What I’m Wearing…
* Lace wrap top (ancient…) Also seen here – similar black lace top here
* Vintage Levi’s cut off shorts… also seen here and here
* Roller Skates : Moxi Jack Boots / Top photo: with Moxi trick wheels
* My setup / lower photo: Bont pink glow wheels / Grindstone “lils” heart toe stops
Diiiiiiiiiiid I NEEEEED another pair of roller skates? NO. But also YES, because although I have tried so many pairs now, not one of the boots fit me like I needed them to, until by some MIRACLE I was able to get my hands on a pair of Jack boots, thanks to Fritzy’s Roller Skate shop (who are amazing and super quick to ship!)
NOW… if it wasn’t COVID and skates were easy to get, I could have physically walked into a skate shop and tried on all the skates and chosen the pair that fit the best, as one would, BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, that wasn’t the case. The only option I had was to buy online and hope they work out, and while yes, I was able to roller skate in them, none of them fit quite right, which ultimately made me feel unsafe while skating and not able to really skate with the freedom I wanted to.
Most skates run in men’s sizing and they tell you to order one size down from your normal size… however, that’s not entirely “mens sizing”… for instance, I am a US woman’s 9 in shoes and a US men’s 7 (in Vans) BUT as far as all roller skate measurements go, I order and 8 because the 7 measurements seem to be too small.
Luckily, the Moxi “Jack” boot comes in half sizes, and is one of the only skates available in half sizes (especially now) and even they are really difficult to get. The problem is that this skate boot and setup (high-end plate, etc.) is very expensive. Like ridiculous expensive… but, it’s the only boot that has not only fit me correctly, but also has given me the support I need for my ankle and feels the most supportive overall for my needs.
I swapped out the toe stops, wheels and bearings, which added another $140 to the cost… I know, I know, but honestly, it’s worth it (for me). I’ve tried a few different bearings now, and REDS are hands down the best… Shown are the pink Bont “glow” wheels that light up and they come in 4 colors, which I love as well because when they’re not “lit up” (only in the dark) they’re really pretty pearly pastel colors and I love the way they grip the ground and roll on medium-slick surfaces (not sure if I’ll use them on indoor/wood rinks because I haven’t had a chance to try them indoors yet). The luminous light up wheels seem to be the most popular but were all sold out when I bought mine and since I had another pair of Bont wheels I loved, I tried these and LOVED them. I’m completely sold on Bont wheels. I’ve also tried Radar wheels (good outdoor wheels), which everyone raves about, and don’t love them as much as the Bont wheels. Just a personal preference.
I honestly haven’t worn any of my other skates since slipping these Jack boots on my feet. They are fantastic. I’m planning on doing another review on youtube of the 3 Moxi styles I have now because they are truly so different and though roller skates are 100% about each skater’s preference, these are by far my favorites – and when I was on the hunt for the perfect skates I was looking for video reviews to help with my purchase and didn’t really find any (at the time) that were helpful, thus, I have all the skates now and they all feel completely different so I can give a really detailed review.
* Title: Ed Sheeran – Bad Habits
NOTE: Photos are all “stills” from the video, so the quality is not fantastic but you can see the wheels in action… watch my IG reel here and see a few more outtakes on my TikTok if you’re interested.
I had been itching to do a shoot like this since earlier this year when I started roller skating again (in late January ’21). I came across a video or photo on Instagram of a narrow road like this that looked abandoned and led to the desert and since we have similar roads up here in Lake Arrowhead, I knew I could do something similar. I had planned on a daytime shoot, but this ended up even more exciting than I had imagined.
Earlier in the day Chad had convinced me to go with him “off-roading” on the trails he goes dirt bike riding on, but in the truck (sidebar: he’s been trying to convince me we need a Polaris RZR for nearly 2 years) but on this day he bribed me with sunset photos above Silverwood Lake at the top of the trail. I agreed… and it was insanely scary but pretty amazing as well. I’m not sure it even has to be said, but I’m not much of an “off-roading-dirt-trail” kind of woman, lol. Needless to say, the photos and the experience was well worth it.
As we were leaving at dusk, Chad turned the headlights on his truck and it LIT UP the entire path. This is the truck he usually uses in the winter to plow the snow, so he’s added an insane amount of lights to it… and on this day it lit up the path so beautifully I said let’s go down the back roads and shoot some skate footage and being that he loves a spontaneous adventure, he agreed!
We ran home, changed, grabbed my skates and we headed out. It was about 10:30 in the evening so there were very few cars out… however, it was a Friday night, so there were definitely a few passersby who were so blinded by the truck lights they were forced to slow down… luckily, because I was a little afraid a car would come racing around the corner and hit me.
The back roads here are not smooth, nor are they flat. It was so difficult to find an area that wasn’t a hill or slope because from the truck, they look pretty flat… it’s not until I had my skates on and started rolling that I could really tell how the surface was. I also didn’t have my outdoor wheels because I wanted the wheels to light up in the night, these are okay for outdoors, but my lower 78a wheels would have been way better on this rough terrain. This is all to say that it was actually pretty scary out there on 8 wheels, the only lights coming from the truck, heading in the darkness the further away I rolled (as you can see in the photo above), but also very exciting too.
As we were inching slowly down the dark roads, searching for the perfect location, we spotted a really gorgeous deer just off the road standing by a tree, which was a total bonus because of all the wildlife I’ve encountered up here, surprisingly, I had never once seen a deer. It felt like a magical slow motion moment I’ll have a memory of forever. It felt like a scene from a movie.
All in all, it was such an exciting adventure I want to go do it again… even though actually roller skating on this road was not an easy task, it was all totally worth it 🙂
Happy Monday Night Lovecats!
* Find all my Style Posts here
* Find all my Roller Skate posts here
Roller Skates Video Review – Moxi, Moonlight Rollers, BTFL & Chicago
