Since I only ordered them last Wednesday I was pretty excited when the UPS tracking info said they would arrive today, and they did, at about 0930!
Audrey and I were just settling in for a nap but who could sleep when there were new skates being dropped at the door? Not us!
I was really surprised when I opened the box. The skates are quite nice, not that I was expecting otherwise but as you can see by the picture, there have been some radical changes made over the last three decades.
First, the new boots are significantly shorter than the old ones and while I admit they are cooler looking, they rub my ankles and that will take getting used to. Of course, they aren't broken in, so I am sure all will be fine all in good time! Aside from the difference in height, the boots are extremely sturdy too. They are padded all over the inside and the tongue has about 1/4 inch of foam on the inside of it- my old skates have none of that.
The plates are a lot different too. The jump bar is much higher on the new skates and the cushions much thicker. The overall design of the plates is just not what I am used to. Of course, these skates are "Sure-Grip" which is a good decent brand, but they are not Douglass Snyder like the old ones. (Partially because they do not make make Douglass Snyder skates anymore and what they do make, Snyder, was priced at $1150.!)
Moving on, the toe stops are excellent. I adjusted them to where I was used to having them on the old skates and the angle of them is perfect too. The bearings are sooooo much smother than my old ones- brand new grease, not 30 years worth of dust and various animal fur trapped in them, yeap they are smooth!
The wheels are going to be the biggest thing to get used to. Roller skate wheels are rated on what they call a durometer . They range from about 75 to 95 with 95 being the hardest. Normally a wheel between 75 and 85 is considered an outdoor wheel- they are soft so they can absorb running over pebbles etc and much, much slower than the harder wheels. Since my old skates had very soft wheels I was not comfortable with the 95 rated wheel that came on the skates so I had some rated at 80 put on my new skates. My old Krypto wheels, the cutting edge of technology of their time..... are..... 40's. To my knowledge they don't make anything like that anymore!
I did do a few laps around the kitchen and the fact that the new skates fit better, and roll better I was really happy with them. I didn't notice a huge difference in the wheels while in the kitchen, and hopefully I won't on Sunday night either when Heidi and I hit up Great Skates in Bangor for adult night! Oh, and the new skates came with a free coupon to get into the rink!
I know that my review has a slight tough of negativity here and there, but it really isn't meant to - I just don't want my old skates to feel bad. They have served me well and I will never get rid of them, I just really needed something that fit my 50 year feet better than my 18 year old feet. Oh God! Seeing it written that way, no wonder the transition feels daunting!
In closing, Audrey and I am going to resume our nap, I very much do like the new skates and I am really looking forward to giving them a spin on Sunday, maybe I will even learn the Shuffle!
PS: Thanks Mom and Dad.
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