Hopping into inlines for the first time in over a decade...

[MyBoxersSayJoe 132]

I have clunky old leather Bauer Supremes that are like torture devices to my feet.  In ice hockey skates, I have custom Vapor APX's that are 6-5/8 EA and 6-3/4 EA.  Basically 27 CM x 11 CM on both feet, so that makes my ratio 2.45.  Does anyone have a suggestion for a pair of skates for me to just get out and exercise in.  Preferably just good enough that I won't have to modify or upgrade anything, but not top of the line since I probably won't be using them all the time once ice rinks open up again.

[stick9 880]

I'd try to find a used vapor ice skate and convert them to inlines. More bang for the buck and the boot is somewhat of a known thing to you, no adjusting or tweaking. I was glad I went that route but I already had a pair of skates I wasn't using. The MSH pro shop can do the conversion.

[Miller55 327]

I agree. I'd go for a vapor boot and convert to roller if you're up for the bit of extra work. Otherwise, a pair of missions from the past few models in 6.5 should be fine. Older mission, pre 2010, just do your shoe size and E width. Look on sideline

Edited June 12, 2020 by Miller55
Typo

[Stewie 721]

Honesty if you are just looking to recreationally skate a bit until rinks open back up, I’d just get a nice pair of K2 or rollerblade skates. No matter what, unless you go all out and invest in a marsblade system, you’re not going to have the same/similar stride, so a hockey specific boot is only going to do so much. If you’re looking for something to play outdoor hockey games with, then yes a conversion could be an idea

[Leif 160]

On 6/8/2020 at 5:32 AM, Stewie said:

Honesty if you are just looking to recreationally skate a bit until rinks open back up, I’d just get a nice pair of K2 or rollerblade skates. No matter what, unless you go all out and invest in a marsblade system, you’re not going to have the same/similar stride, so a hockey specific boot is only going to do so much. If you’re looking for something to play outdoor hockey games with, then yes a conversion could be an idea

It’s a good suggestion. I was out today practicing skating and stick handling with Powerslide Zoom Pro 100 skates on. They are about the same price as bottom end Bauer Vapors (which I think are poor) but they come with hard outdoor wheels, better bearings and a nice stiff well padded boot that is as form fitting and comfortable as my custom ice skates. The frame length is 230 mm hence they are agile. They are heavy and the build quality leaves something to be desired but they do the job. For reference my feet are 262 by 105 mm and my skates are EU 41-42. FR FR1 and Rollerblade RB skates also fit wide and are better made. 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 132]

Hmm.  I'm now seeing that Marsblade O1 chassis are in stock.  Can I order just boots from somewhere?  Or will everything I order have chassis and wheels on them?  I did check sidelineswap for skates in my size, nothing much near it.

Maybe just these cheap Tours in 7R: https://www.hockeymonkey.com/roller-hockey/skates/senior/tour-roller-hockey-skates-volt-kv4-sr.html
Or Bauers in &R:https://www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-rs-inline-hockey-skates-senior/itm/36675-41/

Then get a Marsblade 01 chassis wheels and bearings.

Then have them mounted and life's good? Okay skates for $400 + shipping & mounting?

Edited June 11, 2020 by MyBoxersSayJoe
Found another type of skate

[Leif 160]

My Bauer x300r skates are the previous version of that Bauer skate. The boot is so soft that the wheels are at 30-45 degrees to the vertical when standing still. Never had that problem with any other skate. Don’t waste money putting a quality frame on a mediocre boot. Maybe you can get an old stock doner ice boot such as Bauer s160 or x500? 

[YesLanges 126]

6 hours ago, MyBoxersSayJoe said:

Hmm.  I'm now seeing that Marsblade O1 chassis are in stock.  Can I order just boots from somewhere?  Or will everything I order have chassis and wheels on them?  I did check sidelineswap for skates in my size, nothing much near it. Maybe just these cheap Tours in 7R: https://www.hockeymonkey.com/roller-hockey/skates/senior/tour-roller-hockey-skates-volt-kv4-sr.html Or Bauers in &R:https://www.purehockey.com/product/bauer-rs-inline-hockey-skates-senior/itm/36675-41/ Then get a Marsblade 01 chassis wheels and bearings. Then have them mounted and life's good? Okay skates for $400 + shipping & mounting?

I think you can get away with much cheaper boots: just get a pair of new low-end ice boots and have them converted. For background, I normally prefer a LOT of lateral support and I tape up my skates heavily, halfway up my Achilles tendon guard and over the first inch of my shin guards. I grabbed these entry-level Bauer MS-1s for $65 on eBay and got them back with Marsblades installed last week: https://www.ebay.com/itm/193394982832 There are plenty of similar skates available for under $100.

I'm going to wait until I work up to skating with the rocker bolt much looser before I review them in greater detail, but they're already great and a tremendous improvement over regular in-lines, and there's no issue whatsoever with these MS-1 boots. You might want a thicker tongue if you actually play roller hockey, but for off-ice MB training, these boots are awesome. In fact, I really can't believe how stiff and supportive modern "low-end" boots are. Same goes for the Bauer RS that I skated in twice while waiting for my MB to arrive: I just listed them on eBay because I don't like the Hi-Lo frames at all, but the boots are great...almost identical to the MS-1 ice boots. I'd need rockered wheel sizes if I were going with traditional in-lines, but I'm only going to be skating in MB now that I have them all set up.   

 

 

[MyBoxersSayJoe 132]

14 minutes ago, YesLanges said:

I think you can get away with much cheaper boots: just get a pair of new low-end ice boots and have them converted. For background, I normally prefer a LOT of lateral support and I tape up my skates heavily, halfway up my Achilles tendon guard and over the first inch of my shin guards. I grabbed these entry-level Bauer MS-1s for $65 on eBay and got them back with Marsblades installed last week: https://www.ebay.com/itm/193394982832 There are plenty of similar skates available for under $100.

I'm going to wait until I work up to skating with the rocker bolt much looser before I review them in greater detail, but they're already great and a tremendous improvement over regular in-lines, and there's no issue whatsoever with these MS-1 boots. You might want a thicker tongue if you actually play roller hockey, but for off-ice MB training, these boots are awesome. In fact, I really can't believe how stiff and supportive modern "low-end" boots are. Same goes for the Bauer RS that I skated in twice while waiting for my MB to arrive: I just listed them on eBay because I don't like the Hi-Lo frames at all, but the boots are great...almost identical to the MS-1 ice boots. I'd need rockered wheel sizes if I were going with traditional in-lines, but I'm only going to be skating in MB now that I have them all set up.   

 

 

Hmmm. Nexus are their higher volume skates, right? I only ask because my Vapors are completely custom, so that boot may not be best for me in stock form.  When I had stock Vapors 7EE worked for my forefoot, but I got heel lift. 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bauer-Nexus-Skates/193507713577?hash=item2d0df56229:g:zQsAAOSwPKZexAYh

[YesLanges 126]

I don't know offhand, but I've seen the video breaking down the fit of their three lines...shouldn't be hard to find at all. Same fit as those RS as far as I can tell from wearing them both. In any case, once you narrow it down to the right line, I'd go with a cheap pair of ice boots in the right line...probably the cheaper option to in-lines right now, especially, if you're just getting them to convert to MB, anyway. Both felt great to me right out of the box...the RS can be baked, not these MS-1s, but they don't even need it. By comparison, I also tried on (and returned) a much higher-end pair of Alkali Revel IIs and they felt ridiculously stiff to me...like they'd have taken forever to break in even with baking...them shits went right back to Hockey Monkey.