Rollerblade is one of those brands, like Xerox and Velcro, that is literally synonymous with an entire product line, in this case inline skating. What's interesting about inline is that it was originally conceived as summer training for winter skaters. Inline skates got popular as their own thing and then kind of cratered, becoming in the words of the New York Times "the fanny packs of footwear." But you have to put this quote in context: this was in an article about how the US speed skating team uses inline skate training to dominate their sport, as evidenced by the fact that they went into Sochi with more gold medals than any other American Olympic sports team.
In addition to being the killer app for training ice skating - and skate skiing - inline skating is fast and fun, and it's still true that no one does inline better than Rollerblade. Their Macroblade 100 is state of the art, with 100mm wheels riding on SG9 bearings in an extruded aluminum frame. Bearing precision is measured on a 1-9 scale, with 9 being the most precise, so be prepared to move out with a purpose once you strap these rockets on.
And strap them on you do: after lacing up, you secure the lower rip-and-stick strap and then the ski boot style ratcheting upper strap. The fit is very comfortable while still being very efficient at transferring force from your stride to the ground. They do come with a brake that you can install quickly on either foot with the included allen wrench.
Overall the Macroblades are highly recommended. The Macroblade is in the middle of the Rollerblade inline skate lineup, below the Powerblade, which makes it a perfect balance of affordability, comfort and performance. If you want to have some retro fun, or get serious about training for winter skate sports, the Macroblade is your ticket to stride.
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