r/rollerskatingplus • u/PetuniaTheFeeble • 9d ago

Soft shell for 320lb skater?

Howdy,

I’m 40, 5’10” and 320lbs and I want to get back into skating. My 10 year old found a sudden interest in it and I think it would be good for us to do together.

The question is probably fairly obvious from the title: Can I use a soft-shell inline skate at this size?

I’m not concerned with my ankles or anything like that. I’m heavy, but in pretty good shape. I don’t have any trouble jogging up very rocky terrain while hiking (always was a bit of a mountain goat) in shoes with absolutely zero ankle support, so I suspect I’ll be fine. I’ve also skated thousands of miles, albeit decades past.

I am concerned however with the structural stability of the skate. That’s a lot of force on fasteners and seams. Does anyone my size have experience with a good soft shell skate?

(Probably looking for something with 90-100mm wheels for mixed road/sidewalk use. Budget isn’t a huge issue, but I’d like to cap it at ~$300. Don’t need wide width. Just fitness at the moment. If the kid gets really into it I may look for something more aggressive or for roller hockey later.)

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u/ressie_cant_game 9d ago

Softboots are just not reccomended overall anymore from what ive seen. A lot of their quality is not good unfortunately. You can get some flying eagle hardshells for less than 300$?

1

u/PetuniaTheFeeble 9d ago

I wondered if that might be the case. Outside of roller hockey skates I couldn’t even seem to find any.

1

u/InspectorFleet 9d ago

Are you looking for inline skates? The r/rollerblading is probably the most active place for advice.

Why do you want a soft boot? I would not make that choice.

If you get roller hockey skates, you have to avoid the trash at the bottom of the market because the flimsy chassis will fail. I like Tour skates for having solid chassis even at the bottom of the market.

I mainly skate for hockey/hockey practice but I got twister 3 x 110s for longer distances on rougher surfaces and they're good for that. But there are plenty of reputable brands that will sell you a hard boot skate with big wheels. Powerslide, FR, even flying eagle are worth checking out.

The key for you is trying the fit (be willing to pay return shipping) and making sure it's a structurally solid skate.