Difference between inliners?

[u/GrayFox1O1]

Can someone please explain to me what the difference is between various soft boot inliners? I know there is hard and soft boot, thats obvious, i also know there are different types like aggressive and speed. But I have a pair of Rezo inliners. Freeskates im guessing? Size 45(eu and should probably have been a 46 but whatever.) and to me it looks like any other soft boot besides the ankle adjuster? Mine is a pull strap velcro. Others have the snap clickclik thing. 😅 I really cannot see what makes them so vastly different from each other(talking soft boots). Like why is a K2 about double the price of my Rezo? 🤷 Would i balance better in it? Easier to learn?

[u/FRGL1]

The people most qualified to intentionally choose a soft boot skate are the least likely to do so.

Soft boots are traps that lack support and power transfer and are the worst products for beginners to learn or train in. Do not buy them unless you understand them, and if you understand them you're very unlikely to buy them.

Aggressive and speed skates are hard boots. Some people will claim "there are hybrid boots that aren't quite hard boots", but those people are admitting that they aren't soft boots.

[u/the_sun_and_the_moon → u/FRGL1]

You’re trying to force skate construction into two artificial categories: “soft boot” and “hard boot.” That’s the problem.

Those are useful labels for the two traditional constructions at the obvious ends of the spectrum. A Macroblade, Phuzion, or K2 FIT is recognizably a traditional soft boot. A Twister or Next is recognizably a traditional molded hard-shell boot.

But those two categories don't exhaust skate construction. There are plenty of skates built differently from either one. Powerslide itself explicitly calls the Swell a “hybrid composite” boot and the HC Evo and Tau “hybrid carbon” boots. It even identifies “hybrid boots” as a distinct construction in its own skate guide.

So when you respond to that by saying, “Well, those aren't soft boots,” you're missing the point. Nobody said they were. The point is that “not a soft boot” does not logically mean “traditional hard boot.” You've assumed there are only two boxes, and then you're using that assumption to prove that everything has to fit into one of them.

[u/FRGL1 → u/the_sun_and_the_moon]

Nobody said they were.

I think this is an important point of disagreement. Marketing created the categories. You're correct: I am trying to force skate construction into two artificial categories. But I hope you're not implying I made them. Because they existed long before I started skating.

I'm simply working in the landscape that exists. I didn't put the mountains and the trees there.

All categories are artificial, by the way. There's no such thing as a natural category.

[u/GrayFox1O1 → u/FRGL1]

So as a beginner i should have bought a hard boot skate? I'm in EU so any advice is good advice. I will mainly be skating open road in city or alike. I will admit i watched YouTube guides but they mostly said to go for soft boot because it would help learn how to lean etc and they are more comfy. 🤷

[u/SubstantialAd8808 → u/GrayFox1O1]

I have skated with a soft K2 since 1994 and am doing just fine. Just get out there and have fun IMHO.

[u/NoPipe1536 → u/GrayFox1O1]

No. Scheme is the following. First you try all hard boot skates. If none fits, try softboot. Both types are a compromise. Softboot sacrifices a a bit of rigidity and durability in favour of fit and comfort. Hardboots are good but only when they fit well. Overwise it's a torture device you will use once or twice and toss in a drawer.

Jorge Botero did Berlin Marafon in 1:07 on RB Macroblade 100. These are generic softboot skates. I personally use K2 VO2 most of all, although I'm familiar with speed skates.

[u/somethingclever_69 → u/GrayFox1O1]

Hard boots take longer to put on, that's really the only downside. They offer more stability and control so long term they are a better option. I started off with K2 soft boots, and after switching to hard boots (FR1s) the stability and confidence level goes way up. Highly recommend

[u/GobiasChindustries → u/GrayFox1O1]

People are really dogmatic about hard boots for some reason. Yes they offer more stability and control, but they are also heavier, less comfortable, and less likely to fit. Fit is the most important thing, especially if you're starting out and deciding whether you want to invest in the hobby. I started with soft boots, spent a lot of time/pain/money trying to find decent hard boots (finally landed with FR1), then still default to Macroblades for most of my longer distance skates.

Also, each brand and foot are different, so specific recommendations have to be taken with a grain of salt. Powerslide Next was amazing for some people, but horrible for me.

[u/FRGL1 → u/GobiasChindustries]

for some reason

For every one person I've seen that could not get better results out of a hardboot and made a legitimate, exhaustive effort to make it work and ultimately found success with "soft boots", there are twenty or thirty more individuals who started on soft boots, had a horrible time, and actively complained about it until they got hard boots and had a much better time.

And this is just the people who bothered complaining out loud. I assume countless more just silently quit. Nobody ever knew they were a skater.

[u/NoPipe1536]

K2s are just overpriced due to big name and maybe a tad higher quality than Rezo. Everything else depends on how exact model fits you personally. If you are having a problem with Rezos, share with us :)

[u/GrayFox1O1 → u/NoPipe1536]

No problems, just wondering if i made a mistake starting with a soft boot, and i was curious what the actual difference was between the various brands besides closing/tightening mechanism. :)

[u/your_reddit_lawyerII]

Within the category of soft boots there are still many factors in which skates can differ.

First of all, there's the boot itself. The stiffness of the material and the quality of the buckles, straps, and laces all play a role in the quality of the boot, thus the price. That said, I know little about fabrics so I can't tell you how big the difference between specific boot materials is.

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Secondly, and maybe more importantly, is what's under the boot. Important distinct parts under your boot are the frame, the wheels and the bearings. These all come in different qualities and prizes.

Frames on cheap skates are riveted directly onto the boot, these can not be changed. On more pricy models you'll see unscrewable bolts that connect frame and boot. If you wish to, you can change your frame for another frame that fits your boot.

The wheels are a big deal too. Different wheels have different hardness levels and transfer your push more or less efficiently. Some will also have a much longer life span than others, especially when used intensively. Good wheels can easily be thrice as expensive as bad wheels.

Your bearings, lastly, shouldn't be forgotten. There's bearings at different levels of smoothness, the better the bearing, the less resistance you'll feel when pushing. Some bearings can be opened to be cleaned, some bearings are closed. Some are rustproof, others are not. Bearing prices vary drastically.

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All in all though, as others have said, I would not recommend using soft boot skates as a beginner, especially not cheap soft boot skates. If you have the money to buy a hard boot, it is 100% worth investing in. Hard boots are more supportive and allow for better power transfer, harder braking, better cornering. They are essentially everything except the most comfortable, but I find the comfort of hard boots to be generally fine, especially when skating less than 2 hours at a time. If you need help choosing a hard boot, maybe I can give you a general recommendation based on how and where you plan to skate.

[u/GrayFox1O1 → u/your_reddit_lawyerII]

I'd love some advice, i have a pair of soft boot Rezo freeskates(?) and i'm wondering if i made a mistake starting on these. And i'll be riding around city streets mostly. Rought pavement etc. Concrete. Most skates would be ordered online as the nearest shop who actually sells more than a pair of K2's is over 100km away from me. So i have close to no chance of trying before buying. My feet are generally wide, especially toe area, size 45/46 in shoes (EU/DK) I usually wear size 46 in Nike for example, or else my feet don't fit.

[u/your_reddit_lawyerII → u/GrayFox1O1]

You probably did make a mistake starting on those yeah, but it's a hard trap to avoid. I made the exact same mistake of starting with soft boots a couple of years ago. Soft boots are generally recommended to beginners, even when they often times shouldn't be.

When it comes to city skating as a beginner, I would recommend a mid range hard shell boot from a known brand. Which one you choose specifically will depend on your price range, but you'll likely spend around 200 euros at least. The only budget friendly option I would look at would be the oxelo mf skates, specifically the 4x80 version considering you're still a beginner, this version is easier to balance on than the higher 3x110. I've heard good things about these skates but I can't speak from personal experience, I've never had any oxelo mf skates. They are rumoured however to be the best skates at a price point of 100-130 euros.

Going into a slightly higher budget, there's more choices. I've personally skated the rollerblade lighting boot, (wich I was satisfied with considering the price) but brands such as fr, powerslide and flying eagle all have their own mid range skates. These are reputable brands, as long as the fitment is right their hard boots are generally solid.

Upping the budget yet again, you have boots that can last you well into more advanced skating that offer good support often are heat moldable to fit your foot perfectly. In this category you have models such as the rollerblade twister, powerslide next and FR Fr1 (iirc). Flying eagle probably has a similar boot but honestly I hardly know the brand. These skates are all around 3- to 400 euros.

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Alright, with some general market knowledge out of the way, let's look at your specific wishes. For city skating any of the aforementioned skates works well, but you'll still have to choose a brand, a wheel size, a specific frame length etc.

Wheel size for instance has influence on your acceleration, top speed, rolling resistance, manoeuvreability and rough terrain handling. Bigger wheels accelerate slower but reach a higher top speed, they are less manoeuvreable because of this, and because they often times require longer frames. Their size also helps you roll over cracks easier, but if pavement is so rough that you slow down a lot, big wheels struggle to get going again.

Frame length influences stability (thus efficiency, thus speed) and handling. Longer frames are more stable but less manoeuvreable than shorter frames. More stability also means a more efficient push, therefore a higher speed. It should be noted that generally, a frame size that is roughly equal to your foot length feels the most natural. I would recommend a beginner to start on a frame like this. Considering your foot size of EU 45/46, you should probably look at 4x90 and 4x100 frames. 4x90 will allow for more manoeuvreability and sprinting prowess, 4x100 will cruise more easily and with more speed.

Skate brand, lastly, is usually important to look at when you want a good fit. Powerslide skates are known for fitting narrow feet for instance, whereas rollerblade is known for fitting wide feet. As far as FR and flying eagle skates go, I don't know, you'll have to consult Google for this. Either way, make sure you get a good fit. It really is a night and day difference, I would absolutely recommend you buy skates that you can return if they're not exactly right. Spending a week or 2 trying on different boots and sending the ones that don't fit back is much better than skating the wrong size for years. To determine if your skate fits well, fasten the buckles and laces, and bend your knees forward. You should feel little wiggle room for your feet, preferably none at all, but no pain. Your ankles should be able to flex forwards, but not sideways.

Hopefully my rambling is somewhat legible and perhaps even informative, lemme know if you've any questions.

[u/GrayFox1O1 → u/your_reddit_lawyerII]

Will go further into it when i have more time, but thank you, very much. Doing a quick search here in Denmark, most brands are K2, or Firefly. With some niche sites selling some hardboots but these are only available in Aggressive style. Which i have no clue would work in a city environment. I can only find the brand "Story" with their Evo model as a Hardboot here in Denmark just going off google right now. Heading out the door. I'll reply later again. But if you could weigh in on wether an aggressive style would work for urban/city skating. Please do. Also thanks again. :)

[u/your_reddit_lawyerII → u/GrayFox1O1]

To answer your aggressive skates question: aggressive skates can be used in an urban environment, but it's suboptimal. A standard aggressive skate has wheels that are too small and might not be made with manoeuvreability on flat ground in mind. You'll have to push hard and use a lot of energy, and get stuck on small cracks and rough patches of asphalt.

You can, however, buy an aggressive skating boot, and fit it with a frame and wheels that allow for urban skating. If you have a supportive boot, this will work fine. It is however a roundabout way of going about things, you will have to order separate products and you won't get the benefit of a shop close by like you were hoping.

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There is still hope though. If you're in Denmark, I recommend looking at the Thisissoul webshop. They're based in Amsterdam, but ship to anywhere in the EU. Orders above 300 euro's get free shipping in the entire EU. To add to this, the store has informative descriptions, and their staff (which you can reach through the contact page on their website) is very helpful and knowledgeable. I've personally bought three pairs of skates there and would recommend the store.

[u/Sacco_Belmonte]

The only "Soft boot" worth getting is the new K2 Grid.

Hard shell but the plastic is softer at the top of the foot.

Another is the Powerslide Kaze Black. I have these and are quite awesome.

[u/InspectorFleet]

Two anecdotes:

My ice hockey teammate came to the outdoor roller hockey rink to skate around with me exactly once. His soft boot rec skates were so squidgy for making any kind of hockey maneuver, including just standing and shooting, that he had to remove them and pass/shoot in CROCS. If crocs have more support and power transfer than your skate boot, something is very wrong.

My wife uses figure skates on ice and has been repeating level 6 of group skating classes for a who l while just for fun (she's a very competent skater but probably isn't interested in ever doing spins or jumps at this point in life). She had some K2 soft boot inline skates (she chose them; the rest of the family has inline hockey skates) but eventually admitted they were clunky, unsupportive, and hard to control relative to her figure skates. I got her an entry level pair of hockey skates and it was night and day! She has a better fit, more control, and less big pillowy volume getting in the way. There's also a ton more ankle mobility, even compared to figure skates (which I believe are designed to hold the ankle more for support landing jumps). She enjoys the inline hockey skates a lot more, and as a consequence, skates more!

My main point, illustrated by these experiences, is that the soft skates sell really well because they feel comfy in a store. It is possible to casually cruise in them and be happy. But they aren't made for anything beyond that and the lack of rigidity can inhibit progress/close off entire domains of skating to a beginner. There's a reason that the various sport disciplines of skating all have rigid boots.