I've been recreational speedskating for many years on a longer wheelbase with a boot designed to have little support. I wanted a more agile pair for shorter outdoor skating on trails and I disliked the softer and taller style of Rollerblades etc., because there was too much "give". I Ended up going with a hockey style because of the more firmness and responsiveness they offer. I took the RSX's out today for their first few miles and just loved them. I did some short hockey sprints and carving downhill - stuff I missed doing on shorter based skates. They're fast and comfortable and I felt much more in control vs. those soft-side style skates I was thinking of getting, and actually more fun than my longblade style (Bonts). I also like the Hi-Lo set-up as it felt good with my stance. I will say I first had to switch out the 76A wheels for the 82A Hi-Lo Street wheels and will sell the 76A's. The tool the skates comes with is all you need - use it to poke out the bearings, and the flat of the handle helps to press the bearings back in the new wheels. Make sure you get the 4 pack of 80mm and a 4 pack of 76mm tostay with the Hi-Lo setup. At first I wanted the RS since they came with street wheels vs. RSX that comes with court wheels. Salespeople claimed the RS and RSX are both identical in fit. Well I tried the RS in an 8 (too big), and a 7 (too small). On a whim I tried the RSX and could not believe how perfect the 7 fit was. So at least in my case - the RSX offered a slightly longer footbed than the RS...at least in the size 7. So I sucked it up and bought the RSX's plus a street set of wheels. One of my feet is a 9 and the other is a 9 1/2 and my 9 1/2 couldn't be any closer to the toe of the boot without touching it. I also used a thin insert for arch support as I have high arches.
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