Inline skates are a type of
roller skate used for
inline skating. Unlike
quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, have a rubber "stop" or "brake" block attached to rear of the frame. The modern style of inline skates was developed as a substitute for ice skates, for use by a Russian athlete training on solid ground for
Olympic long track speed skating events.
Life magazine published a photo of American skater
Eric Heiden, training for the 1980 Olympics, using such skates on a Wisconsin road.