate, wheel, and protective designs but the biggest thing you get is a strict focus on roller hockey. If you have any other brands you’d like to be included in this article leave us a comment!
You spelled Konixx wrong! 😉 Good article.
Fixed! Thanks!