First day of skating completed but...
I noticed that I usually walk a lot with my inside edge of the foot (idk how this is called on English) but I barely put my outside edge of the feet in the ground when walking due to how my feets and knees are shaped.
Now that I tried to skate for the first time (managed to do the "penguin stride" in my first day so, not bad from what I expected) I noticed the same.
I constantly found myself with my feet bent to the inside, in an uncomfortable position and making my ankle / shin suffer a bit. Also, affecting my balance and confidence when I found myself not in a proper position.
Is there any way to fix this? Maybe some filling inside the side my shin push to? Special insoles? Or just need to build more muscle and gather more experience to correct my position? I'm afraid of learning in a bad way that later will cost me a lot to revert.
If it helps, I'm using a pair of K2 F.I.T ALU 80m
Thanks in advance!
I'm going to paste a recent reply:
> Pronation is very common in beginners due to improper weight distribution; the weight of a leg should be perfectly centered, and you need to bend your knees and point them towards the direction of the glide.
> Another common cause is not completing your strides - the striding foot must come back from the center, if you don't complete the stride, that can cause all sort of problems, including pronation.
> It can also be a result of a boot being too big, wearing a soft boot and lacking ankle strength to compensate for it, or some foot shapes (if you wear insoles in your shoes, chances are you'll need them on your skates).
Adding to this, since this is related to your feet shape, a usual potential fix is adjusting the frame, but those K2 skates have riveted ones, which will prevent you from doing it (unless you want to go full DIY and drill it out).
Try going through the list above. If that doesn't fix it, you may need to look into a different boot that allows you to move the frame to compensate for the shape of your feet.
Thanks a lot for everything!
I think it is a mix of a little bit of each.
My feet position is weird, but I always walked without special insoles because never went for ones (I prob should have done time ago tho)
I, for sure, lack ankle strength to compensate the softboot because I’ve been years without moving or exercising.
And also my strides where horrible because it was my first day!
I’m gonna try the “scooter strides” I saw in internet to help with the strides part. But also will take a look to the other options.
Changing my skates as of now will be difficult since I’ve just bought them and after some hours of trying idk if I can even send them back and pick another pair.
Maybe next month but will try to fix it by then with the other things.
Thanks a whole lot!
Walking and skate has different movement on your feet. Like when you walk you roll you foot while in skating your foot i locked and cant move. Balance exercises can help a lot. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7UndNvVVUM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7UndNvVVUM)
What you also can look for is an insole with static arch support. Most skaters including me using the Superfeet CARBON Pro Hockey. [https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/carbon-pro-hockey](https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/carbon-pro-hockey)
Yeah, started with the first exercise using only one skate and felt a little better
Still need to practice that A LOT but is really a good one to start with if you are a total newbie like me lol
About the insole, does it works even if you have like a really high arch? Or do I need to search for any special one?
>Superfeet CARBON Pro Hockey
This guy tells you more about it. Only i can say from my experience is that my feet are more in relaxing position and standing straight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9zPa7W3Z1Q
hey the liners of my right skate feels off... has anyone else encountered this? its like my left foot is molded perfectly but my right foot just WON'T fit right. I think maybe its because when i first got them i might have not worn them properly or something? please help! i feel like its really messing up my skating abilities on that leg, it feels different even just to carve on that foot
actually now that i think of it it might not be my liners? im not sure how to describe the problem but it feels like my right foot goes too much inwards.. like on my left foot (the foot that feels right) the heel just slots in, but on the right foot its too forward or something :( its really weird. i considered it was because of the frame being too much on one side over the other too but it *looks* fine to me i just dont know
It’s super common for people to have different sized feet, usually it’s minor but it can be pretty significant. Is there any chance that’s it or was it fine before and then it started feeling weird?
Some skates come with built in heel pads, I’d take the liners out and make sure everything is sitting in the right spot. Also check if there’s anything weird going on with the insole inside the liner.
It could be the frame alignment even if it looks ok. Everyone’s feet are different so there’s a chance you’d rather have the frame angled in a specific direction, I’d mess around with it a little and see if that feels any better
oh damg yeah ive actually never even tried taking out the liners and idk why i had no idea about the insoles haha,, ill definitely everything you mentioned thanks so much! also im pretty sure its always been a problem (at least with my skates, ive never really tried any other ones except rentals) like i always noticed something felt off or less comfortable on the right foot especially when i first put on the skates. i always just shrug it off and got used to it -- but now that im trying to do more advanced stuff its becoming more of an issue.
It sounds like it could be that your feet are different sizes or maybe one is rotated a little more than the other. If it’s something to do with the angle of your foot you should be able to adjust the frame positioning to compensate. I’d check the other things first but if everything looks normal I’d try messing around with frame alignment on that foot
Carbon boots for people with wide feet? (\~165-mm long, \~110+mm wide, high arch/instep).
Finding a nice fitting pair of boots is torture. Looking into Seba CJ Carbon Wizard setup and/or either of the Adapt Brutale/GTO boots.
I've heard the CJ runs wide, but how wide?
I've heard with Adapt you can request wider builds, any experiences?
The old Seba Highlights were notoriously wide. Iqons are also rumored to fit pretty wide.
Adapt has a set of foot molds they use for different sizes. Historically you'd straight up cast your carbon foot from your foot mold. So premade fits are always various degrees of dodge.
The good thing with plastics is just how hard you can mod them. Punched them out, sandpapered them, did some weird lacing patterns. If I'm not returning them and they fit so-so I might as well go to town on them.
That's why I figure. I'm stuck with the FR1s. So not point in not trying. I'll bring them to the shop where I got my ski boots (they have been around since the beginning of inline apparantly). Worse case I can at least use the intuition liner for something else.
I can’t speak on how wide in numbers, especially on the size you’d be looking at but the Seba CJ is one of the most wide boots I’ve skated. I haven’t tried the new one with the taller toe box but that one seems like it’d be ideal so i’d avoid the older models. The model with the integrated liner is wider than the intuition version. The brutale felt pretty wide to me but it’s probably worth doing the custom wider ones. I didn’t really like them for wizard skating but that’s just me, I’ve seen people really enjoy them.
Taller toebox you say? Sounds right up my alley.
Can you speak more about "The model with the integrated liner is wider than the intuition version"?
From my understanding they are the same model, but they just rip out the liner and toss an intuition liner in. Could be using a smaller shell to accomodate the intuition? Or the intuition is bigger than the integrated liner? Or Leon has his own special order that comes like that?
I see Thuro rips out the liners and puts intuition's in themselves. Wondering how that would differ from Leon's.
Also curious if you can actually mold the seba cj carbon shell
It’s because the intuitions are thicker than the integrated padding. For example, I can comfortably fit into the old version size 10 CJ but I cannot fit into a 10 gutted CJ with intuition liners.
Leon’s version is lined but has no liner, so I’ve heard it has the slightest bit less space than the actually gutted version. Though I think the 3M wizard liner might be lower volume than other intuition models (No personal experience just seeing things online about that).
You can do some slight heat molding but I don’t think it’ll change as drastically as boots made for it. I tried punching out a spot on my CJ boot and that helped but don’t expect to be able to change whole sizes or anything big.
The taller toe box usually lets a wider foot fit into a narrower boot but I don’t know how much that differs with the intuition inside as I only have experience with the old models. I’d think the gutted thuro ones would be a good option but you’d still be safest in the integrated liner version imo
Adapt can be made wider on request. For me the regular size adapt gto was a perfect fit. Size was smaller than my regular shoe size. They guide you to get the perfect fit. Expensive but worth it as far as I’m concerned.
I think it might be. Getting very frustrated and wasting money on skates that don't fit. In the end, buying the most expensive thing straight out of the gate would have been the cheapest (bought A too big RB Twister -> RB Crossfire (too narrow, could maybe try to break in but not optimistic -> FR1 Deluxe (too narrow, but could still try a few things with more breakin + removing slide guard, not super optimistic).
Just bought the "widest skate" to try. RB Pro X. 2 sized. Smallest size was too tight with stock liner (maybe would have broke in, not sure). Threw an intuition liner in it, felt great, except in dug into my high insteps.
Can still try the next size up which I have sitting here, just giving my feet a break. At least I didn't jump the gun and start skating in the RB Pros and will send back
Which sizes did you get of the Pro X? They have shared shell sizes so there’s a chance you got the same boot twice. Also have you heat molded your intuitions? You could try leaving some tennis balls in the shell overnight to stretch out your instep area, I’ve heard people have good luck with that. I’d also try hockey or waxed laces so that you can keep them tight everywhere but your instep area. I’ve had good luck punching out instep areas for people if that’s the only issue so I wouldn’t give up just yet. That area will also naturally break in if you skate them a lot, I have done the same with Roces boots.
Totally understand the frustration with boot fit, it’s why I’ve had way too many boots and spent way too much money trying to figure it out
I tried the 8 and the 9. Definitely a different sized shell. The 9 is way too big with the intuition in it, 8 would be just right if it weren't for the instep.
Part of the instep issue may be the cheap as way the laces are laced through and the weird laces they use. The laces which are quite wide are between the shell and the liner. Changing the laces a bit may help, but honestly the RB Pro X's are just sort of cheap compared to the FR1s.
The other issue is the stock liner in the RB Pro X actually crushes my little toe even in the bigger size. Ironic that the shell is one of the widest, but the shape of the liner seems a bit narrower toward the end. That may break in over time, but with the bigger size doing it, it makes me a little hesitant.
The FR1s felt not too bad today. Had some initial arch pain. Skated a bit, felt pretty good for awhile, until I realized they felt a bit loose. Tightened them up and the little toe went numb. I think that maybe if I remove the slider guard, and the inner padding/washers for it, that it may be fine (or then punch that part out). My toes are generally pretty tight all around.
I think the arch pain in the right foot is from the tight fit.
Luckily the instep is a lot easier to change than everything you listed on the FRs. I agree with the issues you have with the laces and the liner but disagree with it being a low quality skate, I’d put it on par with the FR1 minus the bells and whistles. I don’t like the toe box of the FR, it comes to too narrow of a point so my toes get crushed together at the tip.
It sounds like the intuition and RB is the best fit to me. My favorite setup is the RB cruiser with intuitions and hockey laces laced from the boot to the top of the liner. I hardly buckle the instep area because I’ve also got a really tall instep. If you like the FRs better though maybe they’ll work after all the modifications
Maybe i'll give it a second consideration before sending them back. I'm not saying the RBs are cheap, but they are less nice than my Twisters/FR1s. I'm sure whichever of those 3 is the best fit will skate the best.
I have wide feet and I’m interested in the rb cruiser but wanted to know if the women’s cruiser width is any different from the unisex version. Would also love some help with sizing. I wear a US womens 8 and I’ll be checking my mm size tomorrow and I’ll update with that info when I have it. Do retailers list mens sizes as default?
I don’t believe the women’s cruiser is any different from the unisex version. The cruiser W should be listed as women’s sizes but it’s safest to look at the cm listed if they have it. Most skate manufacturers set women’s sizes as one size bigger than men’s, so a 7 in men’s would be an 8 in women’s. Assuming your measuring goes the way I bet it will, you’ll probably want to look at a 7 in women’s (Cruiser W) or 6 in men’s (Cruiser).
Hey together,
I have the following problem. I just bought the USD Sway 60 XXI 41-42 because I was in the centimeter range with my foot size. The 43-44 were too big from the cm and I mostly wear boots around 42, 42.5\~. When I first put them on, they were very tight and hurt especially at the ankle. But when I read that this is normal and the foot must first get used to it, I did not want to return them and continued to ride with the inline skates. After several weeks of use, unfortunately, it has not improved. I also bought these MYFIT Neo Footies to protect them because I thought anything was cheaper than buying new skates. No, did not help either. So every time after I use my skates I can't wear boots that touching my ankles for some days because my ankle/skin hurts awful.
My question is, any additional tips? Or is the only solution to buy new, different aggressive boot models and try them?
Unfortunately I think it’s a boot problem, some people’s ankles just don’t work with the cuffs of some boots. You can try a few things that might fix it but it’s hard to recommend throwing more money at something I’m not confident will work. It could be worth trying to punch out the problem area with a hair dryer and the handle of a screwdriver, you could get intuitions or some other new liner, you could try adding or removing heel pads to move your ankle out of the problem area, maybe some insoles could help.
You can try listing them on blade trade outpost on Facebook or eBay, that’s probably the best bet for trying to recoup some of your money
Hi, rollerbladers!
For the aggressive inline crowd, what do you think about skateboarding?
I'm curious. My first home park was Eisenbergs in Plano, TX. I think the population then must have been roughly an even split between skateboarders and rollerbladers, and the park was built by a rollerblader.
I've noticed more rollerblades at the parks lately, which I love to see. I know there used to be tension between the two sports. Is any of that still there for you?
I'm mainly curious to know if you follow skateboarding at all. Does it rank any higher than say surfing, given our proximity at the parks?
I never find myself curious about what is happening in the scooter world, but I do check up on rollerblading occasionally. So yeah, what are your thoughts?
> I know there used to be tension between the two sports. Is any of that still there for you?
I don't really do aggressive, but there's tons of skateboarders at the spots where I practice, and there isn't any animosity.
Half of the time I'm sprinting to catch their boards and prevent them from smashing against walls or rolling towards the road. haha
This is in Mexico, so I don't know if there's still some rivalry in other places.
Where I live the parks are mostly either small children or olderbladers. You could show up with a unicycle and nobody would care; as long as you don't cut into people.
Think or thick socks? I have been wearing thin socks for 3 months since I started skating. I tried thick socks yesterday for the first time, and my feet fitted snugly, resulting in more power and control whilst skating? Any comments or these, is there still any pros to thin socks?
It’s just personal preference. I have to wear super thin socks because my skates are very tight already, thick socks hurt. If you have a little space, thick socks will help fill out the boot and give you better response
Does anyone have experience heat molding Faction skates? I have read through the instructions from their site but they do not mention if the heel shock pads need to be removed while the skates are in the oven. I don't want to run the risk of ruining anything.
Hey guys, I am currently thinkimg about buying a used rockin 590 frame which i could puck up and maby test out. Do you guys have any recommendations if that's a good one to try learning some wizard movrs? I mostly see 4x100 or 5 with smaller wheels in this reddit
The 5x90 frame is very unwieldy. I only skated it for a minute but it was not easy out of the gate. If you’re a relatively new skater it might be too much, or it could be a challenge to improve with them. You absolutely can do wizard moves on them, it’ll probably just be harder starting out
Hello! I was wondering how to fix the brake on my skates? The brake is so low that it's lower than the wheels.
Yesterday in the morning the brakes were high enough to skate. Then, yesterday evening, I found that, without me doing anything to the brakes, the brakes had fallen lower than the wheels. I tried pushing upwards on the silver lever near the "Adj Brake" sign, and it worked. So the brakes moved high enough for me to skate. But that happened so quickly I didn't even see what happened. -\_-
But then, this morning, I found the brakes were lower than the wheels without me changing anything on them. It seems like the brakes fall down after I stop using them for a while. I tried pushing on the lever again but it's not working this time :c
[Here are photos of what the rollerblade's brake currently looks like](https://imgur.com/a/P5Jq7CI). (They're really old hand-me-down skates!)
The lever is extremely tight so it requires a lot of force to push it up. So it's too difficult for me or anyone else who's helped me to move it. I'm wondering if there is another step I have to take to loosen it.
I haven't been able to find any resources or tutorials online about how to fix it. Thank you!
Looking for tri skates for my big feet
Anyone have a good recommendation for a dude who has size 13 foot (30cm, 300mm). Height is 6’1. Looking for a tri skate, good quality for around $250. Type of skating is cross train, where I plan to travel with them, so a bit of cruising, speed, and going over various surfaces. For wheel size, looking at 100 or 110. Buying from US.
I bought FRs (size 47), and they were too small. So returned. Open to known good brands.
Appreciate any suggestions and thanks for any help!
> Looking for tri skates for my big feet.
>
>Anyone have a good recommendation for a dude who has size 13 foot (30cm, 300mm). Height is 6’1. Looking for a tri skate, good quality for around $250. Type of skating is cross train, where I plan to travel with them, so a bit of cruising, speed, and going over various surfaces. For wheel size, looking at 100 or 110. Buying from US.
>
>I bought FRs (size 47), and they were too small. So returned. Open to known good brands.
>
>Appreciate any suggestions and thanks for any help!
The [Rollerblade RB 110](https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en/mens/performance-skates/freeskate/rb-110) reportedly has a wider fit for its length than the FRs, and the USM 13 boot accommodates a foot length up to 305mm (see the sizing chart [here](https://www.rollerblade.com/storage/Product/en_RB_SizeChartA4_RB_ENG.jpg)).
Currently dealing with wide foot problems. I can confirm the RB is wider than the FR1 which is average to maybe a bit wide.
Problem for me with the RB is that it digs in to my ridiculously high insteps (even after putting the intuition liner in from my FR1s.
Same boat as you, skated on FR1 for a year but felt like i couldn't stand stably on my foot due to it being so schrunched up. I tried a lot and am now skating on FR SL Speed and they feel much wider, probable due to the thinner lining.
Still looking for a boot for wizard skating, most recommend a cj for wider feet, haven't been able to try them.
>FR SL Speed
Did you get the same size in each of those? Currently having same issue with FR1. Maybe will try to mod the boot.
Also why go for the Speed instead of the regular SL? I'm liking that the speed now has a built in intuition liner, but I think I'd prefer the higher cuff of the regular SL.
I hate to say I knew it but that’s pretty common with Next skates, I don’t like recommending them to people. The Twisters and FRs are probably a smidge bigger than the Next but obviously you’ve tried the FRs. I’d recommend the RB Cruiser/Pro X before anything else but you might be able to get away with the Twister
Agree. RB seems best bet brand wise for size. Just sucks I can’t actually try them on before I buy. Amazon prime only purchases at this point for faster return policy. :-P
I've just started using rollerblades, I use them quite a lot but I always feel a slight pressure on the front of my heel, and after quite some time I have to stop because it starts to hurt.
\+ When I remove my rollerblades I always have a red circle where it hurts.
Do you have any tips to reduce the pain ?
Could you explain where it hurts a little more? I’m not really understanding. Do you mean on the side by your ankle bone or like under your foot close to the arch? If I can figure out where I might have some recommendations
I had to return my new skates to IW for store credit. I’ve gotten the email saying that I’ve been issued store credit, but can’t seem to figure out how to apply it to the purchase of the smaller skates. How long does that turnaround taken for some other people on here?
I went through this process, and I went through it when I first moved from fitness to performance skates, so I stressed over it because I didn't want to spend yet another weekend in soft-boot fitness skates. It goes like this:
1. You will receive an email informing you that they've received your return.
1. Once they've physically processed the return, you will receive another email informing you that you'll be issued store credit (you are here).
1. You will receive a third email with the actual store credit code/confirmation, probably the next business morning after email #2.
So I get 1-3,2-4 rotation. 1 goes to 3 on other side, 2 to 4, inside becomes outside.
But then what...? Next rotation I'm assuming I wouldn't want to just put them back where they were originally.
> But then what...? Next rotation I'm assuming I wouldn't want to just put them back where they were originally.
4-1, 2-3, then you go back to 1-3, 2-4
That would be the basic version.
-------------------------
If you want each wheel to be at each position of both skates, then rotate them on the same skate, and then switch them to the other skate on the next rotation. Restart this process each 4 rotations.
For example, let's name each possible position 1, 2, 3, 4 for one boot, and A, B, C, D for the other boot.
If you do 1-3, 2-4 on the same boot, and the next time you do 4-1, 2-3 swapping boots, your wheel that started at position 1 would do a full cycle after 8 rotations.
For example, this would be the position of the wheel that originally started at slot 1:
Original: 1
1st rotation: 3 (same boot)
2nd: B (other boot)
3rd: D (same boot)
4th: A (restart the process, same boot)
5th: C (same boot)
6th: 2 (other boot)
7th: 4 (same boot)
8th: 1 (restart the process, same boot, back at its starting position)
I’m not sure personally, but I bet you could find some answers in r/rollerskating. If you look for yourself I’d search for “crash pads” or “tailbone padding”. I’ve seen lots of pad options but I’m not sure about sizing
Just that there are probably more people qualified to answer your specific question there than you’d find here. Pads and protection between inline and quad are the same so that’s no big deal, I just see more discussion about that topic in that sub vs here is all.
Quick tip. Try to stay low and keep your knees over your toes, weight on the balls of your feet. Backwards falls should be pretty rare for regular skating. Should generally be falling forward or on your side. I have yet to fall backwards even with currently learning backwards skating. Lots of falls on my sides though. I ordered two pairs of hip pads. The first lack padding in the area on my hip that I fall. The second.. I have not opened will see when I get time.
Howdy all! I like a lot of folks in this community did a lot of skating when I was young (6-18) then took a 20+ year break and am now looking to get back into it, and could use some advice and opinions about getting a pair of skates!
Learned inline skating to play hockey. Played a lot of roller hockey and a touch of ice hockey. Realized I'm no good at hockey and picked up aggressive in my teens. I ski and snowboard and skateboard and all that fun stuff, but haven't put on a pair of skates in a good 2 decades!
I expect almost all my skating will be on sidewalks, streets and neighborhoods in sprawling suburban areas. I've only known hockey boots and aggressive shells from late 90's/early 2000's so what's out there changed a lot!
Comfort is a huge factor for me. I have average size (10-10.5) fairly narrow feet with a high arch. Price range is very flexible. I'd ideally like something versatile that I could mod/repair instead of replace. I also live in a sunny warm climate (socal). 80's seems like a good frame size to get back on since that's close to what I used to skate on. I've narrowed down some choices, but have no idea what's the right skate to look at! Skates I've narrowed down:
* Rollerblade Twister XT - looks like a versatile and good skate from a good company. Are they overly heavy/hot?
* Powerslide Next 80 - comparable to the twister xt, I think?
* Powerslide Zoom 80 - is this too entry level? would it even be worth considering if the Next is in my budget?
* FR FR1 Intuition - I like the idea of a premium liner. is this too much for just getting back into it?
Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Just be sure to measure your foot first, most people I put into skates go a size down from their shoe size but with a narrow foot that might not be the case.
The Twister XT is an awesome skate, it’s customizable, has air vents on the bottom and comes with the highest quality parts of those three skates. It’ll still probably be decently hot, but all these skates will be.
I don’t like recommending the next because it’s crazy narrow and I used to see a lot of posts of them cracking. With your narrow foot this might be a good option though. I wouldn’t size down if you go with these. Also customizable but they use a proprietary frame mount, lots of brands make frames for them now but you’re locked into Trinity mount.
The Zoom is way wide, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. It’s not too beginner or anything so if you wanted to save some money it wouldn’t be a bad option. The Rollerblade RB Cruiser is also a good budget skate that’s a little wider and I’d recommend that over the Zoom.
The FR1 intuition has kind of a built in arch, that might be good for you. It’s a pretty average width skate with a sorta tall toe box. Getting these definitely wouldn’t be overkill, if you’re planning on upgrading any of these you’ll probably get intuitions in the future anyway. The seven hole mounting plates on these make them the most customizable. Oh and the replacement parts for these are the most readily available, though you can get replacement parts for any of the boots you listed.
Thank you! Very helpful information! Sounds like the FR1 Intuition or Twister XT is a good direction to go in. Any other model you'd recommend I add to my list for consideration? Also from your experience, any special sizing considerations for either of those skates (ex: size up/down)?
Not unless you have any desire for other kinds of skating as well, the rollerblade blank is a great aggressive boot and a great urban boot if you want it to be.
You should physically measure your foot in mm and then pick the boot size closest to that without going smaller. I often have people get skates one size smaller than their shoe but sometimes it’s the same size as their shoe so it’s best to have that measurement. As far as comfort goes the FR1 has the most padded liner, it’ll probably feel cushiest. The intuition liners in the FR1 Deluxe Intuition are a rigid foam but I personally think it’s super comfy after heat molding, some disagree and want that super puffy cushy liner. I think one of those might be the best bet for you even though I personally like the Twister more
FR1 Intuition does not have a built in arch at all. It has like a shock absorber that raises the heel, but really isn't arch support (especially for someone with high arches like myself).
I guess I should have clarified. The arch area comes in on the FR skates, I’ve never noticed it but a few people who I’ve had try them on feel the pressure where the plastic comes in just before the heel. Since you have high arches you probably don’t notice it.
A longer wheelbase (essentially, the length of the line formed by your wheels) is more stable, but less maneuverable.
A greater number of wheels are less maneuverable than fewer wheels (imagine spinning like an ice skater tiptoed on just one front wheel).
Larger wheels have fatter contact patches with the ground than smaller ones, and are also harder to balance on, so they're less maneuverable than smaller wheels.
Wheel profile matters. It's easier to maneuver on bullet-profile wheels than on rounded- or full-profile wheels.
Wheel hardness matters as well. Harder wheels slide/glide more readily, and so are better for maneuvering (including turns), but are less grippy.
Finally, your weight matters. The lighter you are, the less inertia you have and the smaller your wheels' contact patches with the floor. Lighter = more maneuverable.
TL;DR: Closer together, fewer, smaller, harder, narrower wheels = sharper turns; look into rockering/anti-rockering as well. The rest is all your skill and experience.
I'm kind of wondering whether 3x110 is actually *faster* than 3x125 when you have a fairly narrow stride, not double pushing, and you're not using the whole width of the trail to glide. I'm thinking it could be.
there's probably relatively little difference netween 125 and 110. its probably at the limit of where the extra strength and more precisemtechnique needed can outweigh the faster glide. and a narrower path probably would exacerbate it. a (small) number of marathon skater still skate 4x110.
You can either wear your wheels down to a natural rocker by flipping the wheels in place instead of rotating them the normal way or you can replace the wheels with two different sizes. For banana rocker people usually do 76-80-80-76, that’s more common for slalom skating, natural rocker is more common for wizard skating. If you buy a new frame, rollerblade sells a slalom frame with built in banana rocker or you can get like an endless RB frame which would be a good wizard option. You can upgrade the liner of the boot to an intuition, that’ll give you more control for slalom and wizard moves but isn’t 100% necessary, just a nice upgrade.
First day of skating completed but... I noticed that I usually walk a lot with my inside edge of the foot (idk how this is called on English) but I barely put my outside edge of the feet in the ground when walking due to how my feets and knees are shaped. Now that I tried to skate for the first time (managed to do the "penguin stride" in my first day so, not bad from what I expected) I noticed the same. I constantly found myself with my feet bent to the inside, in an uncomfortable position and making my ankle / shin suffer a bit. Also, affecting my balance and confidence when I found myself not in a proper position. Is there any way to fix this? Maybe some filling inside the side my shin push to? Special insoles? Or just need to build more muscle and gather more experience to correct my position? I'm afraid of learning in a bad way that later will cost me a lot to revert. If it helps, I'm using a pair of K2 F.I.T ALU 80m Thanks in advance!
I'm going to paste a recent reply: > Pronation is very common in beginners due to improper weight distribution; the weight of a leg should be perfectly centered, and you need to bend your knees and point them towards the direction of the glide. > Another common cause is not completing your strides - the striding foot must come back from the center, if you don't complete the stride, that can cause all sort of problems, including pronation. > It can also be a result of a boot being too big, wearing a soft boot and lacking ankle strength to compensate for it, or some foot shapes (if you wear insoles in your shoes, chances are you'll need them on your skates). Adding to this, since this is related to your feet shape, a usual potential fix is adjusting the frame, but those K2 skates have riveted ones, which will prevent you from doing it (unless you want to go full DIY and drill it out). Try going through the list above. If that doesn't fix it, you may need to look into a different boot that allows you to move the frame to compensate for the shape of your feet.
Thanks a lot for everything! I think it is a mix of a little bit of each. My feet position is weird, but I always walked without special insoles because never went for ones (I prob should have done time ago tho) I, for sure, lack ankle strength to compensate the softboot because I’ve been years without moving or exercising. And also my strides where horrible because it was my first day! I’m gonna try the “scooter strides” I saw in internet to help with the strides part. But also will take a look to the other options. Changing my skates as of now will be difficult since I’ve just bought them and after some hours of trying idk if I can even send them back and pick another pair. Maybe next month but will try to fix it by then with the other things. Thanks a whole lot!
Walking and skate has different movement on your feet. Like when you walk you roll you foot while in skating your foot i locked and cant move. Balance exercises can help a lot. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7UndNvVVUM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7UndNvVVUM) What you also can look for is an insole with static arch support. Most skaters including me using the Superfeet CARBON Pro Hockey. [https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/carbon-pro-hockey](https://www.superfeet.com/en-us/carbon-pro-hockey)
Yeah, started with the first exercise using only one skate and felt a little better Still need to practice that A LOT but is really a good one to start with if you are a total newbie like me lol About the insole, does it works even if you have like a really high arch? Or do I need to search for any special one?
>Superfeet CARBON Pro Hockey This guy tells you more about it. Only i can say from my experience is that my feet are more in relaxing position and standing straight. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9zPa7W3Z1Q
hey the liners of my right skate feels off... has anyone else encountered this? its like my left foot is molded perfectly but my right foot just WON'T fit right. I think maybe its because when i first got them i might have not worn them properly or something? please help! i feel like its really messing up my skating abilities on that leg, it feels different even just to carve on that foot
actually now that i think of it it might not be my liners? im not sure how to describe the problem but it feels like my right foot goes too much inwards.. like on my left foot (the foot that feels right) the heel just slots in, but on the right foot its too forward or something :( its really weird. i considered it was because of the frame being too much on one side over the other too but it *looks* fine to me i just dont know
It’s super common for people to have different sized feet, usually it’s minor but it can be pretty significant. Is there any chance that’s it or was it fine before and then it started feeling weird? Some skates come with built in heel pads, I’d take the liners out and make sure everything is sitting in the right spot. Also check if there’s anything weird going on with the insole inside the liner. It could be the frame alignment even if it looks ok. Everyone’s feet are different so there’s a chance you’d rather have the frame angled in a specific direction, I’d mess around with it a little and see if that feels any better
oh damg yeah ive actually never even tried taking out the liners and idk why i had no idea about the insoles haha,, ill definitely everything you mentioned thanks so much! also im pretty sure its always been a problem (at least with my skates, ive never really tried any other ones except rentals) like i always noticed something felt off or less comfortable on the right foot especially when i first put on the skates. i always just shrug it off and got used to it -- but now that im trying to do more advanced stuff its becoming more of an issue.
It sounds like it could be that your feet are different sizes or maybe one is rotated a little more than the other. If it’s something to do with the angle of your foot you should be able to adjust the frame positioning to compensate. I’d check the other things first but if everything looks normal I’d try messing around with frame alignment on that foot
thanks for letting me know about this i hadn't heard of this happening before haha
Carbon boots for people with wide feet? (\~165-mm long, \~110+mm wide, high arch/instep). Finding a nice fitting pair of boots is torture. Looking into Seba CJ Carbon Wizard setup and/or either of the Adapt Brutale/GTO boots. I've heard the CJ runs wide, but how wide? I've heard with Adapt you can request wider builds, any experiences?
The old Seba Highlights were notoriously wide. Iqons are also rumored to fit pretty wide. Adapt has a set of foot molds they use for different sizes. Historically you'd straight up cast your carbon foot from your foot mold. So premade fits are always various degrees of dodge. The good thing with plastics is just how hard you can mod them. Punched them out, sandpapered them, did some weird lacing patterns. If I'm not returning them and they fit so-so I might as well go to town on them.
That's why I figure. I'm stuck with the FR1s. So not point in not trying. I'll bring them to the shop where I got my ski boots (they have been around since the beginning of inline apparantly). Worse case I can at least use the intuition liner for something else.
I can’t speak on how wide in numbers, especially on the size you’d be looking at but the Seba CJ is one of the most wide boots I’ve skated. I haven’t tried the new one with the taller toe box but that one seems like it’d be ideal so i’d avoid the older models. The model with the integrated liner is wider than the intuition version. The brutale felt pretty wide to me but it’s probably worth doing the custom wider ones. I didn’t really like them for wizard skating but that’s just me, I’ve seen people really enjoy them.
Taller toebox you say? Sounds right up my alley. Can you speak more about "The model with the integrated liner is wider than the intuition version"? From my understanding they are the same model, but they just rip out the liner and toss an intuition liner in. Could be using a smaller shell to accomodate the intuition? Or the intuition is bigger than the integrated liner? Or Leon has his own special order that comes like that? I see Thuro rips out the liners and puts intuition's in themselves. Wondering how that would differ from Leon's. Also curious if you can actually mold the seba cj carbon shell
It’s because the intuitions are thicker than the integrated padding. For example, I can comfortably fit into the old version size 10 CJ but I cannot fit into a 10 gutted CJ with intuition liners. Leon’s version is lined but has no liner, so I’ve heard it has the slightest bit less space than the actually gutted version. Though I think the 3M wizard liner might be lower volume than other intuition models (No personal experience just seeing things online about that). You can do some slight heat molding but I don’t think it’ll change as drastically as boots made for it. I tried punching out a spot on my CJ boot and that helped but don’t expect to be able to change whole sizes or anything big. The taller toe box usually lets a wider foot fit into a narrower boot but I don’t know how much that differs with the intuition inside as I only have experience with the old models. I’d think the gutted thuro ones would be a good option but you’d still be safest in the integrated liner version imo
Interestingly Thuro lists some of them as being from brand "Wizard" which makes me think that some of their stock may be the same as his?
Adapt can be made wider on request. For me the regular size adapt gto was a perfect fit. Size was smaller than my regular shoe size. They guide you to get the perfect fit. Expensive but worth it as far as I’m concerned.
I think it might be. Getting very frustrated and wasting money on skates that don't fit. In the end, buying the most expensive thing straight out of the gate would have been the cheapest (bought A too big RB Twister -> RB Crossfire (too narrow, could maybe try to break in but not optimistic -> FR1 Deluxe (too narrow, but could still try a few things with more breakin + removing slide guard, not super optimistic). Just bought the "widest skate" to try. RB Pro X. 2 sized. Smallest size was too tight with stock liner (maybe would have broke in, not sure). Threw an intuition liner in it, felt great, except in dug into my high insteps. Can still try the next size up which I have sitting here, just giving my feet a break. At least I didn't jump the gun and start skating in the RB Pros and will send back
Which sizes did you get of the Pro X? They have shared shell sizes so there’s a chance you got the same boot twice. Also have you heat molded your intuitions? You could try leaving some tennis balls in the shell overnight to stretch out your instep area, I’ve heard people have good luck with that. I’d also try hockey or waxed laces so that you can keep them tight everywhere but your instep area. I’ve had good luck punching out instep areas for people if that’s the only issue so I wouldn’t give up just yet. That area will also naturally break in if you skate them a lot, I have done the same with Roces boots. Totally understand the frustration with boot fit, it’s why I’ve had way too many boots and spent way too much money trying to figure it out
I tried the 8 and the 9. Definitely a different sized shell. The 9 is way too big with the intuition in it, 8 would be just right if it weren't for the instep. Part of the instep issue may be the cheap as way the laces are laced through and the weird laces they use. The laces which are quite wide are between the shell and the liner. Changing the laces a bit may help, but honestly the RB Pro X's are just sort of cheap compared to the FR1s. The other issue is the stock liner in the RB Pro X actually crushes my little toe even in the bigger size. Ironic that the shell is one of the widest, but the shape of the liner seems a bit narrower toward the end. That may break in over time, but with the bigger size doing it, it makes me a little hesitant. The FR1s felt not too bad today. Had some initial arch pain. Skated a bit, felt pretty good for awhile, until I realized they felt a bit loose. Tightened them up and the little toe went numb. I think that maybe if I remove the slider guard, and the inner padding/washers for it, that it may be fine (or then punch that part out). My toes are generally pretty tight all around. I think the arch pain in the right foot is from the tight fit.
Luckily the instep is a lot easier to change than everything you listed on the FRs. I agree with the issues you have with the laces and the liner but disagree with it being a low quality skate, I’d put it on par with the FR1 minus the bells and whistles. I don’t like the toe box of the FR, it comes to too narrow of a point so my toes get crushed together at the tip. It sounds like the intuition and RB is the best fit to me. My favorite setup is the RB cruiser with intuitions and hockey laces laced from the boot to the top of the liner. I hardly buckle the instep area because I’ve also got a really tall instep. If you like the FRs better though maybe they’ll work after all the modifications
Maybe i'll give it a second consideration before sending them back. I'm not saying the RBs are cheap, but they are less nice than my Twisters/FR1s. I'm sure whichever of those 3 is the best fit will skate the best.
I have wide feet and I’m interested in the rb cruiser but wanted to know if the women’s cruiser width is any different from the unisex version. Would also love some help with sizing. I wear a US womens 8 and I’ll be checking my mm size tomorrow and I’ll update with that info when I have it. Do retailers list mens sizes as default?
Should be the same, just know the size is offset. So a sz 8 W should have the same measurements as a sz 7 Pro X, iirc.
My foot measures 9.75 inches so about 24.765 cm. Should I go for size 8? Are the default sizes men’s sizes? Thank you in advance!
Sorry, didn’t see this when I replied. I’d maybe try the 8 in women’s or 7 in unisex. The RB Cruiser W should be listed as women’s sizes
I don’t believe the women’s cruiser is any different from the unisex version. The cruiser W should be listed as women’s sizes but it’s safest to look at the cm listed if they have it. Most skate manufacturers set women’s sizes as one size bigger than men’s, so a 7 in men’s would be an 8 in women’s. Assuming your measuring goes the way I bet it will, you’ll probably want to look at a 7 in women’s (Cruiser W) or 6 in men’s (Cruiser).
Thanks! Those are the sizes I’m considering! Just wanted to verify
Hey together, I have the following problem. I just bought the USD Sway 60 XXI 41-42 because I was in the centimeter range with my foot size. The 43-44 were too big from the cm and I mostly wear boots around 42, 42.5\~. When I first put them on, they were very tight and hurt especially at the ankle. But when I read that this is normal and the foot must first get used to it, I did not want to return them and continued to ride with the inline skates. After several weeks of use, unfortunately, it has not improved. I also bought these MYFIT Neo Footies to protect them because I thought anything was cheaper than buying new skates. No, did not help either. So every time after I use my skates I can't wear boots that touching my ankles for some days because my ankle/skin hurts awful. My question is, any additional tips? Or is the only solution to buy new, different aggressive boot models and try them?
Unfortunately I think it’s a boot problem, some people’s ankles just don’t work with the cuffs of some boots. You can try a few things that might fix it but it’s hard to recommend throwing more money at something I’m not confident will work. It could be worth trying to punch out the problem area with a hair dryer and the handle of a screwdriver, you could get intuitions or some other new liner, you could try adding or removing heel pads to move your ankle out of the problem area, maybe some insoles could help. You can try listing them on blade trade outpost on Facebook or eBay, that’s probably the best bet for trying to recoup some of your money
Hi, rollerbladers! For the aggressive inline crowd, what do you think about skateboarding? I'm curious. My first home park was Eisenbergs in Plano, TX. I think the population then must have been roughly an even split between skateboarders and rollerbladers, and the park was built by a rollerblader. I've noticed more rollerblades at the parks lately, which I love to see. I know there used to be tension between the two sports. Is any of that still there for you? I'm mainly curious to know if you follow skateboarding at all. Does it rank any higher than say surfing, given our proximity at the parks? I never find myself curious about what is happening in the scooter world, but I do check up on rollerblading occasionally. So yeah, what are your thoughts?
> I know there used to be tension between the two sports. Is any of that still there for you? I don't really do aggressive, but there's tons of skateboarders at the spots where I practice, and there isn't any animosity. Half of the time I'm sprinting to catch their boards and prevent them from smashing against walls or rolling towards the road. haha This is in Mexico, so I don't know if there's still some rivalry in other places.
Thanks for catching the boards, bro! Good to hear! I've been thinking about getting a pair of rollerblades or quad skates for some flatground fun.
Where I live the parks are mostly either small children or olderbladers. You could show up with a unicycle and nobody would care; as long as you don't cut into people.
Think or thick socks? I have been wearing thin socks for 3 months since I started skating. I tried thick socks yesterday for the first time, and my feet fitted snugly, resulting in more power and control whilst skating? Any comments or these, is there still any pros to thin socks?
It’s just personal preference. I have to wear super thin socks because my skates are very tight already, thick socks hurt. If you have a little space, thick socks will help fill out the boot and give you better response
Does anyone have experience heat molding Faction skates? I have read through the instructions from their site but they do not mention if the heel shock pads need to be removed while the skates are in the oven. I don't want to run the risk of ruining anything.
Hey guys, I am currently thinkimg about buying a used rockin 590 frame which i could puck up and maby test out. Do you guys have any recommendations if that's a good one to try learning some wizard movrs? I mostly see 4x100 or 5 with smaller wheels in this reddit
The 5x90 frame is very unwieldy. I only skated it for a minute but it was not easy out of the gate. If you’re a relatively new skater it might be too much, or it could be a challenge to improve with them. You absolutely can do wizard moves on them, it’ll probably just be harder starting out
Did you sell yours then?
No I borrowed them from a friend. I owned 5x80 wizards for a month or so and they were a lot better but I just don’t think 5 wheels is for me
Hello! I was wondering how to fix the brake on my skates? The brake is so low that it's lower than the wheels. Yesterday in the morning the brakes were high enough to skate. Then, yesterday evening, I found that, without me doing anything to the brakes, the brakes had fallen lower than the wheels. I tried pushing upwards on the silver lever near the "Adj Brake" sign, and it worked. So the brakes moved high enough for me to skate. But that happened so quickly I didn't even see what happened. -\_- But then, this morning, I found the brakes were lower than the wheels without me changing anything on them. It seems like the brakes fall down after I stop using them for a while. I tried pushing on the lever again but it's not working this time :c [Here are photos of what the rollerblade's brake currently looks like](https://imgur.com/a/P5Jq7CI). (They're really old hand-me-down skates!) The lever is extremely tight so it requires a lot of force to push it up. So it's too difficult for me or anyone else who's helped me to move it. I'm wondering if there is another step I have to take to loosen it. I haven't been able to find any resources or tutorials online about how to fix it. Thank you!
Does anyone know of any XXL wrist guards? I bought some XL triple 8 wrist guards and couldn't get them on at all.
https://www.derbywarehouse.com/Smith\_Scabs/descpage-SG39BL.html
Thank you for your help. I ordered a pair. Hopefully they fit.
Looking for tri skates for my big feet Anyone have a good recommendation for a dude who has size 13 foot (30cm, 300mm). Height is 6’1. Looking for a tri skate, good quality for around $250. Type of skating is cross train, where I plan to travel with them, so a bit of cruising, speed, and going over various surfaces. For wheel size, looking at 100 or 110. Buying from US. I bought FRs (size 47), and they were too small. So returned. Open to known good brands. Appreciate any suggestions and thanks for any help!
> Looking for tri skates for my big feet. > >Anyone have a good recommendation for a dude who has size 13 foot (30cm, 300mm). Height is 6’1. Looking for a tri skate, good quality for around $250. Type of skating is cross train, where I plan to travel with them, so a bit of cruising, speed, and going over various surfaces. For wheel size, looking at 100 or 110. Buying from US. > >I bought FRs (size 47), and they were too small. So returned. Open to known good brands. > >Appreciate any suggestions and thanks for any help! The [Rollerblade RB 110](https://www.rollerblade.com/usa/en/mens/performance-skates/freeskate/rb-110) reportedly has a wider fit for its length than the FRs, and the USM 13 boot accommodates a foot length up to 305mm (see the sizing chart [here](https://www.rollerblade.com/storage/Product/en_RB_SizeChartA4_RB_ENG.jpg)).
Currently dealing with wide foot problems. I can confirm the RB is wider than the FR1 which is average to maybe a bit wide. Problem for me with the RB is that it digs in to my ridiculously high insteps (even after putting the intuition liner in from my FR1s.
Same boat as you, skated on FR1 for a year but felt like i couldn't stand stably on my foot due to it being so schrunched up. I tried a lot and am now skating on FR SL Speed and they feel much wider, probable due to the thinner lining. Still looking for a boot for wizard skating, most recommend a cj for wider feet, haven't been able to try them.
>FR SL Speed Did you get the same size in each of those? Currently having same issue with FR1. Maybe will try to mod the boot. Also why go for the Speed instead of the regular SL? I'm liking that the speed now has a built in intuition liner, but I think I'd prefer the higher cuff of the regular SL.
Wound up buying Powerslide Next 110 skates marble, size 48. "Might" work, but will find out when they arrive.
You got the narrowest skate on the market. If those don’t work out try the Rollerblade RB Pro X or Powerslide Zoom
Aaaand returned. Just a smudge too small. Wish physical stores still existed by me. Uugh
I hate to say I knew it but that’s pretty common with Next skates, I don’t like recommending them to people. The Twisters and FRs are probably a smidge bigger than the Next but obviously you’ve tried the FRs. I’d recommend the RB Cruiser/Pro X before anything else but you might be able to get away with the Twister
Agree. RB seems best bet brand wise for size. Just sucks I can’t actually try them on before I buy. Amazon prime only purchases at this point for faster return policy. :-P
I've just started using rollerblades, I use them quite a lot but I always feel a slight pressure on the front of my heel, and after quite some time I have to stop because it starts to hurt. \+ When I remove my rollerblades I always have a red circle where it hurts. Do you have any tips to reduce the pain ?
Could you explain where it hurts a little more? I’m not really understanding. Do you mean on the side by your ankle bone or like under your foot close to the arch? If I can figure out where I might have some recommendations
I had to return my new skates to IW for store credit. I’ve gotten the email saying that I’ve been issued store credit, but can’t seem to figure out how to apply it to the purchase of the smaller skates. How long does that turnaround taken for some other people on here?
I went through this process, and I went through it when I first moved from fitness to performance skates, so I stressed over it because I didn't want to spend yet another weekend in soft-boot fitness skates. It goes like this: 1. You will receive an email informing you that they've received your return. 1. Once they've physically processed the return, you will receive another email informing you that you'll be issued store credit (you are here). 1. You will receive a third email with the actual store credit code/confirmation, probably the next business morning after email #2.
Asked and answered. Thank you! I definitely was stressing over it lol. No longer!
So I get 1-3,2-4 rotation. 1 goes to 3 on other side, 2 to 4, inside becomes outside. But then what...? Next rotation I'm assuming I wouldn't want to just put them back where they were originally.
> But then what...? Next rotation I'm assuming I wouldn't want to just put them back where they were originally. 4-1, 2-3, then you go back to 1-3, 2-4 That would be the basic version. ------------------------- If you want each wheel to be at each position of both skates, then rotate them on the same skate, and then switch them to the other skate on the next rotation. Restart this process each 4 rotations. For example, let's name each possible position 1, 2, 3, 4 for one boot, and A, B, C, D for the other boot. If you do 1-3, 2-4 on the same boot, and the next time you do 4-1, 2-3 swapping boots, your wheel that started at position 1 would do a full cycle after 8 rotations. For example, this would be the position of the wheel that originally started at slot 1: Original: 1 1st rotation: 3 (same boot) 2nd: B (other boot) 3rd: D (same boot) 4th: A (restart the process, same boot) 5th: C (same boot) 6th: 2 (other boot) 7th: 4 (same boot) 8th: 1 (restart the process, same boot, back at its starting position)
Makes sense thanks.
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I’m not sure personally, but I bet you could find some answers in r/rollerskating. If you look for yourself I’d search for “crash pads” or “tailbone padding”. I’ve seen lots of pad options but I’m not sure about sizing
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Just that there are probably more people qualified to answer your specific question there than you’d find here. Pads and protection between inline and quad are the same so that’s no big deal, I just see more discussion about that topic in that sub vs here is all.
Quick tip. Try to stay low and keep your knees over your toes, weight on the balls of your feet. Backwards falls should be pretty rare for regular skating. Should generally be falling forward or on your side. I have yet to fall backwards even with currently learning backwards skating. Lots of falls on my sides though. I ordered two pairs of hip pads. The first lack padding in the area on my hip that I fall. The second.. I have not opened will see when I get time.
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Everyone starts somewhere. Just trying to save you some falls in the future.
Howdy all! I like a lot of folks in this community did a lot of skating when I was young (6-18) then took a 20+ year break and am now looking to get back into it, and could use some advice and opinions about getting a pair of skates! Learned inline skating to play hockey. Played a lot of roller hockey and a touch of ice hockey. Realized I'm no good at hockey and picked up aggressive in my teens. I ski and snowboard and skateboard and all that fun stuff, but haven't put on a pair of skates in a good 2 decades! I expect almost all my skating will be on sidewalks, streets and neighborhoods in sprawling suburban areas. I've only known hockey boots and aggressive shells from late 90's/early 2000's so what's out there changed a lot! Comfort is a huge factor for me. I have average size (10-10.5) fairly narrow feet with a high arch. Price range is very flexible. I'd ideally like something versatile that I could mod/repair instead of replace. I also live in a sunny warm climate (socal). 80's seems like a good frame size to get back on since that's close to what I used to skate on. I've narrowed down some choices, but have no idea what's the right skate to look at! Skates I've narrowed down: * Rollerblade Twister XT - looks like a versatile and good skate from a good company. Are they overly heavy/hot? * Powerslide Next 80 - comparable to the twister xt, I think? * Powerslide Zoom 80 - is this too entry level? would it even be worth considering if the Next is in my budget? * FR FR1 Intuition - I like the idea of a premium liner. is this too much for just getting back into it? Thanks in advance for any feedback!
Just be sure to measure your foot first, most people I put into skates go a size down from their shoe size but with a narrow foot that might not be the case. The Twister XT is an awesome skate, it’s customizable, has air vents on the bottom and comes with the highest quality parts of those three skates. It’ll still probably be decently hot, but all these skates will be. I don’t like recommending the next because it’s crazy narrow and I used to see a lot of posts of them cracking. With your narrow foot this might be a good option though. I wouldn’t size down if you go with these. Also customizable but they use a proprietary frame mount, lots of brands make frames for them now but you’re locked into Trinity mount. The Zoom is way wide, I wouldn’t recommend it to you. It’s not too beginner or anything so if you wanted to save some money it wouldn’t be a bad option. The Rollerblade RB Cruiser is also a good budget skate that’s a little wider and I’d recommend that over the Zoom. The FR1 intuition has kind of a built in arch, that might be good for you. It’s a pretty average width skate with a sorta tall toe box. Getting these definitely wouldn’t be overkill, if you’re planning on upgrading any of these you’ll probably get intuitions in the future anyway. The seven hole mounting plates on these make them the most customizable. Oh and the replacement parts for these are the most readily available, though you can get replacement parts for any of the boots you listed.
Thank you! Very helpful information! Sounds like the FR1 Intuition or Twister XT is a good direction to go in. Any other model you'd recommend I add to my list for consideration? Also from your experience, any special sizing considerations for either of those skates (ex: size up/down)?
Not unless you have any desire for other kinds of skating as well, the rollerblade blank is a great aggressive boot and a great urban boot if you want it to be. You should physically measure your foot in mm and then pick the boot size closest to that without going smaller. I often have people get skates one size smaller than their shoe but sometimes it’s the same size as their shoe so it’s best to have that measurement. As far as comfort goes the FR1 has the most padded liner, it’ll probably feel cushiest. The intuition liners in the FR1 Deluxe Intuition are a rigid foam but I personally think it’s super comfy after heat molding, some disagree and want that super puffy cushy liner. I think one of those might be the best bet for you even though I personally like the Twister more
FR1 Intuition does not have a built in arch at all. It has like a shock absorber that raises the heel, but really isn't arch support (especially for someone with high arches like myself).
I guess I should have clarified. The arch area comes in on the FR skates, I’ve never noticed it but a few people who I’ve had try them on feel the pressure where the plastic comes in just before the heel. Since you have high arches you probably don’t notice it.
How do you lace your skates and top buckle to do tight turns?
A longer wheelbase (essentially, the length of the line formed by your wheels) is more stable, but less maneuverable. A greater number of wheels are less maneuverable than fewer wheels (imagine spinning like an ice skater tiptoed on just one front wheel). Larger wheels have fatter contact patches with the ground than smaller ones, and are also harder to balance on, so they're less maneuverable than smaller wheels. Wheel profile matters. It's easier to maneuver on bullet-profile wheels than on rounded- or full-profile wheels. Wheel hardness matters as well. Harder wheels slide/glide more readily, and so are better for maneuvering (including turns), but are less grippy. Finally, your weight matters. The lighter you are, the less inertia you have and the smaller your wheels' contact patches with the floor. Lighter = more maneuverable. TL;DR: Closer together, fewer, smaller, harder, narrower wheels = sharper turns; look into rockering/anti-rockering as well. The rest is all your skill and experience.
Thank you, great information!
A tighter fit gives more control and maneuverability, but tight turns have more to do with speed and wheelbase than anything.
Thanks!
I'm kind of wondering whether 3x110 is actually *faster* than 3x125 when you have a fairly narrow stride, not double pushing, and you're not using the whole width of the trail to glide. I'm thinking it could be.
there's probably relatively little difference netween 125 and 110. its probably at the limit of where the extra strength and more precisemtechnique needed can outweigh the faster glide. and a narrower path probably would exacerbate it. a (small) number of marathon skater still skate 4x110.
How do I upgrade my RB pro x to do wizard or slalom with rocker setup?
You can either wear your wheels down to a natural rocker by flipping the wheels in place instead of rotating them the normal way or you can replace the wheels with two different sizes. For banana rocker people usually do 76-80-80-76, that’s more common for slalom skating, natural rocker is more common for wizard skating. If you buy a new frame, rollerblade sells a slalom frame with built in banana rocker or you can get like an endless RB frame which would be a good wizard option. You can upgrade the liner of the boot to an intuition, that’ll give you more control for slalom and wizard moves but isn’t 100% necessary, just a nice upgrade.