Users/MikeIvanov

I've been skating for about 6-7 years, so I wanted to share my knowledge and experience so far.

So far I have owned about 6 pairs of skates, so I will try to review them here, in the order I acquired them.

Purchased for something like $15 at Ross back in 1998, these were the first inline skates I owned. They were fairly comfortable and forgiving, although very slow. The bottom line, though: they were an incredible value. If you find brand-name skates at Ross or a similar store, it's a great way to get into the sport for cheap.

Generally about $80-$100(click here to buy)

To this day, these are the most comfortable skates I've ever owned. With your feet gently cradled in the patented SoftBoot, you can go all day long. The boots lace up easily and snugly, and the top is fastened with a plastic strap. The frames are made of a lightweight plastic, making the ride very comfortable if not very fast, but they are also perfect for jumping off and over things. The plastic spacers can be easily upgraded to metal for a faster, more responsive ride. These are great skates to own because you can replace the wheels, bearings, and spacers as you get better, and they are extremely comfortable and well-built. After 4-5 years of hard, abusive skating and going through many many bearings, wheels, and spacers, a pivot point on the plastic ankle support finally broke, and it's kind of hard to fix, although not impossible. I gave mine to Philip last year, and I believe he's rediscovered his love of inline skating on them. Overall, you cannot go wrong with these as a first skate or if you are looking for solid comfort. I believe they go by a different name now (Escape looks like them)and have been redesigned slightly, but if you cannot find the Camanos, you can just look for the entry-level K2 skates and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. They can be found at Big 5 Sporting Goods and SportMart, places like that.

They cost about $200 a couple of years ago, now they cost about $150 (click here to buy)

These skates were a significant step up from the Camanos, and I also recommend them very highly, especially now that they can be obtained for a more reasonable price. There are several nice features, but the overall benefit is rigidity and customizability. The biggest difference is that the Salomon TR Magnesium 2's have a metal frame instead of plastic, making it faster and more rigid. In addition, the frame is removable and can pivot on the foot, so you can actually adjust the angle of the frames to your stride. I have the front of mine pointing to the inside to give me a longer push with my toes. The liner is also removable, unlike on the Camano, and can be washed, although it is attached to the plastic shell with a small screw in the heel. The boot is very comfortable and is fastened with shoelaces on gliding eyelets (the top ones even have notches to "hold" the laces tight while you tie them), a velcro strap at the top of the laces, and a plastic strap at the top of the cuff. This boot, however, is noticeably stiffer than the one-piece Camano, gives a better feel of the road, and even the ankle gets more support. Very comfortable for long distances, but you'll wish you had something less restraining if you're going for all-out speed. This is a good skate, clearly more sophisticated than the Camanos, but not too advanced, and I would definitely look at the Salomon brand again. They are hard to find in stores, so ordering online or from a catalog is a good idea, just be ready to exchange for a different size if this is your first purchase. Skates can be tricky that way.

this is a test edit

more to come later...

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What are the hardest wheels you can find?