How Can You Tell Inside and Outside Edges Apart in Figure Skating?

An inside edge is the side of your skate blade nearest your other foot; an outside edge is the side nearest your little toe. The name stays the same whether you skate forwards or backwards. To recognise the edge you are actually using, notice which side of the blade carries your weight and whether you can hold a controlled curve—not just which way you are facing.

What are the two edges on a figure-skate blade?

Look at the underside of a figure-skate blade and you will find two narrow running edges separated by a hollow, the groove ground between them during sharpening. The inside edge sits on the big-toe side of each foot; the outside edge sits on the little-toe side.

Skate Canada's skating terminology defines an edge both as part of the blade and as the curved trace made on one foot. It distinguishes inside from outside, and forward from backward. That gives you four combinations per foot, or eight across both skates.

A flat is when the blade is not deliberately leaning onto either running edge. A straight one-foot glide can be useful for balance, but it is not the same exercise as holding a clear inside or outside curve. You do not need a dramatic lean to start recognising the difference.

How do you know whether you are on an inside or outside edge?

First name the skating foot: the foot supporting your weight. Then identify the side of that foot.

• Inside edge: the big-toe side of the blade, towards the other leg.
• Outside edge: the little-toe side of the blade, away from the other leg.
• Forward or backward: the direction you are travelling, which does not change which side is called inside or outside.

A useful mental check is to imagine the blade beneath the boot rather than the whole circle around the rink. For example, your right outside edge is always on the little-toe side of your right skate, even when your direction of travel changes.

Pressure towards one side of the foot can help you notice an edge, but do not deliberately roll your ankle inside the boot to create it. Controlled skating involves the alignment of your body over the supporting foot, not just a sideways ankle movement. U.S. Figure Skating's introductory skating guidance emphasises balance, slightly bent knees and ankles, and controlled gliding.

What do LFO, RFI and the other edge abbreviations mean?

Skating instructions often shorten an edge to three letters: foot + travel direction + edge. The letters are easier to remember when you say the full phrase out loud.

The order matters. LFO means you are travelling forwards on the outside edge of your left skate; it does not mean you are turning left. Skate Canada's STAR terminology uses the same edge concepts in its assessment descriptions.

When someone calls for a right forward inside edge, work through the words in that order: right foot, forwards, big-toe side. This is particularly helpful when you are trying to follow instructions quickly in a lesson.

Does skating around a circle prove you are on the right edge?

Not necessarily. You can travel along a curved path while leaning awkwardly, turning your shoulders or making small corrections. The direction of the curve is a clue, but it does not by itself confirm which running edge is carrying your weight.

Try watching the trace, the mark your blade leaves in the ice, after a slow glide. A steady curved line can help you see whether the movement was smooth; repeated scrapes, sudden changes or a wobbly path give you something to ask about. The trace is not a foolproof test of edge quality, especially on rough or crowded ice.

In formal skating skills, edge quality means more than getting round a bend. U.S. Figure Skating's skating-skills guidance treats controlled curves as a foundation for later movements. Your own practice goal can be simpler: choose the intended edge and hold a comfortable, predictable arc without forcing it.

How can a beginner practise forward inside and outside edges?

Start only after you can glide on one foot and stop safely. Choose a quiet section of ice with enough room to move; if you are in lessons, follow the exercise and body-position cues your instructor gives you.

1. Find a comfortable one-foot glide. Begin with a gentle push and settle your weight over the skating foot. Keep the other foot close enough to regain balance.
2. Choose a shallow curve. Use an existing rink circle or imagine a broad arc. Avoid trying to create the deepest possible edge.
3. Name the attempt. Say, for example, “left forward outside” before you push. Check which side of that skate you intend to use.
4. Hold the curve briefly and step out under control. Pay attention to a steady knee bend and balanced upper body rather than twisting your shoulders to steer.
5. Repeat on the other foot and edge. Notice differences without assuming the weaker side needs to catch up in a fixed number of attempts.

This is a suggested practice sequence, not an official testing drill. A published Learn to Skate Basic Skills progression from Sno-King Ice Arenas places forward inside and outside edges on circles after introductory gliding and stroking, and lists both right and left feet. That supports building the foundations first, although your Australian rink may use a different programme.

What if you keep dropping off an outside edge?

First make the exercise smaller and slower. Check that you can balance over the skating foot without reaching for the boards, and ask your instructor whether your knee bend and body alignment are suitable. Do not try to fix every part of your position at once.

If you consistently slide, catch or feel unsafe, stop the exercise and check your equipment as well as your technique. A change in blade feel is not proof that your posture is wrong, or that your skates need sharpening. The guide to recognising when a skill is reliable can help you record what is happening without treating one difficult session as failure.

When should you learn backward edges and three-turns?

Backward edges use the same inside/outside naming, but the balance and view of the ice are different. Build comfortable backward movement and one-foot control before practising them, and learn in an appropriate supervised setting.

In the Sno-King Basic Skills sequence, forward edges appear at Basic 4 and backward edges at Basic 5. Those are examples of one curriculum, not universal Australian level requirements.

A three-turn is a turn on one foot that changes your direction of travel. Skate Canada's definition specifies that a three-turn changes between inside and outside edges while the curved path continues. That is one reason it helps to recognise an edge before concentrating on turns.

For a broader sequence, read which figure skating skills beginners should learn first.

Can sharpening or ice conditions make an edge harder to feel?

Yes, the way a blade grips and glides can vary with its sharpening and the ice. A radius of hollow describes the curvature of the groove between the two edges. Jackson Ultima's explanation of blade hollows describes the trade-off: a deeper hollow generally gives more bite, while a shallower hollow favours glide.

That does not mean changing your hollow is the first solution to a difficult outside edge. Boot fit, blade condition, technique, ice conditions and your current skill level can all influence how a glide feels. If you notice an abrupt difference after sharpening, describe the change to a figure-skate technician and your instructor rather than experimenting with a new grind yourself.

For equipment decisions, see what radius of hollow means for figure skates. To make room for edge exercises in a normal session, use a simple skating practice structure. More foundational topics are collected in the skill progression hub.

Key takeaways

• Inside means the big-toe side of the blade; outside means the little-toe side.
• Add the skating foot and travel direction to identify any of the eight basic edges.
• A smooth curve is useful feedback, but it does not automatically prove correct edge technique.
• Practise shallow forward curves on both feet before moving to harder backward edges and turns.
• Ask for technique or equipment feedback when an edge feels unpredictable; do not force a deeper lean.