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!
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.
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!
You're welcome! Skating is a blast. I bet it will be worth the wait to get a great fit.