To clarify something right out of the gate, I got stuck when I tried to came up with the angle at which new Roces 1992 skates should be approached as a product. It’s like my mind was blank – how to write about something that basically fits a definition of living fossil and at the same time a refresh of legendary skate? Truth is, the new 1992 model is nothing else than slightly updated Roces Street. To give you perspective on that, over 25 years have passed since original skates came out. A lot has changed since then – Roces is no longer a powerhouse dominating the market, the technology has moved forward. A lot.
Maybe I’ll try to explain the name of these skates first. The year 1992 was a time when Roces have entered the inline skating market, or at least made decision to expand to it from their original ice skating roots, and started developing their own products range. Prior to that, they were making skates for Rollerblade. The already mentioned Roces Street were released few years later. Roces 1992 name is a nod towards company’s origins, not to one particular model, like many people believe.
It is worth to ask a question: why release the 1992 model now? After all, year 2021 isn’t any round, special anniversary for the Italian brand. It is not even any significant anniversary for Roces Street itself.
Retro is hip again
You may have noticed that all things 80’s and 90’s are fashionable again. This retro vibe is overflowing our lives to the point that not only people who actually lived back then fall for it, but younger ones, too – in a saudade feeling, a longing for an era they have never experienced themselves. It comes as no surprise that many companies have decided to capitalize on these emotions. From clothing to kitchenware, it is easy to find something looking like straight from the era. The first company to go in this direction in our inline skating bubble is Impala Skates and they have achieved quite a success with their Lightspeed skates.
My bet is someone at Roces looked at that and said “wait a minute, if a completely new brand, run by skateboarders, sells containers of throwback skates inspired by what inline skating was back when we have been growing it ourselves, why shouldn’t we try the same thing?”. Enter the Roces 1992.
The Real Deal
One have to admit Roces 1992’s authenticity. They are not designed to resemble old-school skates. They truly are old-school skates. Sure, they come with few quality of life improvements like more modern, lower cuff, better liners (Thankfully! The early to mid 90’s liners were not great) and are made out of more eco-friendly materials.
But other than that, they use exactly the same shell as old Roces skates (named Pro). The boot is clean and simple, you won’t find a 45 degree strap here. The top buckle is the same one, patented memory buckle, as on older skates. The highlight is the frame, though – it doesn’t just pretend to be old design part, it is exactly the same mold as used all these years ago in Roces Street. It is still attached to the boot with multiple rivets, too. The biggest wheel size it can fit is 76 mm – true to the roots.
The fact that Roces 1992 are not modern doesn’t mean they are not well made. Roces pays attention to quality and it shows. This is a classic skate made out of new, improved materials. Slightly matte plastic looks great and give these premium feel.
For who?
What about actual skating in these? Roces Street were made in different times and were not really defined as skates for one particular style. Back in the day, skating scene was not as fragmented as it is now and people were experimenting with pushing boundaries of what is possible on inline skates. Thus, Roces Street could be found on feet of rec, fitness, jam/dance, hockey, urban and aggressive skaters' feet alike. They owe this widespread use thanks to high durability of the design, which has not aged a bit in that matter. Even after 25 years, these boots and frames are super solid.
It is anything but easy to put a label on Roces 1992. Saying that these are rec/fitness hardboots is doing them a disservice. Seeing that Nils Jansons (Roces Pro in aggressive team) does urban/commuting skating in them just fine, it is only fair to say that even more demanding skaters should find these fun. Aggressive skating in them makes zero sense now, even though they were one of top picks for this style back in the day. They are durable but were left behind by times. To put it simply, aggressive skates evolved rapidly with some deep changes to their functionality and there are plenty of such skates on the market now, for similar or even lower price, much better fit for the job.
Dare to think outside the box
All things considered, the best answer to a question “What exactly Roces 1992 are?” is simply “Good skates”. Ones you can just put on your feet and have fun, forgetting all of these styles and technical clutter that dominate modern narrative in skating. Ones that can bring you back to the root bcause of why we all skate – joy the feeling of freedom on wheels gives us. It doesn’t really matter if you miss the era of boys bands, pump sneakers, “Baywatch” on TV and flannel shirts, or not.
Find Roces 1992 skates in our shop:
All versions are the same skate, with different splash of colour. Go ahead and pick your favourite!