Riedell Skates - Dart Ombré - Quad Roller Speed Skate

I needed some new speed skates since my old ones don't fit very good anymore. I did much research on different skates and these skates and the R3 by Riedell are on several best skates lists that I found. I decided to go with these skates and I picked the pink and purple ones. They are exactly what they look like in the picture. On Riedell's website these skates are described as heavily padded and that is true-the top ankle area and the tongue are padded and are comfortable. The sole is decently padded while the vinyl boot is soft and flexible enough but still supportive. The piece at the toes is hard to protect the toes and the toe area is more narrow and snug than the rest of the boot. I usually wear a ladies size 8 in tennis shoes because I have wide feet and 7 1/2 never fits. I ordered the men's size 7 and they seem to fit good so far. That being said, there is enough room to wiggle my toes a little but the toe area is snug. I got them to be used at an indoor rink and I will update after I have skated in them there for the first time. The one thing I do not like is the toe stop. It can be adjusted but it is way too small in my opinion and won't last that long. That is why I took off a star- Riedell seems to love these toe stops. I will be getting a bigger one to replace it. These skates may be a little too heavy for a beginner but other than that they should be good. I like that they have an aluminum plate. They were delivered three days earlier than originally estimated. Can't wait to skate in them!**Update** If you are used to big toe stops these toe stops are quite the change and not for the better. I recently ordered some Gumball toe stops and they are so much more than the tiny toe stops on these skates. Also, get ready or be prepared to be a little unsteady and not as sure of yourself while you break in the wheels on these skates. The boots are comfortable but it is going to take some time for me to get used to the wheels which is supposed to be normal with any new skate. I was surprised to feel every single little bump on the wood rink floor- much more than my old Pacer speed skates. It would be a good idea to go slower and not do anything but basic skating in these and no backward skating until you get used to them. I fell for the first time in a long time on these. Replace the tiny toe stops that come with them before you skate. I am going to give them a little while longer before I change the four star rating.**Update** After 3 sessions on these skates the boots are very comfortable. The wheels take a little while to warm up and then start to feel grippier on the coated wood rink floor which is not super slippery like a gym floor. I don't feel confident on these skates to skate the way I did on my old skates especially in going around corners and skating backward. The wheels are definitely harder and slicker than what I want/need. They may work better with heavier skaters that can get more grip from them. I have had to order some different wheels that are a softer hardness. So I had to replace the toe stop and the wheels but I love the boot itself and the colors.Bottom line-- For the look, plate, and boot comfort I give these skates 5 stars. For the ride, wheels, and toe stop I give them 1.5 stars. Overall- three stars.

I used to roller skate back in the day and in an effort to try to be more active upon reaching middle age, decided to try the experts advice that the easiest way to find success with a fitness program is to partake in activities that you like. I was a rink rat back in the 80s. Eventually got a pair of rollerblades that got some minimal use over the years but my old quad skates did not survive. Well, actually they were fine but after having two kids, my feet never fit them right again. How could they after almost 30 years! So I did a lot of research before settling on this as a replacement. I know this is meant for derby and not the same type of artistic boot that I had grown up using but wanted to give it a try and could not resist the fun colors. I love it but am still getting used to it. The brake sits a bit low and I know I can adjust them. The "shoe" part fits pretty comfortably, just the slightest tad big, but I did not want to go down another size. Can probably wear thicker socks. Can't quite pull the laces tight enough as I would like but the velcro closure makes up for that. There is no ankle support so I feel I had to work a lot harder in the back calf muscles to stay upright and moving. I've been out in them twice and after a few laps, start to get my confidence back. I can't quite describe if they are slick enough or not slick enough. On the one hand, first steps out I feel that it is quite slick but then after many laps and I want to pick up speed, I feel that I can't quite get any faster and I don't know if that is some type of subconscious safety mechanism kicking in to keep me safe or as if I've reached max speed on the wheels. Again I'm not describing this well and I have a feeling using some tools to adjust could very well do the trick. I don't care how old I am, I'm having fun again!

I just got back into skating and wanted speed skates but didn't want to spend a lot on my first pair just in case I decided I it wasn't for me anymore. I bought these about 3 weeks ago and have been to the rink twice. Not only am I enjoying myself I am really impressed with the quality at this price.I will say that I am no expert but I was expecting to have to at least upgrade the bearings and wheels. The only upgrade I have made is the cushions. I'm tipping the scales at about 250lbs these days and the factory cushions just were not cutting it. The trucks were to loose no matter how tight I made them. I picked up some purple and red Sure Grip barrels and conicals. I played around with different combinations of colors until I found what worked for me, I've only got one night on these cushions but I'm satisfied. After this change these skates are perfect and I will be holding onto them for a while.