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Need some tips regarding inlines
I'm probably buying inlines soon to be able to ride together with my son. From the last time I had inlines, about 20 years ago, I remember that taking them on and off was a real pain, both really slow, and you ended up without any shoes, so if you wanted to enter a store for example it was often better to walk there than using the inlines. Is there anything out there today that solves those problems?
I guess I could buy some lightweight shoes to bring along, but the swapping still takes a lot of time and is a bit cumbersome. Any other tips would also be nice.
Flip flops.
Edit: Whoever tagged this "rollerblades" either does not know the war they just started, or really does know the war they just started 🤣
I appreciate the tag, as someone who knows what rollerblades are, but is kinda context-guessing about "inlines." Out-group communication > in-group squabbling.
Was definitely a joke based on old elitism xD
I believe Doop skates are what you're looking for, but they're quite expensive so probably not ideal if it's not something they're going to stick with. These also are never going to hold your foot/shoe as well as proper inlines, so there will be a limit to how much control and skill you can build.
https://www.skatepro.uk/121-41540.htm
The big brands to look at are generally Rollerblade, Powerslide, Seba and FR. I believe some of them sell "adjustable" skates which can be lengthened to keep up with growing feet.
The speed of putting them on hasn't changed much in my experience, probably 3-4 mins to put on and 1-2 to take off, but comfort has improved a lot. I just got used to taking a backpack with shoes/water/snacks anyway.
Much like climbing shoes, each brand has their own fit shape, so I'd recommend trying out one of each to figure out which is most comfortable. In fact, I'd go one step further and say a good fit should be your top priority. Any rubbing/poking is going to get painful very fast.
Knee and wrist pads are recommended too, falling is a part of learning but getting hurt can make you give up real quick.
I am dealing in old information so take it with a grain of salt. I dug out my old inline hockey skates in the early covid times, an old pair of Mission Proto Vs. To your point they are a bit clunky to take on and off - as much as a boot would be - and heavy. But boy were they an absolute blast to get back onto! Hockey was a main sport throughout k-12 and they were such a joy to get back on. I always carry a pair of bedrock sandals with me as they can fit into the back pocket of my jeans. Often I'll just carry a cloth grocery bag to store my skates in when I'm not using them (because carrying them around by the ankle pulls is a true pain in the ass.
I was curious about new tech and it looks like boas have been integrated into a good number of models these days. I was resistant to getting boas for my snowboard boots but have been pretty happy since adopting them ~3 years ago. I think this might remove some of the frustration of taking them on and off.
Stoked you're getting back into it and hope some of that helps!
It will most definitely help =), and right now any information is good information. The boas looks nice, but maybe a bit expensive for playing with the kid, but I'm considering it anyway =)
I don't have any advice but I'd like to thank you for posting this, because this reminded me how much I used to enjoy inline skating when I was younger and got me to start googling around for inline skating lessons and locations in my area, since I've been looking to get more active. So thanks for reminding me they exist!