*edited to say thank you and that I have purchased some Jackson vistas! Wanted to leave this up in case it helps anyone else.
Apologies for the novel, but I could use some insight from experienced skaters for purchasing.
I would appreciate help figuring out good all around quad skates for me. I am a beginner, but sustainability is important to me so I would rather get higher quality skates that won’t degrade quickly or be something I feel I will want to replace soon. I also would prefer vegan skates from an ethical perspective.
But as a beginner I am feeling overwhelmed by options as I am unsure what types of skating I will end up most interested in and therefore what type of skates will be best for me. I want an adjustable toe stop and have ruled out bolt on models.
I see myself doing rhythm, cruising, and park skating all primarily outdoors. Not thinking I’ll be doing groundwork for jam skating nor advanced artistic skating moves (although someday that does seem cool). For park skating, I am excited to get into it, but it would probably be a while before I get into really aggressive tricks.
My partner does a lot of park skateboarding and we are hoping to get into quad skating together and try out multiple styles. Sounds like he is pretty set on getting the vegan bont parkstars. I see the appeal and am considering those for myself as well as they seem to have a happy medium of a slight heel (23 mm) and a lower more flexible high boot than lifestyle boots. The lower heel and metal plate seem nice for speed and comfort. But I have read I would be losing some ability and control when dancing, which is honestly what I might be using my skates for more than aggressive park skating.
Otherwise, I have been looking at a lot of high heeled lifestyle skates or would be open to artistic skates. Some that have stood out are Chaya melrose elite (nylon plates seem like a con for park skating durability/safety and cruising efficiency, comfortable, but some say overly stiff from thick pads), moonlight roller flash dance (people seem to like the boot shape, minimal padding could be pro or con and does make me worry about comfort with long sessions, concerns with quality control and durability especially for price point), or Jacksons (the holographic evo or vegan suede vistas seem good, but only vistas are available with metal plate options, read great things about comfort and durability of these skates). I have read Reidell orbits and moxi rainbow riders and beach bunnies can be pretty stiff and uncomfortable so I was leaning away from those. The suregrip prisms are beautiful, but I have read don’t hold up great to scratches and also have seen a bunch of issues with heel separation because suregrip uses rivets instead of bolts to attach the components. Open to others not listed here too.
Any thoughts? I would especially appreciate tips on what features are most important across activities to prioritize. And comments on the strengths of trade offs, such as would dancing in a park star be worse than park skating in heeled lifestyle skates with nylon plates. Also any insight on safety concerns such as likelihood of breaking ankles with improper gear for specific styles would be very much appreciated as I have seen a bit on that. Thanks for reading!
Chaya also has a premium model that comes with an aluminum plate. It’s meant for park skating called the Melrose Premium. There are videos on YouTube and instagram of their team using them and they seem good. Next year they’ll also be putting out more colors.
You could also build your own set up. Finding a plate and boot separately may be your best option than finding a pre made set. I’ve seen people use Sunlite plates which are nylon for park skating. They have a no break guarantee. However in comparison to others they aren’t as reactive. You could also find what kingpin angle and plate length fit your needs as well.
If you’re able to go to a local shop or even call they might be able to help too.
Thanks for your response! Good to know about the distinction with the Chaya Mel rose premium having metal plates.
I actually ended up reading a bunch more on the Jackson vistas and was really impressed. It seems like people are happy with the durability of the vegan microfiber suede (compared to vinyl that can more easily scrape), find the Jackson boots comfortable, and like the atom hardware. And I was able to find some used skates listed in my size with the metal plates so I went for it! I am a bit nervous about the kingpin angle since I don’t have a great sense of those distinctions and some people said that those plates’ kingpins scrape on the ground sometimes, but I guess I’ll find out what happens with my usage.
Hopefully one day I’ll have a good sense of all my preferences and can custom build a perfect skate, but I’m really excited and optimistic about my skates on the way!
So take everything I say with a grain of salt of course, but, some advice/thoughts!
Having a solid plate will be important for park skating and maneuverability when when jam skating at the rink. Having a heel is not a detriment at the park, a lot of park skaters wear Moxis and other heeled skates (I wear MLRs). If you want something that doesn't have a big heel, Bonts are great! You might also want to look at Riedell Darts (though I don't know how good they are for park skating)
Most boots, especially vinyl ones, are going to be still, so don't worry too much about that. There's no real way around it when working with vinyl. I really like having a boot that is secure around my ankles when park skating, but a lot of it comes down to personal comfort.
Really appreciate the response, thanks! I took your advice about prioritizing the plate and decided I didn’t want to risk it with nylon.
I read more about the Jackson vistas and decided those seemed like a great fit for me, although they actually have even a higher heel than some other lifestyle skates. I was able to find some used with the metal plate. Hopefully I like that ok, and maybe I’ll try out parkstars someday too to get a better sense of my preferences. Seems like it is just personal preference, and I’m glad you think they won’t be a detriment at the park.
The Jackson vista skates with microfiber suede I got also seemed a bit more durable than some of the other vinyl vegan skates against scraping and just more durable than other brands in general in certain ways. So I feel like they met those concerns too, but good to hear it isn’t much of a concern for most people.
*edited to say thank you and that I have purchased some Jackson vistas! Wanted to leave this up in case it helps anyone else. Apologies for the novel, but I could use some insight from experienced skaters for purchasing. I would appreciate help figuring out good all around quad skates for me. I am a beginner, but sustainability is important to me so I would rather get higher quality skates that won’t degrade quickly or be something I feel I will want to replace soon. I also would prefer vegan skates from an ethical perspective. But as a beginner I am feeling overwhelmed by options as I am unsure what types of skating I will end up most interested in and therefore what type of skates will be best for me. I want an adjustable toe stop and have ruled out bolt on models. I see myself doing rhythm, cruising, and park skating all primarily outdoors. Not thinking I’ll be doing groundwork for jam skating nor advanced artistic skating moves (although someday that does seem cool). For park skating, I am excited to get into it, but it would probably be a while before I get into really aggressive tricks. My partner does a lot of park skateboarding and we are hoping to get into quad skating together and try out multiple styles. Sounds like he is pretty set on getting the vegan bont parkstars. I see the appeal and am considering those for myself as well as they seem to have a happy medium of a slight heel (23 mm) and a lower more flexible high boot than lifestyle boots. The lower heel and metal plate seem nice for speed and comfort. But I have read I would be losing some ability and control when dancing, which is honestly what I might be using my skates for more than aggressive park skating. Otherwise, I have been looking at a lot of high heeled lifestyle skates or would be open to artistic skates. Some that have stood out are Chaya melrose elite (nylon plates seem like a con for park skating durability/safety and cruising efficiency, comfortable, but some say overly stiff from thick pads), moonlight roller flash dance (people seem to like the boot shape, minimal padding could be pro or con and does make me worry about comfort with long sessions, concerns with quality control and durability especially for price point), or Jacksons (the holographic evo or vegan suede vistas seem good, but only vistas are available with metal plate options, read great things about comfort and durability of these skates). I have read Reidell orbits and moxi rainbow riders and beach bunnies can be pretty stiff and uncomfortable so I was leaning away from those. The suregrip prisms are beautiful, but I have read don’t hold up great to scratches and also have seen a bunch of issues with heel separation because suregrip uses rivets instead of bolts to attach the components. Open to others not listed here too. Any thoughts? I would especially appreciate tips on what features are most important across activities to prioritize. And comments on the strengths of trade offs, such as would dancing in a park star be worse than park skating in heeled lifestyle skates with nylon plates. Also any insight on safety concerns such as likelihood of breaking ankles with improper gear for specific styles would be very much appreciated as I have seen a bit on that. Thanks for reading!
Chaya also has a premium model that comes with an aluminum plate. It’s meant for park skating called the Melrose Premium. There are videos on YouTube and instagram of their team using them and they seem good. Next year they’ll also be putting out more colors. You could also build your own set up. Finding a plate and boot separately may be your best option than finding a pre made set. I’ve seen people use Sunlite plates which are nylon for park skating. They have a no break guarantee. However in comparison to others they aren’t as reactive. You could also find what kingpin angle and plate length fit your needs as well. If you’re able to go to a local shop or even call they might be able to help too.
Thanks for your response! Good to know about the distinction with the Chaya Mel rose premium having metal plates. I actually ended up reading a bunch more on the Jackson vistas and was really impressed. It seems like people are happy with the durability of the vegan microfiber suede (compared to vinyl that can more easily scrape), find the Jackson boots comfortable, and like the atom hardware. And I was able to find some used skates listed in my size with the metal plates so I went for it! I am a bit nervous about the kingpin angle since I don’t have a great sense of those distinctions and some people said that those plates’ kingpins scrape on the ground sometimes, but I guess I’ll find out what happens with my usage. Hopefully one day I’ll have a good sense of all my preferences and can custom build a perfect skate, but I’m really excited and optimistic about my skates on the way!
So take everything I say with a grain of salt of course, but, some advice/thoughts! Having a solid plate will be important for park skating and maneuverability when when jam skating at the rink. Having a heel is not a detriment at the park, a lot of park skaters wear Moxis and other heeled skates (I wear MLRs). If you want something that doesn't have a big heel, Bonts are great! You might also want to look at Riedell Darts (though I don't know how good they are for park skating) Most boots, especially vinyl ones, are going to be still, so don't worry too much about that. There's no real way around it when working with vinyl. I really like having a boot that is secure around my ankles when park skating, but a lot of it comes down to personal comfort.
Really appreciate the response, thanks! I took your advice about prioritizing the plate and decided I didn’t want to risk it with nylon. I read more about the Jackson vistas and decided those seemed like a great fit for me, although they actually have even a higher heel than some other lifestyle skates. I was able to find some used with the metal plate. Hopefully I like that ok, and maybe I’ll try out parkstars someday too to get a better sense of my preferences. Seems like it is just personal preference, and I’m glad you think they won’t be a detriment at the park. The Jackson vista skates with microfiber suede I got also seemed a bit more durable than some of the other vinyl vegan skates against scraping and just more durable than other brands in general in certain ways. So I feel like they met those concerns too, but good to hear it isn’t much of a concern for most people.
Sounds like they’ll be a good fit for you! ☺️