Just waiting to hear back from other buyers about their experience with the flexing I'm having with the high-density plastic axles. It's been a whole lifetime since I last used roller skates, and about 85+ lbs ago, too. So it's probably normal, but my old skates were all-cast Dominion Precision derby skates back in the day as well, and probably just not as noticeable given the weight of the user at the time and the material of the trucks. For my preliminary review, I would say these fit true to size. I bought size 9. My feet are usually an 8, 8 1/2, but I wear orthotic insoles so I opted for the a size above. My feet are snug, and there is a lot of lacing capacity to tighten or loosen where necessary . The only gripe I have is that the boot laces up only so far and my weak ankles could have benefited from lacing going up at least one more eyelet. Oh well, I can think of other ways to secure the tops better, like a makeshift velcro strap if I find I really need it. I tried them out for a couple of hours with some skating around (low pile carpet, bare floor, and concrete), standing, and stopping. -While skating around, I would rate them as a beginner skate as the wheels are indeed slower moving, but that's a simple fix by replacing the wheels as I get more used to skating again. I had no problems transitioning to and from different surfaces. -Standing these are comfortable and since the wheels do not move as freely as more advanced wheels, I was balanced and stood in the them for close to an hour without issue. -Stopping is one of my challenges as I've only ever learned how to angle-skate stop without using the actual stoppers on the skates themselves. And since I was moving slower with these wheels, it was rather clumsy at best. So, I'll just have to learn how to use the stoppers ;-) Construction-wise, the high-density plastic trucks and axles make for a lighter skate than the old style ones, although I'm on the fence about the durability of them. The boots are vinyl uppers, but support inside the boot material and style of stitching increases the support of the ankles and feet, while the inside padding increases foot comfort while in the boot. I imagine they will scuff easily and are not meant for extraneous use everyday for hours on end. The manufacturer does have them noted as recreational quad skates, not derby or hard-use/daily skating. Once I find out about the flexing from other buyers, I'll update my review :)
