kevin bailey

I just bought a pair of Chicago XP5's and, while they fit great while I
was in the store, after walking around in them a bit at home, I've
noticed that they tend to lean outwards. I'm probably just going to
return them since they're rather unuseable but I thought I'd make sure
I'm not doing something stupid first. I've got them laced pretty
tightly, have the buckles on the outside, etc. I assume they're just
cheap ($50) and poorly made.

Thanks for any info/suggestions,
krb

bob cardone

My suggestion is if you think you may really like skating, spend some
money and get yourself a decent pair of skates. Look around the $150
price range or more. The more you spend generally, the better and more
comfortable the skate.

Bob

b fuhrmann

By outwards, I assume that you mean outwards at the top.
I am also assuming that this is your first pair of skates (an experienced
skater probably wouldn't be buying $50 skates).

It is possible that the skates are made wrong but they may also be made for
the average person, and none of us are quite average.
Usually the problem is the other way, with the tops inward.
How bad is the problem? If you stand with one leg under you and the other
one a little more than shoulder width out, then push outwards, what happens?

Until you get to the better than average skates with metal frames, you
probably won't find a frame that can be adjusted to your balance points on
the skates. You may have to try a number of skates.
Now that you know about the feel for the center (or lack of center), you can
try out different skates in the store to see how they feel.
Fasten the bottom of the skate so that it fits around your foot but leave it
loose from the ankle and up. This will exaggerate any lack of centering
under your foot.

When you say they fit well, are they snug all around your foot like a high
end sports shoe or looser like a dress shoe.
They should be snug all around your foot. If they are too loose around the
foot (especially if they are plastic boots), you will not be able to pull
the boot in to fit well.
Besides being more efficient when you push, snug skates will couple to your
leg better and lean less.

--
Bill Fuhrmann
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mikevanerp2001

Here's a skate buying guide if this helps you, Kevin:

http://www.londonskaters.com/faq_inline_skate_buying_guide.htm

Cheers,
Mike.

kevin bailey

Thanks, I saw their reviews but missed the buying guide. Wish I spent
a little more time trying them in the store. 5 minutes would have saved
a half hour driving.

krb

kevin bailey

Roughly at the ankle.

First (inline) pair owning but certainly not first pair used. I've used
2x2 and rental inlines for a while. My rationale for buying a cheap pair
was to stop paying rental fees. I don't skate that often so I didn't
want to spend that much. I assumed/hoped the only difference with a
cheap skate (no pun intended) was weight, durability, looks, wheel size,
bearing resistance, etc. A flimsy ankle never occured to me.


My ankle bends and wants to touch the ground.


They're pretty snug. I lace/buckle them up tighter than the ones at the
rink yet those don't "buckle". (They're ski boot style Rollerblades.)


Thanks for the advice. I'll try to find a pair which works better.

b fuhrmann

Kevin Bailey"

Still not sure what you mean by leaning outwards.
Now I'm guessing that you mean your ankles look like this ) ( from the rear
(wheels pointed outwards, ankles bent sideways).
That is common and called pronation.
If this is not right please correct me so that we know what we are talking about.
My ankles don't flex much in that direction (they flex much more like < >)
but I know a couple of people who need support so that they do not have the
wheels pointed outwards at a 45 degree angle when standing up.

If the sides of the skate are buckeling, then this is deffinately not the
skate for you. Not just because it was inexpensive, but it is also poorly
made.

If your ankle is bending within the boot, you have too much space around
your ankle. If the boot is too large, even tightening it may never snug up
the ankle area enough to give you support. If your skate is a hard boot
(outer shell is plastic with a soft liner inside) you may be able to insert
some relatively hard foam rubber or soft solid rubber between the liner and
the shell to take up the extra space.


Terminology: The common name for skates with two wheels side by side in the
front and rear is "quad".

Avoiding rental fees, that was the reason for buying my first pair.
However, I noticed that the better rental skates that I used also rolled
better and bought some of the same model.

The summer after I bought my own skates, I started skating outside and the
amount that I skated went up as I explored the trails
(http://www.skateminnesota.org/trails/) around here. I then joined the
local skate club and have been skating 2-3 times per week regularly.

You can get some quite reasonable skates from the major manufacturers in the $100-$150 range.

I have also seen the frame break on very cheap skates where the axle goes
through it. It didn't help that the skater was at least 250 pounds.

--
Bill Fuhrmann
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