5th Element ST-80 Urban Inline Skates, Black and White

These might not be the best for beginners because there is no brake. My son and I both have them and love them. They are a very smooth ride and more comfortable than another pair I tried. What I really like is the clasp system for tightening them up. I bought a size 8 but typically wear a7. I just wear thick socks. Hope this helps!

I recently was looking to get back into inline skating and stumbled upon this pair of skates. First off, the company is great and clearly has a customer service reputation that they are trying to protect- something you do not see with some business. They are extremely willing to ensure that their product is perfect for you. Now onto the skates, they are amazing. As the product description says, they are configured into a full rockered setup. Meaning, that the front and last wheels are built higher up than the middle two, even though all of the wheels are 80mm. This gives the skater much more maneuverability. Now they are not that much higher up about 4mm. However, when I skate on them I sometimes forget that I am only one 2 of the wheels at once- there's no other way to describe it. If you are an individual that wants to learn how to skate these may not be the best for you but do not let that be the deciding factor. The idea is that you are learning, so you'll develop balance faster with these, and the high cuff will help keep your ankle straight up and down. Fit to size and will squeeze your foot to ensure maneuverability. Since they are urban skates, they are built like a tank and could take a beating- so if you fall it will not break/damage the skates. Overall, they are amazing skates for their price. I could not find a pair on the market with the same specs. (bearings, frame material, wheels, etc.) Do not let the rockered set up hinder you if you like the skates, even if it is a problem you could buy small wheels for the center to balance the setup. You would need to measure the difference between the wheels to ensure you buy the right wheels. One will excel in them if they have great balance or will develop a sense of balance.

Keeping in mind that they don't have stoppers these won't be great for beginners however if your speed skating, turning, or learning some tricks they work well and are comfortable.

I took a chance on these skates considering the background of the company seemed a bit nebulous. I was very surprised to find that the sizing was true to my actual shoe size, not usually the case for inlines. The biggest selling feature for me was the rockered frame. Many newer skates employ mixed wheel size configurations which don't seem to be as maneuverable as a true rockered frame, in my opinion. I would consider these a budget inline skate for mid to advanced level skaters. They are light weight yet well built and the enclosures are strong and secure. I might try to use them for street hockey, as they definitely seem up to the task. However, being a recent purchase their longevity has yet to be tested. All around, one of the better values I have recently found on the web for sure!

For perspective, I am a medium built athletic male who has had experience skating, but never really mastered any skills in roller blading. For instance you might notice these skates do not come with brakes. That's because there are skills in rollerblading for stopping without a back break. That being said, I love these skates. The frames come rockered, and work well. I really enjoy them myself, but if you live in a hilly area like me, and aren't very fimilar, these might not be the skates for you. But if you think you might want to get deeper into skating, but feel like you might not care for basic inlines, I reccomend these.

This is a great skate for the price. A little tight out of the box but I am sure a little break in will help. Myself just getting back into skating, the rocker set up is challenging . I have never rode the rocker set up. I feel with anything some practice and familiarity will help.But if you have never skated a day in your life I would say find you a flat setup to learn on. I will fall a lot in the future I see.

90s throwback. GF wanted to go roller skating. I said, "What the hell, why not?" I hadn't done it in ages. Quickly remembered why I liked roller blading better as a kid. Bought these with 2 day shipping, and took them the next time. Massive improvement.Rockered design doesn't bother me at all, but technically you're only ever on 2 wheels. Might be disconcerting to some.A little tight on the ankle. I took a chance a half size bigger than my shoe size (9.5) since they only had full sizes. Seems to fit pretty well!

After having used these for a while, and having also gotten a pair of aggressive inline skates for variety to which I inadvertently compare these, I can't say I'd recommend them. Even with a good fit, and no matter how tight I try to lace/bind them, they never feel like adequate support. I don't know if it's the material in the liner or the boot, the orientation of the fastenings, or what, but they don't provide nearly the support that my Rollerblade NJ Pros do, or my older K2s, which have held up after years of use. I wanted these as potential commuter skates, and after multiple trial runs, I don't have the confidence that I could roll the couple miles to work comfortably. Good beginner skates, perhaps, but I would look elsewhere if you wanted something to get you from point A to B reliably and securely.