I am a 6'01" - 265Lbs male going on 50 years of age. I am not obese; I am just big like a gorilla. I have not touched roller skates/rollerblades since I was in college back in 1996. Recently, the wife has taken up roller skating and she has chosen to drag me along for the ride. I tired the rollerblades and skates offered at the staking ring and I discovered that not only was I able to avoid killing myself trying to skate after 30 years, but that I was actually pretty good at it...

To improve my skating experience, I bought a pair of Roller Derby AERIO Q60 Rollerblades from Big 5 for approximately $90. At the time I was just happy to find someone who carried a pair of rollerblades in a size 12 that accommodated my wide feet. They fit well, they rolled well, they looked good and I liked that they had laces with a Velcro strap over the ankle instead of an adjustment buckle. I was fairly new to the scene, and I was unaware of how nice the Kemistry brand wheels rolled until I bought some secondhand light up wheels from China and got to experience the joys of cheap wheel bearings. I now have a newfound respect for the wheels that came with the rollerblades.

A few weeks later and I came to understand that this was going to be a new part of my life and wanted to try to learn with regular skates and I felt that it was worth investing in a pair of "MY SKATES" instead of using the generic ones offered at the roller ring. I returned to Big 5 and checked out the Roller Derby brand again, being that was satisfied with the rollerblades I had previously purchased, and I found two different types of skates in a size 12. One of the skates was a white pair of Glidr Skates, which looked better and was more comfortable than the regular Roller Derby Cruse Skates, which was the only other brand offered in a size 12 at the store. When I tried on the Glidr Skates they fit extremely well, specifically behind the heels of my feet, which would slide in feeling like the frame of the skate would lock around them, setting them into position. Further the bottom of the skate felt solid and well balanced across the entire bottom of my foot, which I found surprising since the skate looked like a pair of shoes with wheels nailed to the bottom of it. Speaking of wheels, one thing I noticed was how large the attached wheels on the Gldr Skates appeared. The standard size of the wheels on skates I was used to seeing was 54mm, while the Kemistry brand wheels on the Glidr Skates were 70mm. Being that I was still well pleased from learning how good the Kemistry brand wheels were from my Rollerblade experience, I was happy to see them on the Glidr Skates. During my inspection of the Glidr Skates and they appeared to have been returned due to some black scuffing on the right toe running down the outside of the skate, which was consistent with someone discovering the hard way that they were not as good at staking as they once thought. Fortunately, Big 5 was generous and gave me $20 off the selling price, claiming these skates were on clearance. I was a bit apprehensive about buying the Glidr Skates since they appeared to lack good upper ankle support, having a low Velcro strap at the top of the shoe instead of the high ankle support of classic skate designs. Further, this specific pair of Glidr Skates already appeared to have already put someone like me in their place.... So I have been calling the Glidr Skates my "Ankle Breakers" as a joke.

All jokes aside, when I used the Glidr Skates I found that not only were they comfortable with a nice solid feeling that supported my foot, but they rolled super easy and maintained speed with little effort. Additionally, I found that my concerns about the ankle support were unfounded as the Velcro band at the top of the shoe was more than sufficient to provide proper support during use. I have used the Glidr Skates now for two trips to the roller ring, each lasting for about 6 hours and they have exceeded my expectations. I would also add that I have yet to fall.

My Rating for the AERIO Q60 Rollerblades: 10/10 - Relative to the cost
+They look good
+They fit comfortably
+They have a Velcro Ankle Strap
+The Kemistry brand wheels (80mm) have good bearings and are durable
+The inline skate is able to take the abuse of a 6'01" - 265Lb middle aged balding fat man
-Had some pain and light bruising in the bottom of my left foot after over tightening the laces
-Had some rubbing on the top of the right ankle under the strap

My Rating for the Glidr Skates: 10/10 - Best skates I have ever worn
+They look great
+They fit great
+They accommodate my wide size 12 feet
+They provide solid support under the foot and to the ankle
+The wheels are large (70mm), they roll smooth and maintain speed
+The skate is able to take the abuse of a 6'01" - 265Lb middle aged balding fat man
+The seams in the skates are blacklight reactive and glow blue (nice surprise)
+Would buy...

These are so cool and love that they look like shoes. They were a Christmas gift for my son and he was cruising around so smooth at the skating rink.

So in love with my skates 🥰
Very comfortable and love how versatile they are in terms of skating indoors or outdoors.

Im typically a women’s size 6.5/7 so I opted for the women’s size 6 (a size smaller, as the company suggests) and the sizing with this consideration in mind was very helpful.

I think I will get a new toe stopper .. the one that comes is fine, this part is likely personal preference, but I’d like a bigger toe stopper.

Nonetheless, as someone who knows nothing about skates but wanting to dive right in, these have been amazing, especially for the price!