Roces RC2 Classic Roller Skates Artistic, Quad 4 Wheels Skating, for Man and Woman, Unisex, White

OK!...I'm sort of a non-beginner. In my teens I could do transitions, steps, multiple terrains etc. But I've not been skating for 40 years! Personally, I was saying, that you don't learn to ride a bike twice! That's true, I put these boots on and my body remembers the skills, but it was a bit rusty. A couple of trips along the prom and a lot of my old skills are getting better with each trip. And to the point of this review...Last time I was skating there was no youtube etc, you learned from your mates! There's a good youtube channel where the lass recommends slackening off your trucks so that you can use the inner and outer feet to direct the boot - not the best advice! When we were kids we sort of took the weight off the boot and slid the foot where you wanted it, never knew anything about these things! I took her advice, slackened off the trucks, a few expansion gaps etc along the prom later and my front wheels fall off - not the best advice! Keep reading...If you buy these boots you NEED to buy new cushions/bushes to get your bubbles and plough stops in. These boots come with the black cushions which are far too hard! (These are especially hard and i dont think they are even comparable to 'hard' cushions). To get turns etc you'd need to slacken off the trucks, that's not going to work! If you're a complete beginner you would probably benefit from some 'hard' cushions, but they're cheap enough to buy a few sets of different hardnesses etc. I went onto the yellow 85a from Rookie. (There's a compatibility problem I'll note below). What was good is that you CAN slacken off the trucks to release some tension from the cushions to give more pliability, or tighten them up to make them more stable - but theres ALWAYS tension on the king pin nut so it wont work loose! So be careful about what advice you're watching on youtube, it wasn't explained clearly. You can always buy some lock tight from your local auto shop for the top nut, just to be extra sure.Compatibility. I bought these skates elsewhere, but the seller did not sell any compatible cushions, nor did the Roces OWN website!!! There's not a skate shop servicing rollerskate customers for 300 miles, so had to manage with the Internet and phone etc. I found that, generally, most places sell skateboard cushions all over the Internet, a few popular bidding and selling sites, and the skate shops 100 miles away from me. Even the Rookie clouds/bushings don't fit!! I have no idea which bushings fit and god knows where sells them if the manufacturer or suppliers don't even sell them! I had to follow a youtube hack and chop the cushion down in height. I used a sharp utility knife and one of the washers to get a straight line, then some sandpaper to make them flat when I'd finished. Maybe buy an extra set to practice on.I'd buy based on the hardness number (or name hard/medium hard/medium/soft etc (just like your wheels) rather than the colour as a yellow in Rookie is an 85a (medium) and a different seller may call it a soft, or extra soft etc.Sizing. I'm a 8.5 with a wide foot. I measured my foot against a wall and a ruler. I added the width of my finger and then bought the boot with the closest mondopoint number. I bought the 9 and it fits perfectly with a big sock, possibly bordering on being too big, but I can't tell now I'm away. If you've got a size 8 you might be able to buy and find a size 8 is a good fit for you. I'd definitely recommend doing the measuring to be sure.So all that being said a fab boot! Oh, be sure to get the RC2 if you're a bit heavier.