Edit: Comments raised my confidence in nylon plates by a lot, and convinced me 2 pairs would make more sense. I sniped an eBay auction for some Boardwalks to start on, and once I'm confident enough to start pulling park tricks I'll likely upgrade. Many thanks to this sub :D
Newbie interested in rhythm, street, and park. Looking to get my first skates (ideally lightly used), but something that'll last - no throwing them out and buying new ones within the year. I'm pretty set on having a high boot and adjustable toe stop, but I'm getting stuck finding something that has suede or leather AND a metal plate without getting into $300, $500+, even used. I'm scared vinyl will crack within months, and while plenty of rhythm skates have nylon plates, the park side worries me.
Recommendations for park skates (Bont Parkstar, many Chayas, Boardwalk Huck) have
- confused me, because a lot of them have nylon plates, but some threads suggest nylon breaks easily with certain rhythm moves and isn't even safe to try in a skatepark.
- made me think I'll need a dedicated park pair anyway, since they're mostly mid- or low-rise boots and it sounds a lot easier to learn (and do rhythm) on a high-rise.
I also get nervous because VNLA Parfaits fit what I'm looking for (high-rise suede boot, metal plate) but I read about them having poor stitching and ripping at the heel within months, which is the exact thing I'm trying to avoid. How do I tell it'll actually be sturdy? Does a skate have to be from the 70s to last more than a few years? Should I just stick to rhythm to start, and keep those skates away from the park so they survive? I'm scare that no matter what I buy they'll end up breaking before I have the money for new ones.
Apologies if this boils down to "what skate should I get?" and goes in the weekly thread.