Short Track Ice Speed Skating Equipment: Boots, Blades, Sharpening and Protection

Written for OurSkates. Reviewed and verified by Vincent Henry, 50x British National Champion and FISS Level 3 coach. Last updated July 2026.

Some inline racers cross to the ice when the British weather turns, and some short trackers come the other way in summer. The two sports feed each other, but the equipment does not transfer, and short track has rules of its own. Here is what you actually need.

The boot

A short track boot does the same job as an inline race boot, holding the foot completely still, but it is built for a different battle: cornering forces on a 111 metre oval that press the skater into extreme lean angles. Short track boots stand taller than inline boots (3cm from the ankle bone against 2.5cm for inline) and are constructed to stabilise the foot and ankle through those corners. Bont's short track boots carry the same heat mouldable construction as the inline range, so everything in our heat moulding guide applies. We supply the range from the BNT through the Patriot Carbon V2 to the flagship Vaypor ST, with MyBonts semi custom builds of the BNT and the Vaypor for feet that stock sizes do not fit. Sizing follows the same rule as inline: measure your feet in millimetres, never trust your shoe size, and contact us before ordering if you sit between sizes.

The blade

Short track blades are a separate purchase and a separate science. Unlike an inline frame, a short track blade is curved in an arc that mirrors the direction of the turn and sits offset to the left of the boot's centreline, so the boot clears the ice at full lean. Competition rules also require closed tubes and blade tips rounded to a minimum 10mm radius, because these edges are genuinely sharp. Our blade range runs from the Puresprint, including a kids' 140mm, through the Ultrasprint and GT3 to the Platinum K390 family at the top, with the Flex variant for skaters who want movement built into the blade.

Sharpening: the habit inline never taught you

Inline wheels wear; ice blades dull. Short track skaters sharpen their own blades regularly, and the kit is simple. A sharpening jig clamps both blades side by side and holds them square. The sharpening stone works along the edges to bring them back, and the burr stone then strips away the fine burr the sharpening leaves behind, because a burred edge grabs the ice unpredictably. Add an Allen key for mounting and adjustment and the toolkit is complete. We supply the Bont jig, ceramic sharpening stone and burr stone individually.

Protection: not optional

Short track's rules on protection exist because the blades are sharp and the crashes are real. Under ISU rules and standard club requirements you can expect to need: a hard shell helmet, properly fastened, with vents a blade cannot penetrate; cut-resistant gloves, with the ISU requiring at least EN 388 cut level 3 and recommending higher; a cut-resistant neck guard; shin and knee protection; and clothing that leaves no skin exposed from chin to toes, with cut-resistant material at the high-risk zones. Hardened fingertip protection matters too, because short trackers touch the ice through corners with a following skater's blade never far away. We supply the Bont short track helmet and protective fingertips; check the exact requirements with your club or federation before your first session, as levels vary by competition.

A note on availability

The specialist speed skating market is small and the Bont catalogue is enormous, so rather than warehousing a shelf's worth of sizes, we run an order-in model: everything in the range is available to order through us, which is exactly how we can offer the full catalogue rather than whatever happened to be in a stockroom. If you have a competition date, contact us early and we will confirm the lead time for your order before you commit.

Coming from inline?

Your engine and your body position transfer; your edges and your corners will need work, and the sensation of a blade instead of wheels takes a few sessions. It is worth every one of them: ice sharpens precision in a way that pays back on wheels, which is exactly why so many racers do both.

Browse the short track collection and ice accessories, or contact us with your level and we will spec a full setup: boot, blades and the protection to match.