The clap skate is a type of ice skate used in speed skating. Unlike in traditional skates where the blade is rigidly fixed to the boot, clap skates have the blade attached to the boot by a hinge at the front. This allows the blade to remain in contact with the ice longer, as the ankle can now be extended toward the end of the stroke, as well as for more natural movement, thereby distributing the energy of the leg more effectively and efficiently.
An early clap skate in 1936
Ice skates are metal blades attached underfoot and used to propel the bearer across a sheet of ice while ice skating.
A pair of ice skates
Ice skating in Graz in 1909
Medieval bone skates on display at the Museum of London
German ice skates from the 19th century, the boot came separately