ImpalaQuad Skate - Purple

It's been 20 years since I was last on skates and I wasn't fully sure if I wanted to do this regularly. I knew good skates would start at the $150 mark, so I went for impalas because they straddled the "not too expensive but also not too sketchy line."Size: I'm a true-to-size 7.5 in women's shoes. The ball of my door runs wider but my heels and ankles are narrow, making most wide fit shoes too big for the rest of my foot. I got a size 8 and it was perfect. They are snug, end just above my toes, but don't crush anything.Boot: this boot would be best with someone with more of an average/narrow foot. While I *can* use them for hours with my wide ball, the boot is just narrow enough for me to wish I had something more comfortable. It starts to feel squeezed in not a great way and I wish I had inserts to make the foot bed more comfortable. The boot is pretty stiff and provides a lot of ankle support. That said, it's so stiff that maneuvering is limited. Ive found that I no longer lace it up all the way. I'll lace it to the first set of hooks and leave the rest undone so I have the flexibility to bend when crouching or making turns. I've only used these for....10 hrs of skating so far so I can't say whether or not the boot will break in in a satisfactory manner just yet.Wheels and trucks: the factory setting for the wheels and trucks were TIGHT. Made it harder for the wheels to roll as well as they should and the trucks were so tight that turns were harder. This is totally fixable. Watch a YouTube video and learn how to loosen them in a safe way. After loosening things, skating is easier. This isn't unusual though. Some companies just ratchet things tight and if you skate for any period of time with any brand you're gonna want to adjust things to your preference.Laces: these bad boys do NOT come loose when skating. I tie them, skate for a couple hrs, and they're still tight AF when I'm doneWould I get them again or recommend them to a beginner: Listen, I've heard all about the production quality of these skates and heard about the boot separating. That sucks. Hard. I haven't experienced that myself and hope I never do. But I went in with my eyes wide open. I KNOW this isn't the best skate. But I wasn't looking for the best beginner skate. I was looking to tip toe into a hobby instead of investing big for skates that collect dust. They served their purpose. I'm fully invested and after a few weeks I'm now looking to upgrade to something that fits my foot better, is suited for the kind of skating I want to do (indoor casual skating and fun dancing at the rink), and will hold up for a couple years at least. I also didn't want to use these for so long that I do become another Impala statistic and have the boot separate and make me fall when skating. I'm leaning towards the Chaya Melrose or Sure Grip Boardwalks at the moment as my Impala replacement.In conclusion, these are fine for short term beginner use. And maybe you'll be one of the people who never have to worry about anything falling apart. But I would say this is better suited for people who are trying to learn from the beginning, or have skated before and need to get their legs back under them, or for people who are just trying to figure out if they want this as a hobby or not. This isn't a long term product. And that's fine. Again, I'd rather spend $70 or whatever on "just ok" skates than $200 on an abandoned hobby. Also, now I have backup skates.

My daughter loves these! Great quality in the shoe and the bearings for the wheels. Totally a step up from the rentals!

Envío súper rápido. Excelente.

Very happy with my skates. Quality and fast service.

After 24 hours of skate time both boots began to tear at the outer ankle horizontally. Not where the sole meets the boot but at the ankle itself. I know how many times I have used them because I have a digital record. I paid 199.00 for the same pair of skates that sell directly from the company for under $100.00 and I only went through Amazon because I was not sure how sizing would work and I wanted a way to return them easily if they didn't fit because I bought them 9/2020 when we were having uncertainty with COVID disaster. I suggest that you buy skates from an actual shop, call them on the phone, speak to a sales assistant and let them help you find your size and ask them your honest questions about the skates you are looking to buy. Do not get ripped off by companies that want to take advantage of you by having no one accountable for defects and flaws in their production of goods or those who are a third party whom will have your money and expect the buyer to take their valid complaints and requests for replacement, or repair directly to the manufacturer. The skates were great while I used them, they are unusable now and while I am arranging some sort of contact with the manufacturer, I am purchasing another pair from a different company so I can still skate in the meantime. These really are very basic skates and without the defect would be perfect for a beginner skater who doesn't know if they really like skating and doesn't want to or who can not afford to get a high quality pair of skates. Also, the trucks are really tight on these when they first arrive, there is almost no play in the wheels so you definitely need to have a skate tool handy to loosen them up.