K2 Soul Slide/7

[kel]

First, I'd like to know if there is a difference between those two models besides the straight vs crossing powerstrap, the bearings and the color palette. They seem to be pretty much the same thing from the stats I'm seeing.

I've been blading for ages, first on hardshell Rollerblades some 14 years ago and I've been using (and loving) my Salomon TR8 for the past 8 years or so. They're great for just getting around town, but I'm feeling the need for a more 'urban' skate for the daily commute.

I've got a sizing issue though, my old TR8s are 10.5 if what I can read on the one remaining label is right, and they're just a tiny bit snug on some days, but I usually wear 11-11.5 in footwear, due to my wider than average feet.

Normally, I'd go out and try them out before buying, but it seems no store actually carries it in this >3million citizen city ... they go straight from trainers to street, no freeskates in sight, not even the fabled Deemax/Crossmax. Basically, I'm wondering if you guys know if maybe the old Salomons weren't true to size, I plan on wearing them anytime I'm not behind my desk, so comfort is a must.

Thanks !

[IW Staff]

Great question. Very similar skates. The Soul Slide gives you better bearings, but the frames and wheels the same.

The Soul Slide also gives you a different boot which is pretty cool looking. So you are paying for the bearings and the cosmetics. Worth the extra $10 if you like the cosmetics, not if you don't.

Sizing that far back I would be hard-pressed to be sure. I do know Salomon's are true to size now and fit a little big by some. Sizing is preference so you'll hear different opinions on this. Salomon is traditionally a little wider as well. If going with K2, I would go with an 11 or 11.5 even since you have wide feet. In Salomon, you can probably get away with an 11.

Hope this helps. Thanks for the post! Stan @ IW

[IW Staff]

If ordering via Express Mail, there's a good chance you will avoid import costs altogether.

IW

[kel]

Great, I just ordered the Soul Slides in 11.5, I figured going with my true size was a safer bet than with my old Salomon's size, besides, if they're a tad big I can put thick socks on, a tad small and I'm screwed !

Many thanks for the help.

[IW Staff]

They'll ship out FREE so that would help in the chance the sizing isn't right. I think you'll be fine though.

Thanks for the order and enjoy the skates.

Stan @ IW

[kel]

4 business days from California to Montreal, not bad !

Of course, there's still the issue of me being at work when they dropped by, so I won't get them till I go to the depot tomorrow after work, but it's still damn fast.

The duty folks nailed me for 16.33CAD (13.50USD) which is just a bit over 7% of the actual price. You won't hear me complaining though, local taxes are 15% :D

I'll be sure to mention you to anyone looking for skates, and I did mention you to the K2 rep who took well over a week to answer my query. Top notch job there, I will surely be a repeat customer in the future :)

[kel]

Just had the time to go for a very short ride before it started raining, nonetheless, it was enough to get a good first impression.

They ride lower than my Salomons, or at least feel like it. The ankle support is not as stiff. It rolls much better than my salomons on old bearings (obviously).

Because of the stiffness issue, I'm not able to go as fast as with the TR8s just yet, I need to adapt my stride to these new skates, I actually like that they're not as stiff. There's my usual issue of width, but if history is right, my feet usually win within a few hours with most footwear, so I assume they'll go from "incredibly comfortable" to "I wonder if I can wear those to bed".

My first thought upon puttting them on was "hmm, snowboard boots".

I'm psyched about them really, I've got roughly 30-40km to skate tomorrow if there's sun out. I'm debating taking them out to be broken in with taking the safe route and using my TR8s since I know my feet won't be killing me in those at the end. I'm pretty sure the newness will win me over though.

There's been some serious improvement since I got my TR8s though, cause with stiffer wheels I feel the bumps in the road even less, and with the way the asphalt is around here, that's a good thing.

I'll stop rambling now ;)

[IW Staff]

If you use Express Mail, you can usually bypass the duties. Try that next time.

Thanks for the posts.