BootThe boot holds the foot. This one is a high-top boot that laces up the front.
WheelA quad skate has four wheels in two pairs, front and back.
Toe stopA rubber stopper under the toe, for braking or pushing off.
PlateThe plate is bolted under the boot. It holds the trucks and wheels.
SoleThe bottom of the boot. The plate is bolted through it.
One truck 5
TruckA truck carries one pair of wheels. It tilts to steer the skate.
AxleThe rod through the truck. One wheel turns on each end.
BearingsThey let each wheel spin freely. Each wheel has two in its hub.
CushionsTwo flexible blocks that let the truck tilt. One sits each side of it.
KingpinThe bolt through the cushions and the truck. Its nut sets how tightly they are squeezed.
How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two independent sources use it: Wikipedia, text only: Roller skates, section Parts (the boot and the plate; the plate bolted through the sole; trucks as the steering parts, each held between a pair of flexible cushions or bushings; the kingpin through the center of the stack, which adjusts the compression on the cushions; wheels in two pairs on shared axles; rubber toe stops for braking or pushing off); a skate retailer's page, Anatomy of a Roller Skate, https://rollerskatenation.com/anatomy-of-a-roller-skate/ (boot and its sole, plate, trucks, axle, kingpin, cushions, wheels, two bearings inside each wheel hub, toe stops); and US Customs and Border Protection ruling NY I83171, read at https://rulings.cbp.gov (wheels with ball bearings, axles and a rubber stop at the toe). Licence: own work
The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's mark, nothing traced. Licence: own work
How it works
A roller skate has two main parts: the boot and the plate bolted under it. The first drawing shows the whole skate from the side; the second shows one of its two trucks.
Read the full guide
The skate, then what is under it
Numbers 1 to 5 are on the whole skate: the boot, a wheel, the toe stop, the plate and the sole. Open the second drawing for 6 to 10. It shows one truck from the front, with a slice of the plate above it. Find the truck, the axle through it, the bearings inside the wheel that is cut open, the two cushions and the kingpin.
A skate has two trucks, one at the front and one at the back. Each carries a pair of wheels.
Cushions are also called bushings. Either answer is accepted.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a roller skate called?
The boot and the plate are the two main parts. The plate carries two trucks. Each truck has an axle with a wheel on each end, and each wheel spins on two bearings. A rubber toe stop sits under the toe.
What is the bottom of a roller skate called?
The plate. It is bolted through the sole of the boot and holds the trucks, which carry the wheels.
What are trucks on roller skates?
The trucks are the steering parts. Each one is held to the plate between two flexible cushions, so it can tilt when the skater leans. A bolt called the kingpin runs through the middle.
What is the rubber thing on the front of a roller skate?
A toe stop. It is a rubber stopper under the toe, used for braking or for pushing off.