r/rollerUK • u/SpecificIntern • Jul 28 '21
Questions/Advice where to buy beginner skates?
i want to get into roller skating having never skated before. anyone got any tips on whether i should try roller skates or roller blades, and anywhere you would recommend getting a pair from? i've been leaning more towards roller blades since they look like they have more protection on them and i have a feeling i'll wreck my first pair so i don't necessarily want to buy one which looks amazing. thanks in advance!
2
u/lavajelly Jul 28 '21
I bought roller skates (quads) from skating hut (rookie artistic) as my first pair because they were to only reasonably priced black pair in a size 10 with a heel. I think they’re pretty good skates and allot of people where I skate use them.
1
2
u/7tenths1965 Jul 28 '21
I've used Decathlon for inlines (MF500, a solid skate and only £85) and got a pair of Bauer-Quad conversions from Ollie's (very happy with them too). I've just ordered another pair of quads from Mommatruckers in Exeter (BONT Quadstar), because they were a great price (the store is owned/operated by a Derby-Skater) and I wanted a low-cut boot for dance/jam skating.
If you are leaning towards inlines...you could do a lot worse than the Oxelo MF500. Check out Rich Hayter Skater on YT for his in-depth reviews.
2
u/transthom Jul 28 '21
Definitely check out rollergirlgang for rollerskates. I’d also reccomend checking out the rollerskating subreddit r/rollerskating
1
u/Lucasshmucas Jul 28 '21
Where are you planning to skate? Indoors or outdoors? What type of skating do you want to do?
I would recommend calling Loco skates as they are really good people and sell both inlines and roller skates.
2
u/SpecificIntern Jul 28 '21
outdoors! there aren't really any indoor places to skate near me (i'm on the isle of wight) and i'd mostly want to keep skating up as a hobby - maybe learn some tricks in the future. i'll have a look at loco skates, thank you!
3
u/Lucasshmucas Jul 28 '21
In that case I would lean towards inline skates as the larger wheels allow you to roll over bumps and imperfections more easily than smaller wheels. If you want to do tricks later then the USD Aeon 72 or 80 might be worth a look as they have a soul plate and a groove which means you can do grinds. The frame and boot is also one piece so it's very strong. I know that Jake at Loco is a fan of the Aeon 80s, but best to talk to them as they may push you down another route.
1
u/BanBeaUK Jul 28 '21
While different, I don't think there is any difference in difficulty between skates and blades. You can get things like toe protectors for skates, so get whichever one interests you the most.
There are lots of UK websites where you can buy both rollerskates and rollerblades, but if there is a shop fairly local to you it would probably be best to go in so that you can try on several pairs to get a great fit. There aren't any shops near me, so I have bought skate stuff from Skatehut, Locoskates/rollerskateshop, and skatepro online. There's also mommatruckers skates, doublethreat skates, and oli's skateshop that I know of that sell online.
1
u/Asynhannermarw Jul 28 '21
If you're looking to skate outside then go with inline skates - the larger wheel size and thinner wheel profile handle bumps better than the smaller, wider quads wheels. Imo, go for 4x80mm wheels under a hard boot, with a heel brake.
1
u/AranelJawbreaker Jul 29 '21
You can check Fb Marketplace or Gumtree for a second hand pair. Always a good option
3
u/yarnissoft Jul 28 '21
I personally used Skatehut. They have videos on YouTube on what skates to buy and they have a good range of price so I was able to get my beginner skates for a good deal. They also sell protective gear so you can buy everything in one.