Early in my journey to try out for the Gotham Girls Roller Derby League I realized I had to get some equipment and skates were top on the list. I wanted to get good skates that would take me at least to practice if I got on the team, but didn't want to pay a lot of money for skates in case I didn't get on the team and in despair went of skating altogether.
I contacted the two roller derby players that I know and asked them for their advice. I also looked on line for reviews. But it was hard to find anything concrete. I read that the Reidell "Carrera" Skate was the usual starter skate and I had settled on them, when I found my way to Sin City Skates http://www.sincityskates.com/. There I read that the Carrera has a narrow boot and they didn't like it. "Ivanna hates this skate (it was her first) and says its a torture device we wouldn't sell at all if we didn't have girls specifically requesting it. Please consider other skates. These skates were originally designed for recreational use." And with no response from skating friends I was back where I'd started.
Luckily I was able to go to the Womens Flat Track Derby Association Championships in Austin, Texas and there I found some skate vendors who at least I could talk to. I talked mostly with a woman who had coached women's Roller Derby and in the end I went with her recommendations. I did try on a Reidell Carrera and it was a little snug. Then I tried on the Sure Grip "Rebel" -a new skate made specifically for women's roller derby. It felt better and the price was okay so I bought them with (black) indoor wheels and (red) outdoor wheels and two sets of bearings. I also got red toe guards (which I still haven't put on). And I was a size 8. I'm a size 9.5 to a 10 in regular women's shoes. Skates are supposed to be men's sizes but I thought I was closer to a 6 or 7 in men's shoes.
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