Hello everyone (whoever is subbed to this community)! Ive been wanting to get into inline skating for a while now, but just dont have the knowledge of where to start.

Im in Europe, specifically Cyprus (so first-hand buying options are limited) so if I would bite the bullet and order skates online to learn it would be without trying them on first. I do plan on moving to the Netherlands where I know theres an awesome skating shop in Amsterdam, but that could be at any time this month or year (depends on when I find a job).

Up to now I bought some ultra cheap skates on black friday a couple years ago (No Fears I believe they were), which after the second day of practicing in the park had the frame get loose (and it wasnt designed to be able to tighten or fix). That was super disappointing because I was really excited to get into this hobby.

Anyways, what are your thoughts? Should I see what options I have for getting into it while I am still here, or wait until I get to a more “civilised” part of the world where there are actually opportunities to do stuff? xD

Also, if you recommend I get into it right away, how should I pick as good a skate as possible without actually trying it on first?

Thanks in advance!

  • SharkWeek@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
    2·
    8 days ago

    You really really need to try on skates properly before buying, having a boot that fits the shape of your foot right is very very important.

    It would be worth the money to travel to a skate shop with a good range and try on everything they have before making a decision, even if it’s in another country.

    Large cities in most of Europe have at least one shop that would fit the bill, in Barcelona there’s at least 3 for example.

    • promitheasOPEnglish
      2·
      8 days ago

      If all goes well with job applications, I expect to be asked to travel to NL for interviews. If that happens, I will definitely visit the skate shop in Amsterdam and try some on. Ive also contacted a group in my local city that does runs for fun to see if they can help out in any way, will ask them now if they can help with fitting

  • pinball_wizard@lemmy.zipEnglish
    2·
    9 days ago

    Recently, I’ve had great luck with the official Rollerblade brand. Every pair of theirs I have put my hands on lately has covered the basics:

    • Nice ratchet clip above the ankle to adjust tightness.
    • Adjustable boot size for kids that are still growing
    • Ships with bearings that are suitable for beginners but (only just) good enough not to be distracting to expert skaters.
    • Reasonable amount of padding, tough enough plastic to survive, while not overly heavy.
    • Usually ships with alternate axle hardware, for skaters who immediately remove the stupid useless dangerous heal brake.

    The list above is decent for reading reviews of other brands, as well.

    Like most sports, there’s no upper limit to how much we can spend, and not all of what we can spend on will matter to us.

    That said, there’s some things a basic Rollerblade won’t do:

    • Most aggressive skating tricks. (Most RillerBlades brand skates do not have a grind plate.)
    • If you know you’re going to quickly put hundreds of hours on them, get a set with metal foot pads and wheel frames. (I believe) Some Rollerblades have them, but not all.
    • If you’re going to do jump tricks in them, look for reviews specifically of the axle durability. Skates with grind plates may have stronger axles for landing, but if you’re planning to land hard and often (routinely from a meter of more) on them, they can be broken.

    Since you’ve already burned through your first set, I would be looking for metal frames and durability reviews. Street trick skates tend to be much more durable, but can be surprisingly uncomfortably heavy.

    You could also look at rollerblades designed for hockey. They tend to be durable while light. But beware, a traditional ice hockey skate boot is…an aquired taste? Incredibly uncomfortable until broken in, and even then only ever comfortable if the boot was a great fit to begin with.

    I’m a fan of finding reviews by roller hockey players of regular comfortable street skates. Those tend to be tough, partly metal, and still comfortable.

    • promitheasOPEnglish
      2·
      8 days ago

      Thanks! To he honest I mainly see myself commuting with them, not super interested in the tricks part. If Rollerblade is a European company id happily buy from them. I know (i think) that Powerslide is European.

      Also, I think id like to go for a hard shell boot with the possibility to change frame/wheels.I think in the beginning if i find a boot that i like, then i can change the frame and wheels easier to suit my preference and skill level.

      Is it enough to measure from wall to big toe (putting foot against 90 degree wall and measuring distance to big toe) or is there something else I should measure to find the boot with best fit possibility?

      • pinball_wizard@lemmy.zipEnglish
        2·
        5 days ago

        When I’ve gone with a hockey skate boot, I found it best to interview every blood relative who skates for their brand preference (I found that 100% of my blood relatives had the same brand preference). I also asked for their boot size - whether they go up one size or down one size from their shoe size, and whether they need a wide or otherwise custom boot.

        For me, that was the (only) process that resulted with a pair of hockey skates that weren’t constant agony to wear. After about 20 hours of skating in them, they felt great.

        I find hard plastic boots with padding inside to be much more forgiving. I like a laced boot with at least two adjustable clips - one at the ankle and one at the bridge of the foot. I generally leave the laces loose, and adjust the two clips to my comfort.

        I sill always try them on, for fit.

        Also, the age old wisdom applies - a skate that is a little too small will cause foot cramps. But a skate that is a little too big can (maybe) be fixed with a thick pair of wool socks.

        Edit: I also pay close attention to where my big toe lands within the boot. Some folks don’t realize that too much room past the end of the big toe can cause a tendency to trip and generally reduced coordination. I try to have less than 3cm of extra space past my big toe, inside the boot.

        This won’t usually matter during a commute skate, but it makes a difference when recovering from a surprise rock or such.

        • promitheasOPEnglish
          2·
          5 days ago

          While I dont really have any relatives who skate that does make sense, since probably you all have similar feet shapes. As for the big toe spacing, I found some RB Lightnings that are available in a store near me (sadly closed until almost the end of the month due to summer holidays) and they also have the Lightning Ws which come in smaller sizes but should be the same generally as the mens version. Also, the white+aqua colors are great imo!

          Guess I need to wait until the end of the month to actually go and try them on and see how they fit!

          Thanks!