The best ice skating trousers-pants for men

By far the best option for regular training are a pair of walking/hiking trousers/pants. Hiking pants are flexible, well fitted and generally look a great deal smarter than wearing jogging bottoms/sweat pants.

Hiking pants are great for flexibility whilst ice skating

There are many types of these trousers-pants around, in fact there are thousands of different types and designs. So there will be something for everyone. These type of trousers-pants are often available with a percentage of elasticated material in the weave. Some times its elastane, sometimes spandex, or other flexible, stretchy fabric. The point is they stretch a little, or a lot, dependent on what pair you get.

You can wear a belt with hiking pants when you are ice skating

This may seem obvious, but hiking trousers almost always have belt loops. This makes them much more preferable to jogging bottoms.

They also have pockets

They also have several pockets which can come in handy (remember never skate with hard or sharp objects in your pockets, as this can injure you should you fall).

Hiking trousers-pants are great for breathabilty whilst ice skating

As hiking pants are mainly designed for exercise, whether it be walking or tackling rocks and crags on mountains, generally speaking they offer a degree of breathability. Of course the more you spend, the more features you get, but on the whole, you can generally get a flexible, breathable pair of hiking trouser/pants at an affordable price.

Wide bottom hem makes for great ice skating gear

As hiking trousers/pants are generally designed to go over walking boots, they have a wide hem, or at least, generally a straight leg, so that you can easily get them over your ice skates.

Using hiking pants for ice skating offers you some protection from cold and wind

As hiking trousers-pants are designed to be used outdoors, there are good options for wind stopping materials, fleece linings and even shower resistance (this can be handy if you fall on wet ice).

The following trousers/pants are the kind of thing you are looking for. They are 88% Nylon and 12% spandex. I don’t personally own these trousers/pants, but they have most of the characteristics of the trousers/pants I do have. Check them out here. (link to Amazon – commission earned – these small commissions cost you nothing, but help keep this site going)

(link to Amazon – commission earned – these small commissions cost you nothing, but help keep this site going)

MIER Men’s Lightweight Hiking Pants Outdoor Cargo Pants Quick Dry with 5 Pockets, Water Resistant

Best/competition ice skating trousers-pants

Now don’t misunderstand me. These trousers/bottoms would be great to wear for every day training. I just don’t ware mine because I want to keep them looking their best for competitions and tests.

In the last competition I did, my program included a spinning drag with a knee slide. This rubs away the knee of the trousers pretty quick, so I wore my every day training hiking trousers/pants so as to preserve my best pair for competition.

I would love to wear my best skating trousers all the time and I may well do that if I get another pair.

Best/competition ice skating trousers-pants are very, very flexible

Yes they are really flexible. If you are capable of doing the splits, then you can do the splits in professional ice skating trousers/pants. They are a real joy to wear. Because they stretch in pretty much all directions, they are really comfortable.

Proper ice skating trousers-pants have a higher waist

I don’t know whether this is a good or a bad thing, probably a good thing, so you don’t show off your bottom when bending. I am just mentioning it because it may be something you take into account when purchasing them.

Ice skating pants that are made for the sport are warm

Its not necessarily because they are made of super warm fabric. It may be because they are soft to the touch and fit so well to your body that makes them warm. They don’t get super warm, nor will protect you from an arctic blast of wind, but they are just the right level of warmth for ice skating, as you would expect.

Ice skating trousers-pants come with stirrups

Another factor that you may wish to consider is that proper skating trousers/pants come with a stirrup option. The Chloe Noel ones that I have didn’t come with the stirrups attached, but they were in the bag should you need them. They needed to be attached to the trousers, but they were there, with Velcro fastenings. Some people like to have the stirrup to hold the bottom of the trousers-pants in place. I personally am not a fan of stirrups, so I left them off. But they are there if you need them.

Ice skating pants don’t have pockets

It is worth noting that if you but proper men’s figure skating trousers-pants from Chloe Noel, they don’t come with pockets.

You have to turn up the hem of proper ice skating trousers-pants yourself

You will notice when you get your ice skating trousers/pants that they have very long legs, without a proper hem on, this is so you can turn them up to the desired length.

How to turn up your trousers-pants yourself

The way I did it is to put on the trousers-pants, then put my ice skates on (with the guards on, as I was in the house), then get someone to pin them to the desired length whilst you stand upright. I then used extra strong Wundaweb™. It is really easy to use and works a treat. Just follow the instructions on the pack. Here is the one I used……….(link to Amazon- commission earned – these small commissions cost you nothing, but help keep this site going)

(link to Amazon – commission earned – these small commissions cost you nothing, but help keep this site going)

Wonderweb Wundaweb Extra Strong Hem Tape Iron On Fusible Fabric Tape No Sewing – 3 Meters x 20mm (Pack Of 1)

Proper ice skating pants look smart

Yes they do, they look better than most hiking trousers. They are the choice for tests and competitions for a lot of skaters. The most popular brand and the brand that I use is Chloe Noel. Prices vary, so check out the up to date price here. (Link to Amazon-commission earned)

(link to Amazon – commission earned – these small commissions cost you nothing, but help keep this site going)

Chloe Noel Black Mens Skating Pants Adult Medium

Need some more advice on ice skating clothing?

Then you could try my article on what to wear for ice skating. This article looks at all aspects of ice skating clothing, whether you are an occasional skater or a seasoned professional. There is great inspiration on what to wear here………..

Talking of professional ice skaters, if you are in the market for some serious figure skating gloves for regular practice, I have written an article separating the best from the rest. Check out ‘What are the best gloves for ice skating?’ here.