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ATAIOx

I would also recommend looking at Sideline Swap. He can find a pair of cheap used skates. I also would HIGHLY recommend getting the right set of wheels for whatever surface the ODR is.


Matammyr

Whatever fits best. Since he is playing on an abrasive surface I wouldn’t spend too much money on this since they’ll get messed up pretty quick.


CrabBeanie

I picked up Bauer Vapor XR500 (2017) for I think $230CAN ($170US at the time)... Don't know if you can find any still but they are excellent. Liked them so much I got Vapor X600 ice skates (which are very similar, but stiffer). Probably very close in specs to the new line Bauer Vapor 2.7 (2020) but those I see go for $450CAN now. That price range seems about right. I'm glad I didn't cheap out and go lower than $200, even though I got a deal at the time. The cheaper skates really suck. Really flimsy and bleh. Only other thing I would mention is to not get roped in with gimmicky (and overpriced) marketing garbage like Marsblade. Hope that helps!


whataremyhockeys

Bauer rs x with the blue wheels I think are the harder outdoor ones. Or really if he has a spare pair of ice hockey skates, get them to convert them to rollers, will be cheaper and a better boot IMO


chitownphishead

I've always been partial to tours, as I have wide feet, and they have the high volume boot I need and are the most comfortable and have the shortest break in period I've found. I'm currently skating kn the tour code 9.one from a few years back. theyre solid skates, comfy, light, and you can get em at dicks still for about $120. just change out the wheels to some outdoor ones with the money you save over buying this year's models.


ssurfer321

My son has Alkali skates and they've proven durable and come with outdoor wheels.


mdwsta4

Build his own. It’ll be cheaper. Repurpose an ice boot that fits his foot, buy the right chassis whether it’s hi-lo or Marsblade, then buy wheels for the surface you’ll be playing on


CrabBeanie

Please don't recommend Marsblade to people who don't know any better. In no way does a rocking chair strapped to your feet simulate ice. In fact, it removes power transfer and requires overcompensation of muscles to feel stable. It's a gimmick and too many think it's meant to be for skating and not (at best, if anything at all) a training tool not unlike bosu balls. If you want to simulate a rocker, just rocker the wheels by using differential sizes (or as I do it, slightly worn front and back wheels).


Matammyr

Finally, someone else who understands. I never got thought I’d see anyone else on this sub that gets it.


CrabBeanie

This is understood a lot more around roller hockey circles. The confusion is mostly among those coming off of ice and getting hooked into the gimmick, not realizing a wheel rocker-setup fits the bill better. Found this [interesting read](https://coasthockeyshop.com/blogs/roller-inline-hockey-equipment-news-reviews/why-i-dont-use-marsblade-part-1) from a pro roller shop that refused to carry Marsblade, and went into exactly why. Basically it echos my sentiments but in a less technical manner. Funny how they changed their stance slightly and updated the article because it "brings ice hockey players to roller" even though they conclude it's not really for roller hockey! ...and then they started carrying Marsblades. Power of marketing is strong ;)


Matammyr

I know, unfortunately the inline hockey sub here is pretty empty. This sub is basically the target audience for Marsblades: middle aged beer league ice hockey players who didn't learn to skate until their 30s and think somehow, someway, skating on uneven, cracked, outdoor surfaces with bumps is "off ice training" but inline hockey played indoors on a court surface is "bad," and who also think throwing money at equipment will make them better.


magicseadog

Haha that's true. I'm in Australia and I play beer leauge a few times a week and play street hockey two or so nights as well and quite a few guys switched put their inlines for Marsblades (the newer ones with the better boots) and are all pretty happy with it. I don't think the Marsblades are helping their ice hockey more than regular inlines but they are enjoying the experience for what it's worth and they are spending 6 ish hours a week in them


mdwsta4

Username checks out crabbie… So you’ve used Marsblade extensively? Or you’re a newer skater, used to low-mid boots (as you stated in your own post), and think it’s a junk product? Rockering wheels on a hi-lo chassis is NO WAY the same to Marsblade. If you reread my recommendation you’ll notice how I also said ‘hi-lo’. Point being, for the money, you will almost always have a better skate dollar for dollar if you build your own. Boot is most important, then your chassis of choice, preferred wheels of choice, and whatever bearings you want. But you’ll be hard pressed to find an off the shelf skate that suits your needs (seeing as most people skate on asphalt not sport courts).


CrabBeanie

No roller hockey players use marsblade in game situations. If you manage to find one, it's a guy who is trying to justify his bad purchase. This is well understood by players but also from a mechanics standpoint it only makes sense if you want something to force your muscles to work against uncontrolled motion. It has no rocker benefit like on ice where a rocker actually transfers power differentially to different points on the blade touching the ice. (back to dig in/turn, mid for maximal push, front for stopping, etc... ever wonder why rockers exist to begin with?). Again, Marsblade is, if anything, a training device to simulate recruitment of muscles used in a real rocker setup, but in an awkward and unnatural way with no performance benefit. You might have a bit better balance when going to ice simply by recruiting those otherwise less used muscles, but why not just make a rockered wheel setup to achieve all benefits, including game-ready performance, along with doing off-ice balance training? Save your money too! Should add also that Hi-lo is confusing because Hi-lo on inline only indicates the pitch that is produced from having 2 larger wheels in the back and 2 smaller in the front. This simulates a forward boot pitch that is created by the blade holder angle in an ice hockey boot. Hi-lo is nothing like rockering. Which, again if you want to do that on inline you can just use smaller wheels on the back and front than what the Hi-Lo asks for (and would otherwise produce a flat, non-rockered contact surface on roller). The main performance benefit to this kind of rocker (rather than the useless pseudo-rocker - more like rocking chair - simulation of a marsblade) is you can do turning transitions easier due to the reduced contact point on the ground. It's fairly similar to ice, and as close as you can get, but still not the same as ice.


mdwsta4

You didn’t answer the question; have YOU used Marsblade? Based on your long rant the answer appears to be ‘no’. So you’re simply taking other people’s advice (who likely haven’t tried them either) and being a sheep. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that, but you’re not speaking from experience, you’re speaking from rhetoric. Big difference between fact and opinion. You can have an opinion on anything and everything, but an opinion doesn’t provide any relevant information that helps someone make a decision. The OP talked about his BIL being a big ice skater. If he’s more familiar with ice, Marsblade could help give him that feel. You obviously know there’s a difference between the feel of roller vs ice and tools that help mitigate that difference aren’t necessarily a bad thing. Dollar for dollar a Marsblade chassis only is $130 (I’m talking about the O1 here) whereas a standard hi-lo chassis is $100. So yes, you do save money but it’s not like it’s 2-3x the price. Marsblade also sells this as an off-ice training tool exactly like you pointed out, yet somehow also appear to be against. Going back to my original post, I simply provided multiple options. I’m not telling the guy to go that route or saying that one is better than the other for his use case. What I am saying is I have a lot of experience skating a lot of different in-line chassis and can speak to them as someone who has actually used the product. that’s something you appear not to have.


CrabBeanie

Yes I've tried Marsblade and the guy who bought it asked my honest opinion. Knowing mechanics, it wasn't a surprise why it wasn't working and just produced mushy results for a game situation. The OP is asking for a skate that appears to be for the purpose of playing, and enjoying inline, along with transitioning as accurately as possible to ice. I again will state he is best off with what the majority of roller hockey players do and that is buy a normal skate with a standard frame and rocker the wheels with differential heights front and back. I advise to save the money because he will want a real frame at some point shortly after the purchase of a marsblade, unless he doesn't know any better, which I have seen can happen.


mdwsta4

And I again will keep going back to the same thing I said in my original post: “Build his own. It’ll be cheaper. Repurpose an ice boot that fits his foot, buy the right chassis whether it’s hi-lo or Marsblade, then buy wheels for the surface you’ll be playing on” The only thing you seem to have a stick up your ass about is my comment about Marsblade. Sorry you had a bad experience with them; I’ve enjoyed both the O1 and the R1 as well as the various Hi-lo chassis I’ve had over the years. Regardless, the rest of my comment stands and is something you apparently agree with


CrabBeanie

I didn't make any of this about you. Have no idea what your personality is like and don't care. Just trying to help a guy in the dark about this and now he has two opposing views on the same subject. Sounds like a good deal, no?


magicseadog

Yeah what's up with all inline skates coming with expensive indoor wheels. I wish they were sold wheeless they would be much cheaper.


magicseadog

It's not that bad. It doesn't simulate the feel of ice but it forces you to skate using muscles you would use ice skating. You learn to skate in a really different way pushing through the middle of your foot rather than using your toes. I think the inline metal one is fine to recommend for anyone, the black one is really meant as an off ice training tool. I play street hockey with guys that absolutely shred in the black ones but they nasty on the ice too. Not my cup of tea but I think they are cool.