Recently got back into Rollerblading and needed to gear up (new skates, new pads, etc). I don’t go as hard as 25 years ago (48 now) but still like quality gear. I bought the grey/white, dunno why the desc says red/white/blue. These remind me of my old skool Bones knee pads, but slightly less bulky. They’re well constructed, solid skid plate, solid stitching, sturdy padding, solid velcro and buckle. I don’t plan on having any serious wrecks like I would’ve back in the day from bombing parking garages, stairs, cars, curbs and any other street hazards, but I’m confident, these pads would protect me just as well as my Bones pads did! I bought 1 size up as suggested in another review and glad I did! The measurement method had me in a Large. I bought XLarge just to be safe. Without even strapping them down, with my leg through elastic sock, the fit is snug, which is great, cos the point is for them not to slip off during a wreck. Doesn’t take much to strap them down. you can go from not at all to full circulation cutoff! You’ll notice in the photo I only have it halfway strapped and it’s just tight enough. Going full is super, locked down tight! The bottom I don’t have tightened at all. I just have the strap threaded through so it’s not loose and flying around! Haven’t skated with them yet, but walking around the house and wearing them around, they feel fine. If you’re a casual, fitness, recreational skater, maybe these are overkill. If you’re a recreational skater but have to jump over stuff (by choice or by emergency maneuvers) then you owe your knees a pair of these! If you roller derby (which I definitely do not), these are mandatory! I’m somewhere in between recreational and still try to hit some jumps and stairs. My back will probably give out before these kneed pads do! Again, consider buying a size up. Update: Took a spin around the neighborhood. Didn’t wreck so no real life evidence of their durability, but they were non obtrusive to my stride and cadence and comfortable. Note, they are hot. So your knees will sweat, a lot, especially in the Spring\Summer. Be sure to dry, wash, air out as needed! Spontaneous photo taken from window reflection after my trip.
