What kind of skates should I buy?

[knockinbootsy]

links to buy skates online:

www.sincityskates.com - run by skaters from sin city rollergirls (see sponsorship forum for discount info)
www.lowpriceskates.com - enter promo code derby10 or myspace15 for a discount on your order
www.conniesskateplace.com - out of brunswick, ga
www.viaderby.com - go to www.viaderby.com/deals for current discounts

want to try skates on before you buy?
http://www.woodyshalfpipe.com - located in norcross, ga - will ship free to athens
www.skateescape.com - located in atlanta, ga

skate,bearing, and wheel reviews by other rollergirls:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roller_girls/database

most of the websites selling skates, wheels, and bearings will also give you more information on what kind of equipment is best for you based upon the surface you will be skating on. searching the roller_girls group is also easy and will turn up scores of results.

- remember skates are in men's sizes. they'll usually be 1 to 1.5 sizes smaller than your shoe size.

- buy toe guards! we do tons of falling drills and suicides and they will save your boots!

have skates you really, really love? or really, really hate? please post comments about your skates (pros, cons, how long you've been using them, etc).

[Push-up Brawl]

i've heard alot about carrerra boots eating up your feet. i have reidells and i like my boots alright but then again, i dont' really know any different!

[thrashley]

Does anybody have suggestions for outdoor wheels? I want to ask for some for Christmas, but I've never had any before...

[Poke A. Dot]

I have Rollos. I can bring em one night so you can give them a try.

[Myrtle Kombat]

Does anybody have suggestions for outdoor wheels? I want to ask for some for Christmas, but I've never had any before...

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Radar Pure- they are freakin awesome. they roll right over stuff, and you can get going really fast with them.

[Ivanna Kicksomash]

Where did you get them???? I'd love to get some outdoor wheels as well.

[thrashley]

You can get them at lowpriceskates.com. Look in the non-public breakroom thread for discount codes...

[knockinbootsy]

if you have a pair of skates you really like or really hate, can you post what you like or dislike about them so the newbies have a little extra info before they shop around for skates?
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I started with a pair of riedell carreras. they were okay starter skates. they run a little narrow - I liked mine pretty well. I wore them for almost a year before getting new skates. I still use them for outdoor skating, but they are falling apart a little. I have a pair that are size 5 if anyone wants to try them for fit. they were about $120.

I bought a pair of riedell 265 (wickeds) and I really, really love them. if you have $300 to drop on some skates, skip the cheap carreras or r-3s and get something better. they took about a month to get used to - the plate (or distance between the wheels, anyway) is shorter than what it was on the carreras, which means you have different posture to stay balanced. a lot of people do have issues breaking in the 265 boot, but there's a ton of info online about lacing your boot to fix common problems. mine are 4.5 if anyone wants to try them for fit. I've had them for about 9 months.

one other thing to think about is that if you're buying a fairly inexpensive skate like r-3s, carreras, boxers, etc you'll probably want to replace the stock wheels within a few months. most people have fugitives (about $60) and a good pair of indoor wheels is pretty much $60 and up. so if you think you might do that and have a little extra cash, sometimes you can upgrade wheels on your skate package for a little bit more money.

[thrashley]

I started with a pair of riedell torqs, which are really similar to the carreras, but run even a bit narrower. I skated in them for about a year and they were really comfortable. I also use them for outdoor skates, and the boot is just starting fall apart a little bit. They're a size 7 (mens) if anybody wants to try them on.

I also got a pair of riedell 265 (wickeds) in December. Booty's right--they are hard to get used to. I haven't had any problems breaking in the boot, but re-adjusting my posture, especially when I sprint and take quick steps, has been challenging. If you have extra cash, I'd recommend buying a nicer skate like the 265s so you don't have to take a month to re-adjust the way you skate in a year or two--you can just learn how to skate on them. Mine are a size 7 if anybody wants to try them on.

[Ref Fried Beans]

Has anybody tried using their old plate on the 265 boot to get around the narrow wheel base issue?

[Diesel]

I STARTED OUT WITH THE 265 WICKED RIEDELL SKATES AND I LOVE THEM!!! I HAVEN'T SKATED ON ANY OTHER SKATES. THE 265 BOOT FOR ME HAS NOT BEEN A PROBLEM BREAKING IN. I HAVE BEEN SKATING WITH MY 265'S FOR ABOUT 10 MONTHS NOW. THE ONLY THING THAT I HAVE FOUND IS I LIKE MY SKATES TIGHT AND OVER TIME THE BOOT BECOMES BROKEN IN AND I FIND MYSELF RE-TIGHTING MY SKATES MORE OFTEN. I PURCHASED MY 265'S FROM JOHN @ WOODYSHALFPIPE 770-416-1475. THEY GIVE DISCOUNTS TO ROLLERGIRLS SO BE SURE TO LET HIM KNOW YOUR A ROLLER GIRL! MY SKATES ARE A SIZE 7, ANYONE IS WELCOME TO TRY THEM ON, YOU WANT BE DISAPPOINTED!
AS FAR AS THE POSTURE GOES, BOOTSY AND THRASHLEY ARE AWESOME WHEN IT COMES TO SKATING "LOW LOW" AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I AM CONSTANTLY WORKING ON MYSELF. IT WILL COME WITH TIME AS YOUR BACK STRENGHTENS!

DIESEL

[knockinbootsy]

Has anybody tried using their old plate on the 265 boot to get around the narrow wheel base issue?

I think the short length is a good thing - forces you to skate lower and lean to keep your balance. I think (and I could be completely wrong because I can't remember where I read it) that higher end skates usually have a shorter plate than recreational skates - it improves your agility.

[thrashley]

I think the short length is a good thing - forces you to skate lower and lean to keep your balance. I think (and I could be completely wrong because I can't remember where I read it) that higher end skates usually have a shorter plate than recreational skates - it improves your agility.

Here's a description of the difference between 'good' skates and beginner skates. Its the entry on the bottom of the page if you scroll down--Oct 25th 2006

http://blog.myspace.com/sincityskates

[thrashley]

Forgot to write, Sin City also says...

Smaller plates will be more agile (and squirrelly) while longer plates will be more stable (and less agile).

[Ire Starter]

Hello, I need some advice, please. So my skates are busted -- the boots are coming off their soles -- and I obviously need to buy a new pair. They're Carreras, and the only problem I've had is that they're a little too wide and my foot used to slide a bit around corners. This stopped happening after breaking the leg and then wearing a brace (takes up more room), but I still want a smaller boot, and might want to stop wearing the brace eventually -- it restricts movement too much and I have two titanium internal braces now anyway.

I would like to get the 265's, but I'm worried about a) the boot being narrow enough, b) getting used to them in time for Dixie (not like I'm going to be carrying the team or anything, but would also like to not completely suck), and c) being able to skate in them period, since my leg is still weak and I have problems leaning forward on that foot. I'm wondering if I should just go for something cheaper for now...especially since I don't know how long it will take for me and my leg to be partners in derby again (ie. back to my 100% ability). I was also looking at the Torq, since it runs narrow.

If you have/had either of these skates, any suggestions welcome (ie. narrow foot recommendations, breaking in periods, etc.). I read everything posted and on skate sites, but am looking more for advice pertaining to my personal issues, like whether I will repeatedly land on my ass for the next 2 months if I get the 265's with a bum leg.

Thanks for your help!