The Skates

The Skates:

The Long Track Klap Skate.
There are many varieties of Klap skate, but the basic idea is the same. The mechanism allows a slightly longer push, thus resulting in slightly faster speed. This is now pretty much the standard for Long Track speed skating. While Klap skates are not allowed in pack style racing in some countries, they are in the United States. On the far right is a non-klap, or "fixed blade" skate.

The Short Track Skate.
Again, there are many varieties. Most of them share a few things in common: higher ankle support and adjustable offset blades (to the left, or inside of the turn) to keep the boot from rubbing the ice when leaning into the left turn at high speed. Notice the left offset on the pair at right, and the adjustable blade mount below.