Alkali Hockey

[sjs0433 15]

I've got my eyes on the RPD shift skate when the time comes for new ones. I'm really liking what I see for the new RPD line. I've only ever skated on a 72/80 Hi-lo setup though.

[MrBrownstone 7]

Hi Justin,

I'm getting back into roller hockey after a little over a decade of not playing and have decided to go with Alkali skates after doing my research. I think it's awesome how you personally interact with the community and your product seems to be the best bang for my buck.

I'm looking for a beginner/intermediate skate around $200 or so and wanted to know if you could comment on the quality and fit of the CA5 vs. the new RPD Comp skate?

Is the RPD Comp comparable to the CA5 or moreso the CA4 in terms of boot quality and materials?

What about the new Movement one piece chassis - is it also aluminum construction?

What kind of bearings will the RPD Comp come with? I'll be doing a lot more outdoor initially and will have to replace the wheels regardless.

Lastly, will the RPD Comp be available in half sizes or only full (I'm a 9.5 but will see if 9 or 10 will do the trick)?

Appreciate your help on the matter, and don't mind waiting a couple months for the new skate to come out if it will be worth it. Thanks!

[Justin 1933 134]

Mr Brownstone,

I am at AAU this week, and will get back with answers to all your questions on Monday.

Thanks,

Justin

[MrBrownstone 7]

Thanks, appreciate it. Got my hands on a couple of CA5's, a 9 and a 10, and realized I'm more a 10.5/11 in Alkali - aside from the sizing, the boots felt great.

[Souldriver 64]

Justin. I have 2 questions concerning some business decisions a skate company named. I'm seeing, thankfully over the years higher end skates have been coming with some sort of swiss bearing. Though most of them are bsb, labeda, or mission brands. I see why mission would use their own stuff and skates using labeda chassis and wheels using labedas brand but for others why hasn't anyone used bones. They are considered to be the tops in the bearings world and are highly regarded around here as well. Are they cost prohibitive? Does bones not want to wheel and deal? Or are they really more concentrated on the skateboard/speed skate market?

Also with wheels one of my pet peeves is that skates always come with soft 74a or 76a durometer wheels. Now I'm a heavier guy (250lbs) and am obviously on the very high side of the spectrum. But I feel like many players are over the magical 180lbs mark and would benefit from a slightly harder wheel. Am I wrong about this, are many of the players actually much much lighter? I know from my past teams I would say (not counting the really small light guys, and the bug heavies such as myself) the average weight is between 180-200 lbs. Not that well see it anytime soon but I would love a new set of skates to come with wheels I can use. I can't tell you how many sets of high end wheel I've had to pawn off bc they are so soft it feels like I'm skating on gummy bears. And if I do skate on them they fail within a game or two. It's not fun buying $400 skates then spending 80-100 more on new wheels, which is ampliphied if you change chassis styles

Preemptive strike: iI know imI'm heavier than iI shoukdshould be but illI'll never be under 180lbs even if i perfectly healthy and in good shape. I've been in good shape before and became I'll for about a month once in high school, I lost a lot of weight and was only about 186.

[vnderachiever 3]

Justin. I have 2 questions concerning some business decisions a skate company named. I'm seeing, thankfully over the years higher end skates have been coming with some sort of swiss bearing. Though most of them are bsb, labeda, or mission brands. I see why mission would use their own stuff and skates using labeda chassis and wheels using labedas brand but for others why hasn't anyone used bones. They are considered to be the tops in the bearings world and are highly regarded around here as well. Are they cost prohibitive? Does bones not want to wheel and deal? Or are they really more concentrated on the skateboard/speed skate market?

Also with wheels one of my pet peeves is that skates always come with soft 74a or 76a durometer wheels. Now I'm a heavier guy (250lbs) and am obviously on the very high side of the spectrum. But I feel like many players are over the magical 180lbs mark and would benefit from a slightly harder wheel. Am I wrong about this, are many of the players actually much much lighter? I know from my past teams I would say (not counting the really small light guys, and the bug heavies such as myself) the average weight is between 180-200 lbs. Not that well see it anytime soon but I would love a new set of skates to come with wheels I can use. I can't tell you how many sets of high end wheel I've had to pawn off bc they are so soft it feels like I'm skating on gummy bears. And if I do skate on them they fail within a game or two. It's not fun buying $400 skates then spending 80-100 more on new wheels, which is ampliphied if you change chassis styles

Preemptive strike: iI know imI'm heavier than iI shoukdshould be but illI'll never be under 180lbs even if i perfectly healthy and in good shape. I've been in good shape before and became I'll for about a month once in high school, I lost a lot of weight and was only about 186.

I would try the Labeda Addiction soft (not the x-soft. I use the orange ones). I'm currently 245, but was skating on those wheels at 305 a year and a half ago and they were great. I'm still using them now for my sport court wheels.

If I were you, I would invest in a set of wheels/bearings and find a LHS that will work with you when you buy new skates. On Long Island, I got my RX:60's (When they first came out) with no wheels or bearings, I just kept my old setup. They knocked about $200 off the price. I see that you're in NY, if you PM me and let me know where you play i'll let you know what setup I use.

[Souldriver 64]

Thanks for the help but I'm good. I play at skate safe right now. They used to be good but they have gone a bit down hill imho, but it's a good meeting point for my work team.

For bearings I have bones super swiss 6. They're awesome and last very long. For wheels my two insides are the orange addictions and the outsides are 78a rink rat hot shots. I found the addictions to be ok but they would get cracks very easily. I always liked the rink rats and they always lasted forever for me.so I went back and put on the two as the outside wheels and it's great. They also make the addictions crack way less. When I called rink rat directly i was actually recommended the hot shots over the hornets bc they're the same shell but just with less m-tech so it won't deflect as much on me.

I have also always asked if I could get skates without the wheels and shops said no straight out to me. They also will rarely ever do anything with the skate price so I find myself buying online more and more when shops have their 20% off sales.

That could be another question for Justin, I know some ice skates come.with the option of no steels/holders. Wouldn't it be good to offer roller skates with no wheels and bearings and knock off a but from the price. But in the end I could see the price differential not being worth it.

Edited July 22, 2013 by Souldriver

[vnderachiever 3]

The shop I go to actually lists the higher end (Right now, APXR) Skates without the wheels and bearings. I don't know what MFR Restrictions are on that kinda thing so i'm not going to provide a name on here.

I'm playing at HotSkates and Sportime right now, using 3 orange addicitons and one x-soft addiction as the second wheel in each skate.

Back on topic--- really hope our long island shops get some RPD Max's in, i'd love to give them a shot before I splurge on apx2r's.

[Souldriver 64]

I know amity harbor sports supports alkali skates well and the skatesafe pro shop always has ads for them at the front desk.

And I played at sportime (bethpage) for a while and comparing it to skatesafe I miss their refs, (they give a care) their A/c, their rink is still newer and is a bit bigger as well. The downside is their zamboni broke down and their rinks are sooo dirty and they won't allow my half visor that I have fallen in love with this past season.

If you want pm me that shop name and I'll check it out. Unfortunately the ones I've tried rarely have the skate size or width I would like to try and make you pay for the skate for them to get it in and try it.

And yeah back on topic. I do like the way alkali is going and although I'm set right now I always look at Justin's stuff, even this past time but the skate didn't fit my very odd shaped foot well enough. Not alkalis fault, my "will never get a skate that fits well" foots fault.

I think Justin said that he will be providing demo pairs to stores that they can bake to let a customer feel how the skate will truely fit. This is an insanely good idea, especially for a skate that boasts it's moldability as much.

[phunky_monkey 6]

Hey all. Just picked up some Alkali CA9's from HM and thought I'd give some initial impressions.

I'm doing a season of inline hockey over our summer here, and haven;t played much at all in the last 10 years (though have been playing Ice) so my reference point compared with other inline setups is not really there (last pair of inline skates were Bauer RH4000's) so I won't comment on that. Just hoping to make it a bit easier for others making their decision, especially for sizing.

Reference: I currently wear a 10.5W Graf G75. I have a wide forefoot, medium/thin heel, high arches, high volume. These are actually still a bit shallow, but apart from that are perfect.

Sizing: 12 US shoe size. I'm a 10.5 in Graf, and took the plunge on 10.5's for the Alkali. Sizing is very similar, with my toes feathering the cap. It would probably be quite uncomfortable on my toes to skate with them at the moment, but a bake should give a few mm of space.

Fit: Nice wide forefoot and toe box which I'm super happy with. Heel is lifting a touch at the moment, but again they're not baked yet so hopefully that is sorted. Skate is quite stiff too, and forward flex looks to be very good.

Comfort: Pretty spectacular straight from the box. Nice liner, good arch support.

Build: Top notch thus far. Finishing is excellent, everything looks nicely aligned.

Will update more once they're baked.

Edited September 9, 2013 by phunky_monkey

[Justin 1933 134]

Thanks for the update. Hope you enjoy the skates and everything fit wells.

Justin

[phunky_monkey 6]

Thanks Justin.

They're a very impressive skate out of the box, and build quality looks fantastic. Hopefully they work well for me!

[sjs0433 15]

When can we expect to start seeing the new stuff for next year's line?

[Justin 1933 134]

Sticks, girdles, and bags are all in stock and shipping shortly. Skates, Gloves, and Pants are going to be a October/November Launch.

[MrBrownstone 7]

Hey Justin,

I think my initial questions may have gotten lost in the shuffle a while back, but I had asked what the difference is between the CA5 skate and the upcoming RPD Comp? A lot of my questions have been answered now that the specs are available, but my main one still hasn't - can you comment on the build quality and fit/comfort of the CA5 vs. the RPD Comp?

I read the heritage of the Comp is the CA5 but with the lower price point I was curious if the materials are a step below what was used in the CA5? I'll be using mainly outdoors and am debating whether to commit to a pair of CA5's or wait for the Comps. Thanks for your help.

[Justin 1933 134]

The RPD Comp skate is definitely not a step down verse the CA5 in terms of build quantity and fit/comfort. The RPD Comp has the new Movement Chassis (the same quality construction as the CA5 chassis), the same outsole, bearing, and internal liner. The RPD Comp actually uses better internal ankle foam, a better tongue, the new Labeda RPG Wheel, as well as new boot improvements (reduced toe spring and a wider forefoot for increased comfort and better balance).

I personally would choose the RPD Comp.

Hope this information helps.

Justin

[MrBrownstone 7]

Thanks a lot - it definitely helps. I'm currently recovering from a sprained ankle and want to give it some extra time before skating again. I'll take your advice and wait for the Comp since it sounds like it's an overall improvement over the CA5 from every aspect. Thanks again.

[Souldriver 64]

Any date yet for the new pants? Specifically the Team (is that your 2nd tier) one? I see the current ca series is on sale but I'm weary of the contoured sizing especially with big but short legs like I have. Is your new fit closer to what mission uses because my old mission helium 10000 fit nicely and I would like something as close to that as possible.

Also in the new line what's the big difference between the platinum fabric used on the top end ones and the pique fabric used on the Teams?

[Wicked3Aussie 68]

Yeah i'm also hanging out for the new pants.

Was going to get the yellow Max's but those black & red comps look unreal, i'm pretty keen to snap some up as soon as I can.

Will the launch be delayed til december like the skates?

[Justin 1933 134]

The pants are expected to be in stores mid november. Skates are expected in stores Mid November.

As for sizing, the CA8 and CA5 fit was more of a traditional fit (not slim or tapered). The new line of pants follows this same traditional fit.

The main difference between the fabric on the Max verse the lower priced pants is the amount of stretch. The Max pant fabric is a bit softer to the touch and has an incredible amount of stretch in every possible direction.

I hope this helps.

[Souldriver 64]

That's actually pretty cool. I think I'll be priced out of the top tier stuff anyway but I'm really liking how the grey and black teams are looming in the mock up. I try to avoid as much white as possible as it stains easily and sweat and everything miscolors it, not so much for pants but it's just a pet peeve I've been hung on.

[phunky_monkey 6]

Hey all. Just picked up some Alkali CA9's from HM and thought I'd give some initial impressions.

I'm doing a season of inline hockey over our summer here, and haven;t played much at all in the last 10 years (though have been playing Ice) so my reference point compared with other inline setups is not really there (last pair of inline skates were Bauer RH4000's) so I won't comment on that. Just hoping to make it a bit easier for others making their decision, especially for sizing.

Reference: I currently wear a 10.5W Graf G75. I have a wide forefoot, medium/thin heel, high arches, high volume. These are actually still a bit shallow, but apart from that are perfect.

Sizing: 12 US shoe size. I'm a 10.5 in Graf, and took the plunge on 10.5's for the Alkali. Sizing is very similar, with my toes feathering the cap. It would probably be quite uncomfortable on my toes to skate with them at the moment, but a bake should give a few mm of space.

Fit: Nice wide forefoot and toe box which I'm super happy with. Heel is lifting a touch at the moment, but again they're not baked yet so hopefully that is sorted. Skate is quite stiff too, and forward flex looks to be very good.

Comfort: Pretty spectacular straight from the box. Nice liner, good arch support.

Build: Top notch thus far. Finishing is excellent, everything looks nicely aligned.

Will update more once they're baked.

Hey all,

For anyone interested, here are my thoughts after a few uses as promised:

Sizing: 12 US shoe size. 10.5 in Graf. After a bake the sizing is absolutely spot on. Very similar to the Graf's in terms of length.

Fit: As is touted by the company owners, the one width fits all seems to be working for me. I'm usually an EE and after a bake the skates have widened enought o be ultra comfortable for me. I thought I'd feel a bit of pain on my left foot as it's slightly wider than my right, but it hasn;t eventuated. I could feel it being slightly pinched even after the bake, but skating on it has proven to be no issue.

Heel lock could still be a bit better for me, but hasn't caused me any blisters. I'd also prefer a touch more depth, but the tongue is doing a brilliant job at protecting from lacebite. I think this has a lot do do with the moldability as well as I'm finding I don;t need to lace them partcularly tightly at all on any eyelights other than the top couple.

Comfort: Spot on, most comfortable skates I've worn with so little break in time.

Build: Top notch thus far.

Overall I'm really happy with them. Supreme comfort, great build, ultra-light, and look fantastic. Well done guys!

Edited October 23, 2013 by phunky_monkey

[Roadrunner55 3]

I'm pretty anxious for the new RPD Max to hit the shelf. I've been skating on the 2011 version of the CA9 for a couple years and they are ready to be put to rest. They were pretty awesome at first but the lace bite got pretty bad after about the 6-8 month mark. I've skated them to the point where wearing boots (have to for work) is painful from a long day/weekend of playing and that's my main concern. I ended up taping the old tongues from some old skate shoes on the inside to fix that and has worked for quite well for a while. I've read reviews on other skates and I was tempted to go with Tour, but other friends that skate them say that they break down quick and with how hard i skate would not last too long. My feet are not fans of Bauer or Mission. I really liked the fit of Alkali and boot strength was pretty decent for a while (all gear breaks down eventually). Reading reviews (cause that's all i really can tell about gear living in Tucson) i see that the next gen CA9 is a good step up and the RPD Max is supposed to be even sweeter. what is the feedback you've received from the guys testing em out since you've came up with the new design as far as comfort/stiffness and how much different is the tongue design from the 2011 CA9?

[Justin 1933 134]

RoadRunner,

Thanks for skating in the CA9s and I am sure the RPD Max will be a step up from them. In regards to lace bit, the new Chassis shape/height, as well as the revised last (with reduced toe spring) will dramatically reduce the discomfort caused by lace bite. It is now easier to get onto your toes, and there is less pressure put on the laces/tongue. I think you will be extremely pleased with the new skates.

[Roadrunner55 3]

Well sounds like I'll be giving some feedback on them once I can get a pair. unless you have a pair of size 8 laying around that really wants a new home now.