The primary division of equipment and accessories is into assortments for adults and kids. Kid's equipment is characterized mainly by smaller sizing (often adjustable) and the use of different materials, whose durability is adapted to lighter individuals – as a result, the final product price is lower. Equipment for adults can generally be confidently described as unisex, which within a single model in different versions varies only in color and design. However, there are models dedicated exclusively to women or men, whose construction (apart from sizing) differs minimally. In such cases, products dedicated to women are sleeker and narrower, which better fits female shapes. Men's versions of products often have a wider construction, meeting the need for more space, which is preferred by many men.
Equipment and accessories designed for all adult users. They work well among both men and women. Proven and universal solutions and design.
Maximum number of wheels
4
Skates come with different number of wheels depending on their type. The most widespread wheel setup is of course four wheels in a frame. The three wheeled ones are not that far behind, though. Because total wheelbase is longer with four wheels, ones that accommodate only three are usually more agile and shorter. We are losing some grip and comfort (four wheels do a batter job at vibration dampening). On the other hand, because three wheeled frames have more room to play with, if we take the same length of both frame types, we will see that triskating one comes with much bigger wheels. For example, the 243 mm frame length fits 4x80 mm setup, but when it comes to triskate configuration, manufacturers usually use 3x110 mm one. And it is not even the shortest possible frame for three 110 mm wheels! Bigger wheels makes it easier to go fast and maintain the speed, although they accelerate a bit slower. Apart from that, there are just two wheels frames on the market – mostly used in aggressive skating, but sometimes you’ll see a skate with off-road frames of such type.
Category
Aggressive/Skatepark
All modern skates have “common ancestor”, the first skate to achieve widespread, commercial success – Rollerblade Lightning TRS. However, add 25+ years of evolution and differences between currently available models can be as big as those between off-road and F1 racing cars. There are at leat 10 major types of inline skating styles and most of them requires a different gear!
Brake in set
No
Product condition
New
Ex-display products are ones that were taken out of the box and used for display purposes. It is still a fully-functional gear and was not used for skating. Skates and accessories displayed in stores and trade-shows sometimes end up for sale in our shop. Due to the fact that these items were taken out of their packaging, they may come with minor, cosmetic defects like wheel decolourizations or scratches. Thus, their price is adjusted accordingly.
Skate
Skate Type
Complete, Custom
Inline skates have long ceased to be only a gear that you get out of the box and use as is. For people with a knack for tinkering, a there is a whole world of possibilities for tuning and modding their skates. If they’ll pick up a models which allows it, of course! The parts can be bought separately and there is a huge variety of them available – it is pretty common sight now to see a skater with a gear put together from several different brands products. This is why, apart from full skates, a boot only options are available and you can even buy custom setups made by skateshops. There is also an ongoing tradition of releasing pro-skates for top skaters out there. Such models are configured according to the rider preferences and given a unique look.
Shell
Composite
Shell of the skates is most often a hard, rigid outer boot made out of plastic composite materials, but can also mean a base of skates with integrated padding. Such part can be made out of composite material, too, but also from glass and/or carbon fibre. To put it simply, shell is the most important part of the skate from structural point of view. All other parts of the skate are directly or indirectly attached to it. It is worth to mention that skates for kids often come with adjustable size shells and that carbon fibre based model can often be heat-moulded.
Composite shell is made of molecular composite (hence the name) of two or more plastic compounds. It can be reinforced with addition of glass fibres for additional rigidity. Characteristics of such boot depend on used materials, their thickness and density, however it can be stated that such skates, made by renowned manufacturers, offer excellent support and protection for user’s joints and feet, while being able to withstand a lot of abuse. It is worth to keep in mind that materials used to make the shell are usually thermoplastic, so if the rest of the boot (glue, leather, foams and so on) can withstand higher temperatures, boots are suitable for heat moulding.
Boot Type
Hardboot, Removable Liner
There are several types of boots in inline skates. The most common one is undoubtedly a softboot – where soft, sneaker-like upper is attached to rigid, composite base. The second most popular boot type is a hardboot – a rigid, injection molded shell with separate liner inside. Skating boots with base made out of glass and/or laminated carbon fibre weave also exist. There are even snowboard binding style skeletons which can be used with your sneakers. The boot type determines what is possible on given pair of skates. For example, low-cut, carbon fibre boots aren’t really suitable for anything else than speedskating.
When reliability is a major factor in your search for a pair of skates, it is worth considering a hardboot style models with shell made out of polymers (quite often called plastic). Sometimes companies call it “composite shell”, because material used to make the skate is a mixture of several ingredients (molecular composite) or even contains an addition of glass fibres. The characteristics of given shell vary depending on manufacturer and the model, but overall, skates of this type are strong, resistant and offer very good protection and support. These skates are great choice for every type of skating requiring reliable, rigid boot: aggressive, urban, freeskate and downhill. In addition, hardboot freeskates equipped with short frames are popular and price to quality attractive choice for skaters looking for entry-level equipment to start learning freestyle slalom.
Cuff Fixation
Riveted
Cuffs are mounted using three solutions: rivets, screws or screws with adjustable washers. The most common and simple solution are, of course, rivets. Generally speaking, rivets are a very solid form of cuff attachment and are reliable enough to be used even in aggressive inline skating or freeskating. The downside is that you won’t be able to swap cuffs (i.e. if you want to put a custom kit on) without drilling out the rivets and replacing them with screws, which is not that easy task to do. But – with rivets, there’s no need to worry about about losing a screw, right? When you have screws as a cuff attachment solution, you need to tighten them regularly, as they will get loose from vibrations during skating. Last but not least, cuff adjustment systems – these use washers with offset hole placement, allowing for changing cuff position (most frequently, up and down).
Riveted cuff – cuff is attached to the shell by rivets.
Lacing
Classic Lacing
Boot lacing plays a crucial role in how skate fits overall. Next to traditional lacing, skates sometimes incorporate speed lacing systems made out of steel cable and tightening rings, which make the boot wrap around the foot.
Skates are equipped with classic laces.
Closure
Cuff Buckle
Boot closure does what lacing alone cannot. It allows to lock the heel in place and also stabilises the ankle. In addition, buckles and straps increase boot rigidity, making the skate more responsive to our movements.
Cuff buckle – traditional buckle with receiver. The cuff is shaped in a way that allows excess of a strap to be hidden in a hole, which makes skating safer. Buckle allows firm tightening of a top of the skate, which stabilizes your ankle.
Shell width
Wide fit
Shell width is as important as length when it comes to choosing a right boot for you. Why? A pretty obvious case in which a shell too narrow causes you a lot of pain, but having a shell too loose is equally bad. This is tricky, as during trying the skates on, their boots feel comfy – but over time, when liner breaks-in, you are going to feel inferior control and energy transfer. Unfortunately, it is extremely rare for skate manufacturers to provide information about fit type, which makes choosing a right pair of skates harder. This is why we, using our knowledge, experience and feedback from our customer, make an assessment of skates sold in our shop and give each shell a marking of width type on a scale of three. Thanks to it, you are informed which skates are considered narrow, regular and wide. This makes it easier for you to find a good fitting pair when ordering online. Please bear in mind that shell width can be subjective – a person with large ankle bones but regular foot width may find standard width shells too narrow, but this won’t be true for majority of users. This is why we encourage you to contact us at [email protected] if you have any doubts about choosing skates.
Wide shell, as the name suggests, works best for truly wide feet. But, if you have regular ones, these boots may still be acceptable for you, depending on a liner of choice, if we are talking about hardboot skates, of course. Wide shells quite often can work for people with anatomical issues like abnormally large ankle bones, flat foot, bunions and so on. It is worth to note that just like in case of any other hardboot, if you need even more room, using a thinner liner will do the trick. However, nothing can be done in case of integrates padding skates. If even the widest shells won’t work, one have to abandon hardboots and look for softboots instead.
Liner
Liner Manufacturer
Roces
Wheels
Wheel Size
58 mm
Wheel diameter determines how fast we can go on skates and how smoothly will they roll. The bigger the wheel, the slower it loses momentum, making it easier to maintain speed. There’s a trade-off though – it is harder to accelerate on bigger diameter wheels. The wheel size depends on frame length, or more precisely, the wheelbase – distance between two outer axles. Thus, in four wheeled frames of given length, maximum possible wheel diameter is smaller than in three wheeled one. This is why triskates usually have bigger wheels, as there’s more room to play with.
Wheel sizes also depends on what the skate is made for. Agressive models come with wheels up to and including 72 mm ones, for rec skates it is about 84 mm and for fitness – even 110 mm. Wheels used in speedskating have 100 mm, 110 mm or 125 mm diameter. Freeskating is the most diverse – you can find skates with basically any wheel size that gives a good roll (usually no smaller than 76 mm). Freestyle slalom is more restrictive and uses 72 mm to 90 mm wheels. Last but not least, skates for children use up to 90 mm in triskating configuration and typically 68 mm – 76 mm diameter in four wheel frames.
Wheels Manufacturer
Dead
Wheel Profile
Round (Full Radius)
Wheel profile have a huge impact on skating experience. Rule of thumb is: wider profile wheels give you more grip and stability than narrower ones, but have more rolling resistance and lose in terms of speed. Of course, we are talking about a case of two wheels with different profiles but with similar other characteristics. In most skating styles, there is a go for wheel profile, best suited for them, as each wheel profile have different pros and cons.
Round wheel profile – wheels have round profile, which is midway between flat and bullet one. They are relatively stable and grip well, all the while maintaining good rolling and reasonable speed during skating. They are perfect for anyone who values versatility.
Glowing / LED
Wihout LED
Frame
Frame Mounting
UFS
Frame mounting system tells us how the boot and the frame are connected to each other. There are skates in which boot and the frame are a single, moulded part or attached via rivets, but a lot of skates use standards which allow you to swap frames freely. There are four standards in use currently: 165 mm, 195 mm, Trinity and UFS. They target different types of skates, but their coverage overlaps a bit. For example, Trinity system is used in some freeskates next to more common 165 mm one, but also in speedskates next to 195 mm standard. UFS is used mostly in aggressive skates, but it is sometimes used in freeskates, too.
UFS (Universal Frame System) –a mounting standard invented for, and most widely used in, aggressive inline skates. The mount spacing is 165 mm and both points are placed on the same level. There are low-profile nubs around mounting points, fitting inside corresponding cavities in frames. Their role is to relief some of the strees placed on bolts during tricks like topsides. The trade-off is that there is no frame position adjustment option, unless the frame itself have elongated slot which allows you to adjust it forward-backward. Every UFS frame fits every boot which uses UFS standard.
Frame Model
Featherlite 3
Frame Manufacturer
Ground Control
Frame Type
Antirocker
Inline skating frames design varies according to wheel setup and skating style they are made for. Most common frames are ones with fixed, one wheel setup made specifically for certain purpose (i.e. Hi-Lo hockey frames, freestyle slalom rockered frames, antirocker for aggressive), but there are exceptions – frames that allow you to choose from more than one wheel configurations.
Antirocker setup frame – frame comes equipped with two wheels for rolling, along with two smaller, inner wheels which are made from much harder material and do not touch the ground. This makes groove tricks easier, however makes whole setup slower, turning is not as fluid as on flat and wheels wear faster due to increased pressure on each one of them. The after mentioned smaller wheels are called antirockers or grindwheels and serve to help with locking the grind on an obstacle. Additionaly, they reduce frame wear.
Frame Material
Composite/Plastic
Inline skating frames can be made out of many materials, but the most common ones are plastic composites and aluminium. The material type depends on the frame’s purpose as well as desired properties such as strength, rigidity and weight. Frames can also be made in several different technologies, when it comes to giving the material shape.
Composite frame – frame is made from a mixture of polymers. It is more flexible than aluminium frames and also wears down faster. Aggressive skating frames are made in this technology because of material properties, which allow for grinding obstacles.
Bearings
Bearings Brand
Wicked
Bearings Type
ABEC 5
Bearing type informs us about materials, technology and level of precision used to make them. The most common material used is chrome steel and such bearings can use either 5 or 6 balls. There are models with balls made from ceramic materials instead of steel – they give better roll and have improved longevity, but come with a higher price.
Bearings Size
608
Bearing size determines what wheel type it will fit. The most popular size is 608, however in rare occasion, speedskating wheels may use “mini” bearings in size 688. It is a lighter alternative which requires wheel cores with smaller diameter slots. Admittedly, while 688 size bearings were pretty popular for several years, they are not a common sight nowadays.
Axles
Axle Type
Two-piece 8mm axles
Axle type depends on how the frame is made. Composite frames use two-piece axles – they can be 6 mm or 8 mm thick. Cheaper, rec skates, even if they come with aluminium made frames, use two-piece axles. There are even aluminium, embossed frames made for urban skating which use this axle type. However, for more high-end skates, the 8 mm thick, single piece axles are the industry standard. They can be made out of steel or aluminium.
Manufacturer used two piece axles of 8mm diameter. This diameter fits tightly inside inner ring of 608 type bearings and thanks to this, standard spacer is used.
Gender
Maximum number of wheels
Category
Brake in set
Product condition
Skate Type
Shell
Boot Type
Cuff Fixation
Lacing
Closure
Shell width
Liner Manufacturer
Wheel Size
Wheels Manufacturer
Wheel Profile
Glowing / LED
Frame Mounting
Frame Model
Frame Manufacturer
Frame Type
Frame Material
Bearings Brand
Bearings Type
Bearings Size
Axle Type
Size Adjustable