A race suit is the one piece of kit that touches you everywhere, holds your position for you, and gets judged by every skater on the start line. It is also the piece people buy with the least information, usually landing on whichever one looks nicest in the photo. That is a shame, because the three suits we stock are built around genuinely different problems, and picking the wrong one means either paying for features you will never use or fighting your own suit through the corner.
This is a straight comparison of the LiveLica Pro Skin Suit, the LiveLica Pro Short Track Suit and the LiveLica Short Track Lycra Suit. What each one is for, how they are constructed, where they differ, and how to work out which belongs in your kit bag. If you want the general theory first, our guides on why a skinsuit makes you faster and on choosing a size and getting the fit right cover that ground. This one is about which suit to actually buy.
The quickest way to tell them apart is the zip. Back on the inline Pro, front on the Pro Short Track, angled at the side of the neck on the Lycra suit.
The LiveLica Pro Skin Suit: the inline and road racing option
The Pro Skin Suit is our race suit for inline and road speed skating, built to the standards professional skaters expect. It is made from fine Colombian textiles and cut for a low, aerodynamic skating position.
Fabric and technology
The suit uses premium Colombian lycra ranging from 260 to 360 grams, balancing comfort, compression and durability. It carries a set of fabric technologies aimed squarely at outdoor racing: Comfort Fit engineering, Fast Dry for quick drying, Sweat Resist to stay fresh through hard efforts, Solar Guard offering UPF 50 plus protection against UV rays, and an Eco Process manufacturing approach.
That UV protection is not a marketing line for skaters in India. If your training is outdoors on a road circuit through the middle of the day, a suit with real UV protection changes how a three hour session feels.
Built for speed
- Laser cut silicone leg gripper, giving a seamless leg finish that keeps the suit in place for clean aerodynamics.
- Ribbed fabric sleeves, which improve airflow and reduce drag.
- YKK back zip, reliable and easy to use on race day.
- Ergonomic pattern using bidirectional stretch fabrics, with compression fabric in the legs that resists pilling and adds compression.
Who should buy it
Inline and road racers, marathon skaters, and anyone whose racing happens on wheels rather than ice. The back zip and the ribbed sleeves are aerodynamic choices that suit an upright road position where the airflow over the arms matters and there is nothing pressing on the front of your throat.
The LiveLica Pro Short Track Suit: the panelled ice racing option
The Pro Short Track Suit is a one piece race suit built specifically for the ice. Short track is skated low and deep in the corner, and this suit is designed around that position rather than adapted to it.
How the panels work
It combines two fabric types, each doing a specific job. The chest, upper legs and sections of the back use firmer body holding panels that keep you in position through a lap and cut drag where it matters most. The arms and lower legs use a flexible stretch material, so the suit fits cleanly around the joints and the lower leg, exactly the places where a stiffer long track style suit can leave you loose.
That split is the whole point. A suit made entirely of firm panels holds your core beautifully and then fights you every time you reach for the ice in a crossover. A suit made entirely of soft stretch moves freely and then lets your position drift over a long final. Splitting the two by body zone gets both.
Details worth knowing
- High mock collar for coverage and a clean aerodynamic line.
- Full front zip.
- Extra reinforcement built into the left leg at the groin, one of the highest stress points on a short track suit.
- Black with a graduated aero striping pattern on the sleeves and lower legs.
That left leg reinforcement tells you the suit was designed by people who have seen where short track suits actually fail. In a sport skated permanently in one direction, the left leg takes a specific and repeated load.
Firm where you need holding, stretchy where you need to move. The white marker shows the reinforced left leg.
The LiveLica Short Track Lycra Suit: the layering option
The Short Track Lycra Suit answers a different question entirely. It is designed to be worn over a cut resistant Kevlar undersuit, so you get protection underneath and a fast, clean aerodynamic profile on top.
It is important to be clear about this: the Lycra suit is not itself cut resistant. The cut protection comes from the Level 3 cut resistant Kevlar undersuit worn beneath it. The two work together so you never have to choose between protection and speed.
The angled side neck zipper
This is the feature that earns the suit its place. Instead of running straight up the front, the zip is angled along the side of the neck. In the deep, low short track position your chin drops towards your chest, and a front zip can dig in exactly where you need to be relaxed. The side angled zip removes that pressure point and leaves the neck free, so you can hold a deep tuck and commit fully to the corner. If you have ever finished a session with a red line under your chin, you already understand why this matters.
Fabric and use
Made from a smooth, stretchy Lycra, the suit sits close to the body to cut drag on the straights while stretching with you through crossovers, starts and corners. It is a one piece, full body cut with long sleeves and full length legs, suitable for both short track training and competition.
Choosing between them
The decision is simpler than three products makes it sound, because the disciplines split it for you first.
- Skating inline or road, on wheels: the Pro Skin Suit. The other two are built for ice.
- Racing short track and you want maximum position holding and a race cut engineered around the corner: the Pro Short Track Suit.
- Racing short track and you already own or are buying a cut resistant Kevlar undersuit, and want a fast, comfortable outer layer over it: the Short Track Lycra Suit.
The layering question
Short track skaters need cut resistant protection, and most national federations require it for competition. That protection can come from a suit with built in cut resistant material, or from a separate Kevlar undersuit worn beneath an outer suit. The Lycra suit is explicitly built for the second approach, which is why it comes with the angled neck zip and nothing that duplicates what the undersuit already does.
If you are building a short track kit from scratch, the undersuit plus Lycra suit route is straightforward: you buy protection once, and you can replace or add outer suits without buying protection again.
Sizing, whichever you choose
Both the Pro Skin Suit and the Short Track Lycra Suit come in a full size run, from junior 4 through 16 and senior S, M and L, so a whole club can be kitted out together.
A race suit should feel snug rather than loose, because a loose suit flaps at speed and costs you time. That is genuinely different from how you buy normal clothing, and the most common mistake is sizing up for comfort. If you are buying the Lycra suit, remember to allow for the undersuit worn beneath it. If you are between sizes or buying for a growing skater, message us and we will help you choose rather than guessing.
Discipline decides first, then the only remaining question is how you are covering cut protection.
Looking after whichever one you buy
All three are lycra based garments with zips, panels and in one case a silicone gripper, and they all want the same treatment. Wash gently, dry flat and away from direct heat, and avoid harsh detergents and tumble drying, which shorten the life of the fabric, the panels and the finish.
Two habits do most of the work. Do not leave a damp suit balled up in a kit bag, and do not dry it on a radiator or in direct sun. Heat is what kills the elastane in lycra, and a suit that has lost its stretch has lost the compression and the close fit you paid for.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the inline Pro Skin Suit for short track?
It is built for inline and road racing, with a back zip and ribbed sleeves aimed at that position. For short track you also need cut resistant protection, so a skater on ice is better served by the Pro Short Track Suit or by the Lycra suit worn over a Kevlar undersuit.
Is the Short Track Lycra Suit cut resistant on its own?
No. It is the aerodynamic outer layer. The cut protection comes from the Level 3 cut resistant Kevlar undersuit worn underneath, and the two are designed to be used together.
Why is the zip on the side of the neck?
Because in a deep short track position your chin drops towards your chest, and a front zip presses on the throat exactly there. Moving the zip to an angled position at the side of the neck removes the pressure point.
What size should I order?
Snug rather than loose. Both the Pro Skin Suit and the Lycra Suit run from junior 4 through 16 and senior S, M and L. Allow for an undersuit if you are buying the Lycra suit, and message us if you are between sizes or buying for a growing skater.
Do I need a different suit for training and racing?
Not necessarily. All three are suitable for training as well as competition. Many skaters keep an older suit for daily training and a newer one for races, purely so the race suit keeps its fit and finish for longer.
In short
On wheels, the Pro Skin Suit. On ice with the protection built into your layering plan, the Lycra suit over a Kevlar undersuit. On ice when you want a panelled race cut engineered around the short track corner, the Pro Short Track Suit. All three want a snug fit, gentle washing and no heat, and all three will outlast the season if you treat them as equipment rather than clothing.
