Ofpplayer, you are the best skate reviewer on youtube, even compared to the popular ones. May i ask, what is your personal favourite boot? I have wide feet and am looking around, thanks.
Right now my favourite long distance skate is an oversized Flying Eagle Drift 2. It's size 49 and I'm a 48 which was done intentionally so I can put an inner sole in it to smooth out the ride. I also found out after owning both the Drift and Veloce that the Veloce has a forward lean to it compared to the Drift. It's very slight, hard to notice it but I've done a lot of miles on both and noticed it. Otherwise apart from the mounting and extra plastic sliders they are very similar boots. My favourite street skate is the Rollerblade RB110 as it's just fun, durable, comfortable. For speed though I have speed skates, Simmons Rana Dash but the frames and wheels are the same as what I use on the Drifts or Veloce. Speed skates will always be faster and lighter but I'll never get to 100km days on speed skates but I can on Flying Eagle boots. Eventually I'll get full custom moulded speed skates but we'll see how that turns out.
Thanks, I'm considering these skates and your review was super helpful. One point I'd like to hear more on, you said the cuff doesn't move much. Did you find the skates not to have good forward/back flex and inhibit you when getting low/bending knees?
Sorry for late reply. Yes they did stop me getting as low as I wanted and not good forward flex so to get around that I only did the laces up to the second last eyelet which gave me the forward flex I needed
An interesting review. Almost exactly what I am looking but are they wide enough? I have wide feet (running a EEE in a work shoe) and slightly swollen left foot and ankle due to a health issue. Thoughts? Was looking for Rollerblade Maxxum 125 but unavailable. Looking for SEBA Trix 125 (also unavailable). Trying to convince Bont to do me a custom Semi-Race for 125 setup but not having much luck. I have custom Bont speed skates and are the most comfortable skate I own. Been burnt Currently skating some old Rollerblade RB8s but not that comfortable as rubbing in wrong spot and feet tight after a couple of hours. My Fila M100 are too narrow (30mins to an hour before have to stop). Long for my old Salomon Vitesse 2 (and I wanted the 3 but could never get it) for comfort. Cheers
I found Maxxum and Twister Edge far too narrow. The RB80, RB110 and RB cruiser are all wide enough for me but do press in to my ankle bone a little on the inside of the left foot. They could be heated and shaped to fix that but haven't tried it. I had Trix 2, was big enough, wide enough but sluggish and heavy, inefficient and really bad support when fitted to the same frame and 125mm wheels in this video. The great thing about the Veloce 2 and Drift 2 is they are extremely easy to heat mold. Literally 2-3 minutes with a heat gun and you can push the carbon out or in with pressure from your fist. I've done that to tighten up the ankle support. I've also done the 10 minutes in the oven at 80 degrees centigrade to get the foam to shape to your foot. My feet are 30cm long and 10.5cm wide and a size 48 in these fit me perfectly with a little wiggle room in the ankle too which I've since molded to tighten it up a bit. I had Bont Semi Race too and Bont Jet. These things are wear all day comfortable with similar performance to the Semi Race in my opinion. They still have a little bit of play so the Semi Race would probably be better in a marathon or race but I can put these on just with socks and skate 100km with no blisters or rubbing points where as the Semi Race I had to wear ankle booties to stop them cutting me up and after about 50km got ankle pain around the ankle bone from the boot applying pressure. I never tried to mold them properly though (the Semi Race), only tried the oven once on them.
@@ofpplayer Heys thank you very much for your feedback. My feet are about 25cm long and 11cm wide which why I worry about width. Made mistake years ago with a Luigino speed skate that was both to short and too narrow (felt a bit more like a rock climbing shoe than a skate - and I didn't know any better except it hurt) Looks like I will be seeing if I can find some Veloce 2s in their size 40 (but will double check my feet before I commit). Will probably work out cheaper than the Rollerblades even after adding in freight and GST!! Cheers - happy and safe skating
Hi, really appreciate the honest and objective reviews👍 I bought the Tempest 125 a couple of years ago, found your review very useful. After 2 years regular skating am starting to experience pain on the ankle bone - did this ever happen to you? Did you ever try a different liner with the Tempest 125? Also, for comfort, what's your opinion on Tempest vs Véloce 2? Cheers!
Thanks! I didn't get angle pain with the Tempest no but found it way too flexible for a 125mm setup and felt I was always using too much energy in trying to keep my ankle stable. I didn't even know that was a thing until I moved up to the Endurance and found out what real support felt like. I tried putting other liners from other skates in the Tempests but they didn't fit properly. To answer your last question the Tempest is the most comfortable skate I've ever owned but it's like that because it's like a slipper or glove, it's so soft and comfortable but you lose so much power in it and your ankle can flex in any direction way too much. I felt the liner would actually rotate inside the boot. I think as a fitness and marathon skate it was great up to 100mm wheels but it lacks the support for bigger wheels. Even if you balance the frame properly it still is unworkable. Having since moved on to speed skates I now know how much ankle support at the ankle bone you should have for 110 and 125mm wheels. At first the Veloce was too hard for me for long distance. I tried a few different inner sole setups but that would make the boot too small for me. It was only a problem when I was doing 100km skates. I've since been commuting almost daily on speed skates and these now feel like a dream in comfort in comparison. So Veloce vs Tempest, Tempest is more comfortable but the Veloce is way faster and more efficient. Comfort it's like wearing a fleece vs a leather glove. One is form fitting and more direct where the other just feels like a soft, comfortable, fleecy glove in comparison. You do get used to it quickly though especially as you start getting better times and can skate further with less effort
@@ofpplayer Again (as with your replies in our Facebook exchanges), thanks so much for taking the time to share your real, fact-based feedback. I agree on the flex of the boot - the slipper analogy is spot on; so maybe not the best when riding high on 125mm...Will look into a new boot, when we can actually go outside and skate... :-(
Thanks for the review, i just had 2 rides on them and already noticed that a pair of insoles would do good in these, i'm curious if you have advice towards the boot carving into my legs on the side cuz that's the only problems i had so far with these. Thanks in advance!
I also had that, it's just the frame alignment. You need to move the frame left or right toward the inside of your foot or outside of your foot to stop the top of the boot rim from pushing in to you the sides of your leg around the height of where your shin starts. So if it's your right foot for example and you have rubbing on the outside of your leg from the rim or top of the boot then the frame has to be moved toward the inside of your foot slightly by maybe 3-5mm which will then change the balance point and stop your leg pushing against that area of the boot. I've had this a lot and kept moving the frame until it fixed it. If you mean the rubbing on the inside of your foot then it's the same thing you just move the frames around to adjust the balance and create more or less pressure on whichever side is effected. You can also use a heat gun and a blunt instrument like a screwdriver handle to push a section out that is causing issues. Other than that I find the Seba Othomove inner soles help with that. Problem with inner soles though is if the boot was a fairly precise fit to begin with an inner sole sometimes makes them too tight. If they were slightly too big to begin with then an inner sole should be fine. Hope that helps or clarifies it 😁
@@ofpplayer Thanks a lot for the advice, i experimented a bit more and bought a pair of insoles + socks with damping parts just to be sure. it should arrive tomorrow and hopefully that will fix the problem. might as well post the results before and after for other people as this subject is still a bit in the dark and hard to find any information on.
Would you recommend the Veloce or the Drift if you wanted to do slalom and marathons/races? I lean towards the Drifts because of the smaller toebox and the side protection by the toes. I also would use them for a sort of urban style skating. Mainly I am asking if you would use the Drift for a marathon?
Other than the 165mm vs 195mm frame mounting and the toe slider as you pointed out the designs of the boot are almost identical. You do get the bigger toe box with the Veloce, more ventilation and a second lace loop on the tongue but in a 3 x 110mm setup on the Drift you could definitely marathon it. I'd just look for the longest frame that fit a 165mm mount I could get my hands on and the best wheels and bearings too. I'd lace the Drift up only to the second last eyelet to get more forward range of motion too when racing a marathon but use all eyelets done up for slalom. I've skated the Drift out to 50km with a short 3 x 125mm frame on it. My average was pretty similar to my times on the Veloce. So yeah if you can only have the one skate then the Drift will be fine for both marathon and slalom
Здравствуйте, скажите, а как они примерно по жёсткости, комфорту и динамике в сравнении с Rollerblade Powerblade GTM110 2014 и K2 The Mod 125 2018 или Powerslide Next Marble 110 White? Хотя возможно вам не доводилось ездить ни на одной из этих моделей, но тем не менее... 🧐🧐🧐 🤔🤔🤔
I can't put the link in the comments as youtube strips it think but if you want the Flying Eagle Drift 2 in size 14 google proskaterplace in Canada. For the Rollerblade RB110, RB80 and RB Cruiser google the following places: inlinewarehouse in the US, loco skates in the UK, skaterhq, bayside blades in Australia, der-rollenshop in Germany, Grindhouse dot EU. All the other skates I have reviewed including the Seba Highlight and Flying Eagle Veloce 2 or Rollerblade Enurance Pro (now the E2 and E2 Pro) I bought from one of those places listed.
I am very torn right now between the Bont Semi Race and FE Veloce. I want speed and comfort. Out of those two, which do you recommend? Ankle support is key. I do kind of like the Veloce for its versatility. What are your thoughts?
The Semi Race I've since changed my opinion about since when I had them. I've had two pairs now. Both use two small nodes either side of the achilles to create an 'achilles lock'. This is there to compensate for a pretty loose fit around your ankle. When using them I had to use 3mm neoprene ankle booties to get a good feel of having my ankle locked in to the boot. I also found if I didn't use the booties I'd get terrible cuts along where the top of the boot opening is and from the achilles lock. Admittedly they were a size too big so I bought a second pair in the correct size thinking I'd not need booties any more. I was so wrong. Without the booties they took chunks of skin out of my ankle from the achilles lock and the top edge on the opening of the boot. I sold both pairs. What I've found with buying and selling many pairs of skates and speed skates now is you don't need a transition skate to get in to speed skates if the ankle shape of the speed boot is precise and conforms to your ankle shape. If you get a good lock in there it will feel like the boot is part of your foot. If your ankles pronate inward or outward it can be corrected by moving the frame of the skates laterally inward or outward. You can also start on smaller wheel sizes and move up to bigger wheels as your ankles get stronger. Of all the speed skates I've bought, if they fit me well or not they still don't allow me to do the distances I do on Flying Eagle skates. Over extreme distances my ankles will fatigue and that's where the height of the Veloce or Drift will support you and keep you going. Sure they may be a little heavier and less efficient than a true speed skate but I can do 100-120km in these and a maximum of about 50-60km in my speed skates. They are just more comfortable and supportive of your whole foot and allow you to do that. They're also easier for commuting and city skating than a speed skate even if they are slower. So in conclusion if pure speed is what you want get speed skates but don't waste your time with Semi Race or Bont in general unless you can get a custom mould. Even then I would still avoid them as their buckle is about 10mm too far forward and tightens over the top of your foot and doesn't pull your ankle in properly. I've heard this from ex team racers too but the company won't budge on the design. For speed I'd recommend Simmons Rana, Takino or Kairos boots if you can get a custom mould done. After going through maybe 6 pairs of failed speed skates I just wish I bit the bullet the first time and paid for a custom mould and did it right the first time. For everything else be it distance, comfort, all day skating, versatility then look at the Veloce 2. Inlinewarehouse had them going out at crazy prices recently. They fit true to your sneaker size from Nike, ASICS or Rollerblade and Seba skates for my foot. In the end I sold my first pairs and bought one size bigger in the Veloce and Drift boots so I could fit a 3mm thick inner sole in the skate to withstand the vibrations from crap roads or the sore feet I get at 100km long skates. So far that's working well for me.
@@ofpplayer I can’t thank you enough for your very timely and thorough reply. I most definitely will take your input into consideration. I’m still a relatively new skater. I currently own a pair of FE f110’s. I really like them for their relative comfort, speed, ability to get some good miles in, and do some urban flow. But for longer distances (hoping to do some eventual marathons), I just can’t get as low as I want even with not lacing all the way up. Hence why I was considering some speed skates. I did purchase some Bont Lunas, but they are just not tight enough around my small ankles. Yes, I should definitely get a custom fit if I go that route. Unfortunately I know how expensive they can be, right? At any rate, I tried them on in my house with the frames and wheels and just knew they wouldn’t work. Way too much play side to side just above my ankles. Those are being returned. That’s why I thought the semi races might be better. However as you noted, you did a lot of experimenting with them ankle wise. But honestly if I sell my f110’s and get the Veloces I might get more of a benefit of a speed skate feel, right? I don’t want to make a lateral purchase if that makes sense. It sounds as if the Veloces might be the best option. I looked at inlinewarehouse, and I agree that is a great deal. Thank you again for your input! I’ll keep you posted!
@@ofpplayer I returned the Lunas and bought some Veloces 2. They are absolutely amazing! They are so comfortable and stable! I’m looking forward to breaking them in and getting some good miles. Thanks again!
@@jeffpaul606 that's great news. They are a great secret and once you put race wheels sand bearings on them they're very quick, not as fast as a speed skate but I can hold similar speeds just for not as long as it's more effort but that's a worth trade off for super comfort, versatility and the ability to go far. Remember if you start getting ankle rub only do up the laces to the second last eyelet to give you more range of motion and maybe not tighten the top buckle as much. They'll feel a little loose and wobbly like that but once you move the frame to where you need to to balance without your ankle tilting in or out you won't miss having them done up so firmly at the top. Enjoy!
@@ofpplayer thank you for those tips!!! I’ll definitely use them. I’m looking forward to getting a lot of skate time in them and developing some good technique. Thanks again!
Yes, I have several sets of speed skates. I started with the Bont Semi Race then Bont Jet then Mariani Dogma and now the Simmons Rana DASH. This boot doesn't really have a cuff. The plastic cuff goes over the boot but doesn't really move and the rest of the boot is one piece.
@@onefreddymorales sorry for the very late reply but yes the plastic cuff does come off and you can pretty much skate with it off and just use the laces if you want more flex at the top. I have seen others take the plastic cuff off and relocate the mid trap to utilise the bolt holes for the cuff bolts so that the mid strap sits way further back. Haven't tried it myself but it's a neat idea.
@@seanmuller3011 yeah I hear you, Bayside Blades and Skater HQ can get good stuff but takes a while. Sadly there's no Flying Eagle distributor in Australia with sucks because they make some good stuff.
ofpplayer do you like any of the Powerslide skates. I was looking at the Gand Prix 125. I’ve actually been trying to find some of the tempest cause Ive always liked the rollerblade brand....
@@seanmuller3011 unfortunately none of Powerslide fit me except the NEXT as they only go to size 12. They looked great though. I had all the versions of the Tempest and loved them, they were so comfortable but they are nowhere near as quick as the new Rollerblade Endurance or this Veloce2. If you have narrow feet the Endurance might actually work for you, for me it put too much pressure on the top of my foot and pinched forward of the ankle bone. What size foot are you?
Ofpplayer, you are the best skate reviewer on youtube, even compared to the popular ones. May i ask, what is your personal favourite boot? I have wide feet and am looking around, thanks.
Right now my favourite long distance skate is an oversized Flying Eagle Drift 2. It's size 49 and I'm a 48 which was done intentionally so I can put an inner sole in it to smooth out the ride. I also found out after owning both the Drift and Veloce that the Veloce has a forward lean to it compared to the Drift. It's very slight, hard to notice it but I've done a lot of miles on both and noticed it. Otherwise apart from the mounting and extra plastic sliders they are very similar boots.
My favourite street skate is the Rollerblade RB110 as it's just fun, durable, comfortable. For speed though I have speed skates, Simmons Rana Dash but the frames and wheels are the same as what I use on the Drifts or Veloce. Speed skates will always be faster and lighter but I'll never get to 100km days on speed skates but I can on Flying Eagle boots. Eventually I'll get full custom moulded speed skates but we'll see how that turns out.
Thanks, I'm considering these skates and your review was super helpful. One point I'd like to hear more on, you said the cuff doesn't move much. Did you find the skates not to have good forward/back flex and inhibit you when getting low/bending knees?
Sorry for late reply. Yes they did stop me getting as low as I wanted and not good forward flex so to get around that I only did the laces up to the second last eyelet which gave me the forward flex I needed
Good review, thank's!
An interesting review.
Almost exactly what I am looking but are they wide enough? I have wide feet (running a EEE in a work shoe) and slightly swollen left foot and ankle due to a health issue. Thoughts?
Was looking for Rollerblade Maxxum 125 but unavailable. Looking for SEBA Trix 125 (also unavailable). Trying to convince Bont to do me a custom Semi-Race for 125 setup but not having much luck. I have custom Bont speed skates and are the most comfortable skate I own. Been burnt
Currently skating some old Rollerblade RB8s but not that comfortable as rubbing in wrong spot and feet tight after a couple of hours. My Fila M100 are too narrow (30mins to an hour before have to stop). Long for my old Salomon Vitesse 2 (and I wanted the 3 but could never get it) for comfort.
Cheers
I found Maxxum and Twister Edge far too narrow. The RB80, RB110 and RB cruiser are all wide enough for me but do press in to my ankle bone a little on the inside of the left foot. They could be heated and shaped to fix that but haven't tried it. I had Trix 2, was big enough, wide enough but sluggish and heavy, inefficient and really bad support when fitted to the same frame and 125mm wheels in this video.
The great thing about the Veloce 2 and Drift 2 is they are extremely easy to heat mold. Literally 2-3 minutes with a heat gun and you can push the carbon out or in with pressure from your fist. I've done that to tighten up the ankle support. I've also done the 10 minutes in the oven at 80 degrees centigrade to get the foam to shape to your foot.
My feet are 30cm long and 10.5cm wide and a size 48 in these fit me perfectly with a little wiggle room in the ankle too which I've since molded to tighten it up a bit.
I had Bont Semi Race too and Bont Jet. These things are wear all day comfortable with similar performance to the Semi Race in my opinion. They still have a little bit of play so the Semi Race would probably be better in a marathon or race but I can put these on just with socks and skate 100km with no blisters or rubbing points where as the Semi Race I had to wear ankle booties to stop them cutting me up and after about 50km got ankle pain around the ankle bone from the boot applying pressure. I never tried to mold them properly though (the Semi Race), only tried the oven once on them.
@@ofpplayer Heys thank you very much for your feedback. My feet are about 25cm long and 11cm wide which why I worry about width. Made mistake years ago with a Luigino speed skate that was both to short and too narrow (felt a bit more like a rock climbing shoe than a skate - and I didn't know any better except it hurt)
Looks like I will be seeing if I can find some Veloce 2s in their size 40 (but will double check my feet before I commit). Will probably work out cheaper than the Rollerblades even after adding in freight and GST!!
Cheers - happy and safe skating
Hi, really appreciate the honest and objective reviews👍 I bought the Tempest 125 a couple of years ago, found your review very useful. After 2 years regular skating am starting to experience pain on the ankle bone - did this ever happen to you? Did you ever try a different liner with the Tempest 125? Also, for comfort, what's your opinion on Tempest vs Véloce 2? Cheers!
Thanks! I didn't get angle pain with the Tempest no but found it way too flexible for a 125mm setup and felt I was always using too much energy in trying to keep my ankle stable. I didn't even know that was a thing until I moved up to the Endurance and found out what real support felt like. I tried putting other liners from other skates in the Tempests but they didn't fit properly.
To answer your last question the Tempest is the most comfortable skate I've ever owned but it's like that because it's like a slipper or glove, it's so soft and comfortable but you lose so much power in it and your ankle can flex in any direction way too much. I felt the liner would actually rotate inside the boot. I think as a fitness and marathon skate it was great up to 100mm wheels but it lacks the support for bigger wheels. Even if you balance the frame properly it still is unworkable. Having since moved on to speed skates I now know how much ankle support at the ankle bone you should have for 110 and 125mm wheels.
At first the Veloce was too hard for me for long distance. I tried a few different inner sole setups but that would make the boot too small for me. It was only a problem when I was doing 100km skates. I've since been commuting almost daily on speed skates and these now feel like a dream in comfort in comparison.
So Veloce vs Tempest, Tempest is more comfortable but the Veloce is way faster and more efficient. Comfort it's like wearing a fleece vs a leather glove. One is form fitting and more direct where the other just feels like a soft, comfortable, fleecy glove in comparison. You do get used to it quickly though especially as you start getting better times and can skate further with less effort
@@ofpplayer Again (as with your replies in our Facebook exchanges), thanks so much for taking the time to share your real, fact-based feedback.
I agree on the flex of the boot - the slipper analogy is spot on; so maybe not the best when riding high on 125mm...Will look into a new boot, when we can actually go outside and skate... :-(
Thanks for the review, i just had 2 rides on them and already noticed that a pair of insoles would do good in these, i'm curious if you have advice towards the boot carving into my legs on the side cuz that's the only problems i had so far with these. Thanks in advance!
I also had that, it's just the frame alignment. You need to move the frame left or right toward the inside of your foot or outside of your foot to stop the top of the boot rim from pushing in to you the sides of your leg around the height of where your shin starts. So if it's your right foot for example and you have rubbing on the outside of your leg from the rim or top of the boot then the frame has to be moved toward the inside of your foot slightly by maybe 3-5mm which will then change the balance point and stop your leg pushing against that area of the boot.
I've had this a lot and kept moving the frame until it fixed it. If you mean the rubbing on the inside of your foot then it's the same thing you just move the frames around to adjust the balance and create more or less pressure on whichever side is effected.
You can also use a heat gun and a blunt instrument like a screwdriver handle to push a section out that is causing issues. Other than that I find the Seba Othomove inner soles help with that. Problem with inner soles though is if the boot was a fairly precise fit to begin with an inner sole sometimes makes them too tight. If they were slightly too big to begin with then an inner sole should be fine.
Hope that helps or clarifies it 😁
@@ofpplayer Thanks a lot for the advice, i experimented a bit more and bought a pair of insoles + socks with damping parts just to be sure. it should arrive tomorrow and hopefully that will fix the problem. might as well post the results before and after for other people as this subject is still a bit in the dark and hard to find any information on.
Would you recommend the Veloce or the Drift if you wanted to do slalom and marathons/races? I lean towards the Drifts because of the smaller toebox and the side protection by the toes. I also would use them for a sort of urban style skating.
Mainly I am asking if you would use the Drift for a marathon?
Other than the 165mm vs 195mm frame mounting and the toe slider as you pointed out the designs of the boot are almost identical. You do get the bigger toe box with the Veloce, more ventilation and a second lace loop on the tongue but in a 3 x 110mm setup on the Drift you could definitely marathon it. I'd just look for the longest frame that fit a 165mm mount I could get my hands on and the best wheels and bearings too. I'd lace the Drift up only to the second last eyelet to get more forward range of motion too when racing a marathon but use all eyelets done up for slalom.
I've skated the Drift out to 50km with a short 3 x 125mm frame on it. My average was pretty similar to my times on the Veloce.
So yeah if you can only have the one skate then the Drift will be fine for both marathon and slalom
Здравствуйте, скажите, а как они примерно по жёсткости, комфорту и динамике в сравнении с Rollerblade Powerblade GTM110 2014 и K2 The Mod 125 2018 или Powerslide Next Marble 110 White? Хотя возможно вам не доводилось ездить ни на одной из этих моделей, но тем не менее...
🧐🧐🧐
🤔🤔🤔
can you provide the links to where I can order the last 5 skate you have shown. son is a size 14 shoe in men so its tough finding something
I can't put the link in the comments as youtube strips it think but if you want the Flying Eagle Drift 2 in size 14 google proskaterplace in Canada. For the Rollerblade RB110, RB80 and RB Cruiser google the following places: inlinewarehouse in the US, loco skates in the UK, skaterhq, bayside blades in Australia, der-rollenshop in Germany, Grindhouse dot EU. All the other skates I have reviewed including the Seba Highlight and Flying Eagle Veloce 2 or Rollerblade Enurance Pro (now the E2 and E2 Pro) I bought from one of those places listed.
I am very torn right now between the Bont Semi Race and FE Veloce. I want speed and comfort. Out of those two, which do you recommend? Ankle support is key. I do kind of like the Veloce for its versatility. What are your thoughts?
The Semi Race I've since changed my opinion about since when I had them. I've had two pairs now. Both use two small nodes either side of the achilles to create an 'achilles lock'. This is there to compensate for a pretty loose fit around your ankle. When using them I had to use 3mm neoprene ankle booties to get a good feel of having my ankle locked in to the boot. I also found if I didn't use the booties I'd get terrible cuts along where the top of the boot opening is and from the achilles lock. Admittedly they were a size too big so I bought a second pair in the correct size thinking I'd not need booties any more. I was so wrong. Without the booties they took chunks of skin out of my ankle from the achilles lock and the top edge on the opening of the boot.
I sold both pairs. What I've found with buying and selling many pairs of skates and speed skates now is you don't need a transition skate to get in to speed skates if the ankle shape of the speed boot is precise and conforms to your ankle shape. If you get a good lock in there it will feel like the boot is part of your foot. If your ankles pronate inward or outward it can be corrected by moving the frame of the skates laterally inward or outward. You can also start on smaller wheel sizes and move up to bigger wheels as your ankles get stronger.
Of all the speed skates I've bought, if they fit me well or not they still don't allow me to do the distances I do on Flying Eagle skates. Over extreme distances my ankles will fatigue and that's where the height of the Veloce or Drift will support you and keep you going. Sure they may be a little heavier and less efficient than a true speed skate but I can do 100-120km in these and a maximum of about 50-60km in my speed skates. They are just more comfortable and supportive of your whole foot and allow you to do that. They're also easier for commuting and city skating than a speed skate even if they are slower.
So in conclusion if pure speed is what you want get speed skates but don't waste your time with Semi Race or Bont in general unless you can get a custom mould. Even then I would still avoid them as their buckle is about 10mm too far forward and tightens over the top of your foot and doesn't pull your ankle in properly. I've heard this from ex team racers too but the company won't budge on the design. For speed I'd recommend Simmons Rana, Takino or Kairos boots if you can get a custom mould done. After going through maybe 6 pairs of failed speed skates I just wish I bit the bullet the first time and paid for a custom mould and did it right the first time.
For everything else be it distance, comfort, all day skating, versatility then look at the Veloce 2. Inlinewarehouse had them going out at crazy prices recently. They fit true to your sneaker size from Nike, ASICS or Rollerblade and Seba skates for my foot.
In the end I sold my first pairs and bought one size bigger in the Veloce and Drift boots so I could fit a 3mm thick inner sole in the skate to withstand the vibrations from crap roads or the sore feet I get at 100km long skates. So far that's working well for me.
@@ofpplayer I can’t thank you enough for your very timely and thorough reply. I most definitely will take your input into consideration.
I’m still a relatively new skater. I currently own a pair of FE f110’s. I really like them for their relative comfort, speed, ability to get some good miles in, and do some urban flow. But for longer distances (hoping to do some eventual marathons), I just can’t get as low as I want even with not lacing all the way up. Hence why I was considering some speed skates.
I did purchase some Bont Lunas, but they are just not tight enough around my small ankles. Yes, I should definitely get a custom fit if I go that route. Unfortunately I know how expensive they can be, right? At any rate, I tried them on in my house with the frames and wheels and just knew they wouldn’t work. Way too much play side to side just above my ankles. Those are being returned. That’s why I thought the semi races might be better. However as you noted, you did a lot of experimenting with them ankle wise.
But honestly if I sell my f110’s and get the Veloces I might get more of a benefit of a speed skate feel, right? I don’t want to make a lateral purchase if that makes sense.
It sounds as if the Veloces might be the best option. I looked at inlinewarehouse, and I agree that is a great deal.
Thank you again for your input! I’ll keep you posted!
@@ofpplayer I returned the Lunas and bought some Veloces 2. They are absolutely amazing! They are so comfortable and stable! I’m looking forward to breaking them in and getting some good miles. Thanks again!
@@jeffpaul606 that's great news. They are a great secret and once you put race wheels sand bearings on them they're very quick, not as fast as a speed skate but I can hold similar speeds just for not as long as it's more effort but that's a worth trade off for super comfort, versatility and the ability to go far. Remember if you start getting ankle rub only do up the laces to the second last eyelet to give you more range of motion and maybe not tighten the top buckle as much. They'll feel a little loose and wobbly like that but once you move the frame to where you need to to balance without your ankle tilting in or out you won't miss having them done up so firmly at the top. Enjoy!
@@ofpplayer thank you for those tips!!! I’ll definitely use them. I’m looking forward to getting a lot of skate time in them and developing some good technique. Thanks again!
Are this better than Powerslide R6 marathons skate?
The R6 might be more comfortable but I've never owned one so can't confirm.
where can i get just the boot?
I got it from proskaterplace online. They are in Canada but send world wide
Have you tried a low cuff or no cuff boot?
Yes, I have several sets of speed skates. I started with the Bont Semi Race then Bont Jet then Mariani Dogma and now the Simmons Rana DASH.
This boot doesn't really have a cuff. The plastic cuff goes over the boot but doesn't really move and the rest of the boot is one piece.
ofpplayer nice thanks, does cuff come off?
@@onefreddymorales sorry for the very late reply but yes the plastic cuff does come off and you can pretty much skate with it off and just use the laces if you want more flex at the top. I have seen others take the plastic cuff off and relocate the mid trap to utilise the bolt holes for the cuff bolts so that the mid strap sits way further back. Haven't tried it myself but it's a neat idea.
Hi there. Where did you buy your boots from
Proskaterplace.com in Canada, bought online as I'm in Australia
ofpplayer sweet thanks for that. I’m in Australia also, that’s why I asked as there’s no where over to get anything decent.
@@seanmuller3011 yeah I hear you, Bayside Blades and Skater HQ can get good stuff but takes a while. Sadly there's no Flying Eagle distributor in Australia with sucks because they make some good stuff.
ofpplayer do you like any of the Powerslide skates. I was looking at the Gand Prix 125.
I’ve actually been trying to find some of the tempest cause Ive always liked the rollerblade brand....
@@seanmuller3011 unfortunately none of Powerslide fit me except the NEXT as they only go to size 12. They looked great though. I had all the versions of the Tempest and loved them, they were so comfortable but they are nowhere near as quick as the new Rollerblade Endurance or this Veloce2. If you have narrow feet the Endurance might actually work for you, for me it put too much pressure on the top of my foot and pinched forward of the ankle bone. What size foot are you?