Back to my Teenage Years (SFR Classic Roller Quad Skates)

Name: wendybull

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Product:	SFR Classic Roller Quad Skates
Date:	22.01.08 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Look feminine and proffessional

Disadvantages: Nothing

I have decided that roller skating is my new favourite form of exercise and going to a weekly Learn to Skate session with my teenage son has proved to be excellent fun. I invested in my own set of skates as the thought of wearing their skates' week in week out was a bit much for me. (I am funny about other people's feet! LOL)

I found the perfect looking pair from an online shop called skateasylum.co.uk and we ordered them. I plumped for a size bigger than I am, as this was recommended from the shop and I couldn't stand the thought of having too tight skates. As it turns out these skates fit perfectly at one size bigger and so if you are tempted to order them I would definitely recommend following their advice and going one larger. From this particular website you can get UK sizes 3 to 8, although I have seen them up to a 9 on other sites.

The thing I love the most about these skates is the overall look of them. The pale grey boot, coupled with the white and lilac on the trim and base really makes it look feminine but professional in my opinion and this is what I was looking for. It is a grown up looking skate and not full of gaudy colours that a lot of the skates I have seen have nowadays.

The boot itself is made from a soft suede material on the outside, but the inside of the heel, toe and sides are sturdy and tough meaning great protection when you are actually wearing them. What I do like though is that the tongue is very flexible and easy to fit over any shape foot and ankle. The flexibility allows you to tighten the skate to feel comfortable without anything rubbing on your skin, as the flexible material of the tongue acts as padding. The high quality of the boot gives me a lot of confidence that I have brought something that will last the heavy duty wear and tear they will receive over the next few years and not split or break over the course of a few months. The toe is capped even further and seems to be made of an even tougher composition to allow for extra protection if falling forward and also when you use the stoppers located at the front.

This does lead me onto the breaking system and I have to say I am not the best stopper in the world. I have been practising a lot and when applying the front stopper to the ground, I have yet to apply it with enough pressure and at the right angle to stop myself, slowly and gracefully. It does appear more as though I am kangarooing to a stop as the rubber on the stopper bounces across the polished floor. However to the boots remarkable credit the stopper has shown hardly any signs of wearing away. It does now have a slant to it however, and I think that if I keep stopping the way I am now, it will need to be replaced in approximately six months as the slant on the stopper will be too much of an angle to be safe. The stoppers are easily replaced simply by unscrewing a large cross head screw located conveniently inside the stopper, accessed from the bottom. The website I brought the skates from sells replacement stoppers and they are very reasonable at about £4 for two.

The boots come up to about two inches above my ankles which provides excellent protection while skating both in terms of keeping my leg and foot in the correct line to be able to skate effectively but also to help me avoid whacking my ankles with the other skate as I attempt to cross my feet over when cornering.

Another aspect of these boots I like compared to a lot of others on the market is the fact that they are fastened via laces rather than the clip buckles that are much less forgiving in terms of allowing movement while you skate. These skates lace up along the top of the foot part and then you can tighten them via two hooks. This is a great way of fastening these skates as they are very easy to adjust each time you put them on.

The chassis is made from a tough material called Nylon Fibrelight and it certainly seems tough stuff simply from an observation point of view. There is no movement in the chassis where it is coupled with the boot or indeed where the wheels are joined and this helps to keep you going in the direction you need to. The wheels are a very thick compacted rubber measuring 58mm by 32mm. I have found them absolutely perfect for skating on the surfaces I have become used to - the local sports centre hall. They have the normal coating on their floors which when used for skating on with these wheels gives you the grip to become confident in your stride, while not so tacky that you have trouble gliding along.

From my experience of using these, I have found I have become a more confident skater as I feel better wearing them but also the support is exactly in the right places around the lower leg and foot that it should be. They are heavy and you will find yourself walking like a toddler when you come out and have your normal shoes on, but this also actually helps you to skate more effectively, keeping you stable and bottom heavy.

They are a skate for all abilities and I see no reason why they would not be as good for learners as well as the more accomplished skater. I wouldn't recommend them for doing tricks in though as all the literature I can find on them does not say they are suitable for jumping in or any other high impact usage. I am certainly no professional and hadn't skated since my teenage years but going to this weekly skate session has really improved my fitness and with the help of these skates I will be going regularly for a while yet.

You can purchase these on quite a few websites on the net but I got mine from www.skateasylum.co.uk and paid £55.00 for them plus postage. (bear in mind the size guide too as if you get it wrong and have to exchnage them - you pay for the return postage too which is more than they charge if being sorted through the website.)

Summary: RECOMMENDED