Chicago Men's Leather Lined Rink Skate Review

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(More customer reviews)I used to work at a roller rink and had gotten pretty good at skating. Since leaving town for new and exciting things I have tried various skates out. This is my advice... Do not try and cut corners by getting cheap skates from the thrift store. I tried doing that and low quality kids skates with a plastic chasis are not going to work as well. After experimenting with thrift store roller skates, I had decided to get a pair new.
I settled on these skates as being a good buy for the quality. The skates work well for outdoor skating. Unlike the cheap skates I had tried before, these are more sturdy and I have better control so I can handle sidewalks (without too much of a crack) and smoother asphault.
They have a metal chassis with the jump bar (somehow better). The metal chassis is mostly what I bought them for. A metal chassis will tend to give some warning before it breaks, whereas a plastic chassis will crack suddenly (that can happen with metal parts too, though).
The wheels are not too soft or hard. (Soft is better for outdoor skating where it's bumpier; hard is more for indoor skating where it's smoother.)
The bearings are bearings. ABEC-(higher number) is better than ABEC-(lower number). I think this difference only comes out if you are trying to glide on one foot in an arabesque and need the wheels to keep spinning longer without any extra pushing from you. If you skate outdoors, grit is eventually going to get in and wear the bearings out faster, so it probably won't matter anyway. You will want to maybe get some lube for them or just do what you can to oil them so they last longer. I plan on replacing mine with sealed bearings which grit can't get into (and which will cost more than the skates). You can also buy skates cheap at a thrift store and take the bearings out of those and discard the skate.
The boot has plenty of ankle support, which is good for outdoors. Supposedly they run small. I didn't find that to be the case, but nevertheless, if you are a half size you should round up. A snug fit is best for skates because if your foot slides about inside the skate, then you will not have the control you need. The safest way to get skate size is to see if a local roller rink rents Chicago skates, and try on a pair there. I think that sizing is consistent across Chicago's different models, and these felt as if they were sized similar to Riedell, which is a pretty common rental model.
When my skates arrived, they were aligned correctly, but wheels were not adjusted to all spin the same amount. So when the skates get to you, you are going to want to tighten or loosen the bolt which holds each wheel on so that all wheels spin about the same speed when you push them. The skates come with a skate tool to make this adjustment with, or you can use a wrench. Tightening the bolt will make the skates less slippery, and loosening it will make the wheels more slippery (but not so loose that they wobble), so you may want to adjust them to your preference before beginning.
To check alignment, roll the skate on flat ground and see if it veers to one side. If so you will have to adjust the axle. At the roller rink, I'm pretty sure my boss did this by making adjustments to the bolt that holds the axle in place and then fine tuning by striking the axle with a hammer (but without bending the axle of course). My skates came aligned, but alignment will drift as you use the skates. If one side of your foot is hurting, then it make be because the skate is veering and you are always having to correct that. If so, tighten the bolt that holds in the axle, and then fine tune it with a hammer. You can also make the bolt that holds the axle loose, so that the axles wobble a little. This sounds like a bad idea, but can give you more control.
I could have gone for better quality, but I think I would have to go up to a much higher price range (probably more than 200$) and I would still be looking at switching out parts like bearings. If you are to the point where the better quality is worth the investment to you, then you probably know more about skates than I do and should go with what you want.
Overall, this is a very good choice of skate to try out roller skating or get back into it. This is about the best buy you will get for a quality that will give you some control and will last. Even for children who are going to frustrate you by outgrowing whatever you buy them, it may be best to go with a better quality model, because they are going to have more control. If they are a smaller shoe size, you may try something used. If they are still small, then you might could go cheaper since these are adult skates and can take adult weight. Metal chassis is probably the most important thing to look for if the skates are for outdoor use.
Disclaimers: Roller Derby also offers a fairly good model in this price range. I decided on the Chicago 805 model because of the jump bar. Roller blades (inline) are going to be more stable for skating over uneven surfaces. If you are learning how to skate, then inline skates may be more practical to learn than quad skates just for transportation or whatever.

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Practice your twists, slides, and other dance moves in this classic rink skate from Chicago. Great for all skill levels, the skate features a comfortable leather-lined vinyl upper and easy eyelet/speed hook lacing system. The 58-mm high rebound urethane wheels are designed to absorb shock better and last longer than other types of wheels, while the precision bearings keep you rolling fast and smooth. The skate features a strong, aluminum base plate with jump bar for reinforcement and an adjustable double action truck, which increases the precision and versatility of the skate as you lean and turn. Available in black, the skate is covered by a 30-day warranty.

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