[rufusprime99]

In a word, yes. Though some do well with a dress shoe, or a tennis shoe.

What you don't see is that the sole of a skate boot is pretty stiff. And this is good for skating. A GOOD boot, particularly a true speed boot is built to take the stress and strain of skating hard.

The kings of the stiff sole, are fiberglass or carbon fiber soled boots, like the Bont. These boot soles are so stiff, that they can be used with a nylon plate, and actually make the plate stiffer. A nylon plate on a regular leather, or plastic soled boot can actually flex, despite the relatively stiff skate boot sole. This is why a metal plate is considered a step up from nylon, no flex, and of course a light metal plate is a step up from a heavier metal plate.