Roces Fifth Element UFS Skate

These are the Roces UFS 5th Element. They retail for $300 US.

They’re based on the classic Roces 5th Element design, but updated for the UFS mounting standard. They come with Roces frames, 60mm wheels and ABEC 5 bearings.

What makes the 5th Element unique is the dual injection boot. Usually a hard shell boot is a single material, but with a second injection they made the lacing area more flexible. This means you can get a better fit when lacing up your skates without compromise.

I took them to my local skatepark to see how they feel.

Over the next few weeks, I skated them with different setups. I really loved the soul plate, but the sizing started being more of an issue.

The Roces 5th Element are a great skate if you can find the right size for your feet. I love the liners but the shell just didn’t fit properly. It’s way too big for the size it’s rated.

I also had some issues with the lacing eyelets popping out. Roces replaced the boots for me, but I popped the eyelets out again. I’ve been told this is fixed in the next production run.

I didn’t realize how heavy these skates were until I compared them to my USD VII. They’re the heaviest skate I own. This isn’t a huge deal, but it can make a difference if you’re looking for something light and responsive.

Ultimately I don’t recommend the Roces 5th element for most people. If you have a wide foot, they might be a great option. But because the sizing is confusing and they’re much heavier than other skates, I’d get something else.

USD Shadow Aggressive Inline Skate Review

These are the USD Shadow. They cost around $250 boot only. These are the re-released version of the original Xsjado from the early 2000s. They feature a large soul and negative area, and are adjustable to fit all different foot lengths.

What makes the Shadow unique is the innovative boot system. Similar to a snowboard binding, the liner is attached to the skate with multiple buckles and straps. This allows you to walk around like normal shoes when you’re done with your session.

I took them to my local skate park to see how they perform. I was surprised at how easy it was to lock on my grinds, almost like cheating. The skates felt great, but looking down at them was distracting with buckles and straps everywhere.

After my first session, I decided to test the walkable liners. They felt a little weird to walk in, but nobody noticed I wasn’t wearing normal shoes.

Over the next month, I tried the skates with different setups. I really enjoyed grinding with them, but big wheel setups felt unstable.

The USD Shadow are an interesting skate. Most of the appeal of the old Xsjados were that you could bring your own shoes. So you could always find a fit that was right for you. Now that the liners are required, you don’t have as many options.

I really enjoyed using them for aggressive, but as soon as I switched to a big wheel setup I started to feel unstable. They are great for grinds and have a huge soul and negative, so if that’s something you’re interested in you might want to take a look. But there are plenty of other skates out there, for less money, that might offer the same experience.

Them 908 Aggressive Inline Skate Review

These are the Them 908 boots. They retail for around $165 US.

The 908 is the first boot from Them Goods, the company started by skating legend Jon Julio. They’re sold boot only so you can pick which frames, wheels and bearings you want.

The liners are thick and stylish, providing a good amount of padding around the ankle. However the insole is very thin and doesn’t include a shock absorber, standard in most skates now.

There’s a few things that make the Them 908s unique. First is the lacing system. Rather than the traditional styles, the lace holes of the 908s extend over your foot. This helps create a more snug fit without the need for a 45 degree strap.

The soul plate is also a new design. There’s a recessed area in the front and back to allow for wheels larger than the frames. The royale groove is also very shallow making the angle needed to get boot down less severe, while still providing a solid lock.

I set them up with some 50/50 balance frames with Juice Blocks and Undercover 60mm wheels, then took them to my local skate park to see how they performed.

After the next few weeks I skated the 908s as much as possible. I switched between flat and antirocker setups, as well as trying some big wheels and other frames. The skates held up great to any situation I put them in.

The Them 908s are an amazing boot for most people. The price is competitive and the comfort and performance are excellent. I’ve never skated better than in my 908s. The royale groove fits my style perfectly and the material is a great balance of speed and durability.

I did run into a problem with the boots. The boots have a little divot where the frame bolts go. This divot started causing some pain in my heels after the first few sessions. I ended up cutting small discs out of the insole, glueing them into the boots, and putting new insoles in the liners. This was an easy fix, but I hope they can improve this in the future.

The sizing is a bit tricky. I’m skating the size Medium boot and they fit me great, but I’ve heard from people that the Small boot is much bigger than it measures. Some people have swapped larger, skinnier liners into smaller shells for a better fit. This is where the lack of skate shops makes purchasing the right size difficult.

Overall I think the Them 908 is a great boot, and currently my favorite aggressive setup. The feeling I get on grinds is more solid than any skate I’ve tried. If they fit your foot, and if you fix the insoles, you’re going to love them.

Rollerblade New Jack Team Aggressive Inline Skate Review

These are the Rollerblade New Jack Team. They retail for around $200 US. They’re based on the Rollerblade TRS Access shell, Rollerblade’s first UFS boot. They come with Blank frames and 58mm wheels with ABEC 5 bearings.

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They’re also one of the original skinned boots. The internal shell of made of a solid plastic with a fabric skin providing protection and fit. The soul plates are part of the skin, and are what holds the boot together.

I took them to my local skate park to see how the feel.

After my first session, I realized the insole needed to be changed for me to enjoy the boots. Being a raised heel boot, the New Jacks have a built in forward lean. Because the stock insoles are much thicker on the heel, it makes you feel like you’re leaning forward even more.

I tested a dozen insoles and found that the best ones for me were the one from my Valo v13. The Envelop gel insoles were also pretty good, but moved around a bit. After switching out the insoles, I got comfortable with the skates.

I skated them for another month with some 50/50 Balance frames and really enjoyed the way they felt. I got so confident, I even learned Kind grinds.

The Rollerblade New Jack are a great skate, and an incredible deal at $200. The boot is really well built and the stock hardware are good enough for most skaters.

Are these the best $200 skates? Probably so.

The stock insoles created too much of a forward lean for me. I’ve seen people have returned the skates due to this design. Swapping them out is really easy though, so it’s not a deal breaker.

The stock frames and wheel setup are fine for skating anti rocker, but would be difficult to skate flat without wheel bite. I suggest upgrading the frames and wheels when you can.

The backslide groove is fairly deep and off center creating an angled royale. This might be OK for some people, but I prefer a straight line royale.

This boot is probably supportive enough to ride with a big wheel setup. I set them up with some Kizer Trimax frames and plan on testing them out in the coming weeks.

Overall though, the Rollerblade New Jack are an incredible bargain at $200. Swap out the insoles and you’ve got an amazing skate.

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Valo v13 AB Midnight Inline Skate Review

These are the Valo v13 Alex Broskow Midnight skates. They retail for $200 US.

They come with Valo frames, 58mm wheels and anti rocker wheels, with ABEC 5 bearings. The frames are known for feeling solid with internal support, but are also some of the heavier frames available.

These are my first raised heel skates in a long time. The soul plate is higher in the back to allow for a flat UFS mounting area. With skates like the Razors Shift or the Seba CJ, the boot is already flat. This allows for the addition of a shock absorber in the heel, typically making a more comfortable ride.

After the first session, I swapped out the frames to see if I could improve the royale. I started to really enjoy grinding on these skates. My backside royale has never felt better. But airs and transitions still felt sloppy.

After starting this review, Valo announced they would no longer be producing skates after this run. Roces has announced they will be making a new Majestic 12 with a similar setup available this summer. 

With that being said, the Valo v13 Midnight are a classic skate, and a worthy conclusion to the Valo line. The colors are beautiful and the memory buckle is the best design I’ve seen. 

Being a raised heel skate means either less shock absorption or more of a forward lean than a flat skate. The footbeds are thin so the lean isn’t bad, but I could use more padding on my heels if I did more gaps.

The boots felt great for grinds, but a bit sloppy when skating transitions. I think the addition of a 45 deg strap could help make the boots feel more solid.

The boot sizing is the biggest concern. The shell is more narrow than other skates, meaning you might need to upsize to find one that fits you. I’m lucky and was able to fit in the 10.5, but many people won’t.

The liner is fine, but feels cheap compared to the ones in my Shift or Aeon. I know that liners are expensive so this is probably where much of the costs go.

The lack of a pre groove in the frames made royale tricks more difficult for me. I’m sure with some patience I can develop a nice groove, but I’d recommend swapping the frames for some others if you can afford it.

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Seba CJ Wellsmore Inline Skate Review

These are the Seba CJ Wellsmore skates. They retail for around $550 US. They come with UFS Seba frames and CJ Wellsmore wheels, along with Twincam titanium MW9 bearings. The boots are made of a carbon fiber shell with protective material outside. This makes them extremely light and stiff. They have an integrated liner with memory foam for a custom fit. The footbeds are removable as well as the internal shock absorber.

One of the unique things about Seba CJ skates is that the frame mounts directly to the boot using only the UFS bolts. This means they should be more responsive and can offer a much lower ride height than other skates. It also means the soul plate can easily be made of different material than the frames or boot.

Over the next few months I tried different frame setups with the Seba CJ boot starting with Kizer Arrow frames with 80mm wheels then Ground Control Featherlight 3 frames with 58mm wheels anti rocker. I found that the boots performed well for all styles of skating; whether flatland, transitions or grinds.

The Seba CJ Wellsmore skates are absolutely incredible. They are everything I loved in my USD Aeon skates but are UFS so I can switch frames whenever I want. The boots are light and comfortable making it possible for me to skate for long sessions without having my feet hurt.

Are they the perfect skates? Not quite.

The price is pretty high for most people. You can get them boot only and save some money, but most people aren’t going to want to spend more than $300 on a pair of skates.

The boots and cuffs are fairly rigid making some grinds more difficult than in traditional plastic boots like the Razors Shift. I actually prefer the stiff feeling but lots of people don’t.

When I tried putting the Ground Control frames on the soul plates, I found that the didn’t fit. It seems the soul plate channel isn’t wide enough for all UFS frames. Apparently this is a known issue in the community, but it sucks having to modify the soul just to fit some frames.

Overall I love the Seba CJ Wellsmore boots and plan on keeping them as my standard skates for as long as possible. They’re perfect for the way I skate and can be easily configured for any setup I want to try. I think the carbon boot is a luxury item, but absolutely worth the money.

USD Aeon 72mm Inline Skate - Full Review

These are the USD Aeon Team skates with 72mm frames. They cost around $250 US. They come with USD Aeon wheels and ABEC 7 bearings along with a MyFit SkinnyBoy liner. The soul area is wide and the frames have a big groove with wheel bite protection.

What makes the USD Aeon unique is that the frame and boot are a single piece design. Unlike most other aggressive skates the Aeons don’t support UFS, the frame mounting system standard.

This means they can offer a much wider split between the middle wheels without having to worry about the ufs bolts. It also means they can make the ride height much lower, bringing the wheels all the way into the boot.

After struggling with Royales for a few weeks, I decided to grind down the h-block with a sander. This helped smooth out the frame and reduce the backslide angle I needed to get boot down.

After skating the USD Aeon for a month, I started to really love the responsiveness I was getting from the one piece design. But my royales were still very inconsistent.

The USD Aeon are the most enjoyable skates I’ve ever had. The single piece design gives them a super solid ride. They feel like an extension of your foot rather than your foot in a boot with wheels on it. I never thought I’d be able to skate a flat 72mm frame and still grind. It really is an amazing feeling.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Since the frames can’t be replaced, once you wear through them you have to replace your skates. Thankfully they wear very slowly, so long as you keep your wheels fresh. Here’s a picture of Robert Guerrero’s 72mm Aeons after 2 years of use. He still skates them daily with no noticeable issues.

I’d also add that you can buy replacement boots for around $100 US if you do somehow wear through the frames or the backslide area. I don’t see this happening anytime soon, but it’s worth mentioning. 

Are these the perfect skates? Almost.

The backslide angle is so low that you have to really commit to land royale tricks. I’ve been told that grinding down the frame even more should fix this problem, but out of the box they’re far too difficult for most skaters.

I’ve also had to swap out the footbeds with some that have a gel shock absorber built in. My heels just hurt too much on airs. I’ve found this is a pretty common upgrade for most Aeon skaters.

I think the 60mm version of the USD Aeon is the right skate for most people. It’s the exact same boot and liner combination that I love but with a lower frame and more forgiving backslide angle. I’m curious to see how the speed compares, and plan to get a pair in a few months to try them out.

Powerslide Imperial Supercruiser Pro Triskate Inline Skate - Review

These are the Imperial Supercruiser Pro skates. They retail for around $230 US. They come with three wheel Pleasure Tool frames, 110 mm wheels and ABEC 9 bearings. The liners are designed to grow with your foot, and can be heat molded for a perfect fit.

These are very my first set of triskates. Riding three big wheels keeps your wheel base shorter making the skates more maneuverable. A comparable wheelbase with four wheels would max out around 80mm. These Pleasure Tool frames also have the middle wheel shifted, which helps with turns and coasting.

Before skating for the first time, I heat molded the liners. This was an easy process using a home oven. Set the temperature to 180 degrees, and heat your liners for 8 minutes. After they’re nice and warm, reassemble your skates and tie them up tight. After 10 minutes the liners will be perfect.

I took them out in my neighborhood to get an feel for how they ride.

I wanted to see how fast they were compared to my old big wheel setup of 76mm/80mm wheels, so I took them to a nearby hill. The speed was pretty close, but it took longer for me to get going. The ride was much more comfortable though, less vibrations and longer coasting at the end.

I’ve skated around 50 miles so far with no noticeable issues. The wheels needed to be rotated after every 10 miles of skating, but that’s expected. The liners still feel great, though I did develop a blister on my inside ankle after a long 15 mile skate.

I can pretty much guarantee you’ll love these skates. They're the perfect balance of price and performance. The big wheels make skating long distances effortless and the lightweight design lets you skate further without getting tired. Triskates are super fun to ride, I look forward to skating the every chance I get. 

Razors Shift Inline Skate - Review

These are the Razors Shift skates They’re the new top of the line skate from Razors and retail for around $300 US. The boot includes an internal heel pad shock absorber like the Razors SL series, the same style you found in the old Salomon skates from the 90’s. The liner is thick and features the new heel retention system, which helps keep your foot in the back of the boot. They come stock with Ground control Featherlite 3 UFS frames with 64mm wheels with ABEC 9 bearings and anti rockers.

The hallmark feature though is the new Instant Frame Change system. The base is a two part system, the soul and the slider. By pressing the two IFC buttons, you can remove the slider and then the soul plate. Because the frames mount to the soul plate using UFS, this means you can get another set of soul plates and change your frames without having to get to the UFS bolts. Extra soul plates run around $40 for the set. It also means that as you wear down the soul plate from grinding, you can easily replace the sliders, which run around $20 a set.

How do they measure up compared to the SL3 skate? The soul area is a bit larger while the negative is a bit smaller. The ride height is 7mm taller. This means the SL3 has a lower center of gravity than the Shift. I measure ride height as the distance between the bottom of your foot and the bottom of the frame. They’re also slightly lighter, but not by much.

Over the next few weeks I skated them every day. I made sure to switch between skate park and free skating so I could give the IFC system a real world test.

The IFC system worked great, no problems at all. Being able to switch frames in under a minute was really nice. I can imagine people in more urban areas really appreciating this for skating between spots. The souls have some good wear on them but nothing out of the ordinary. I was worried that the IFC buttons would get worn quickly, but because they’re so close to the frame it doesn’t look like that will be a problem.

The Razors Shift skates are a worthy replacement for the SL3. The combination of the new liner and the IFC system make this a great upgrade if you want to replace your SL skates. The liners took a few hours of skating to break in, but now they feel even more comfortable than my SL3s did.

Are these skates for everyone? Maybe, if you set your expectations properly.

The IFC is a great system, and switching between big wheel and grinder setups is pretty great. But you’ll need to purchase a second set of soul plates if you want to take advantage of it. I would argue that switching frames with a powered screwdriver is almost as fast, and probably cheaper.

I wouldn’t consider the frame changing the only reason to go IFC though. I do a lot of soul tricks and will wear through this slider eventually. Rather than buying a new skate, or a new soul plate, I can just replace the sliders for $20.

I’m really hoping that someday Razors will release a complete IFC frame. If they don’t have to support UFS, they could create a soul plate that includes the frame and royale groove. This could make a stronger, lower wheelbase with a big split and big wheels.

Until then, I’m very happy with my Razors Shift skates. The comfort and design of the boots are perfect my style of blading and the IFC is really handy for swapping between different setups.

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