“...Shima has left USD?...”, that is the most famous quote from the beginning of the decade, which was on the lips of absolutely the entire rollerblading community. People could not believe that one of the best skaters in the world resigned from the support of the then most rapidly growing manufacturer of aggressive inline skates. Shima's decision remains a mystery to this day. Just a few months after the release of the iconic Coup De Tat, which, along with the first Mindgame team video, completely changed the direction of the development of rollerblading, Brain begins the cooperation with a new player, namely the then still not very popular Razors brand, and the rest is history....
In 2001 Brain Shima officially joins the Razors team and together with his good friend Jon Elliot they focus on fine-tuning Razors' flagship skate, the Cream. The strengths of the new Razors models were the easy access to replaceable parts and consequently a lot of possibilities to create their unique setups, as well as the backslide plate designed completely from scratch. At a time when Torque was a fresh, popular grind, Razors' skates made learning it much easier. The improved liner design already offered much better comfort, and the distinctive flexible plastic already won over many new enthusiasts.
Razors aggressive inline skates instantly conquered the market, offering unprecedented versatility of fit and friendly with then-current trick trends. The whole buzz around the Razors team was also of great importance here. It was Brian Shima, with Jon Elliot, who introduced the rock'n'roll to rollerblading, cutting themselves off completely from the USD hip-hop vibe, and perhaps that's why Razors gained so much favour with inline skating fans around the globe.
In March 2001, Shima's first pro models hit the market and instantly became the best seller. Based on the Razors Cream shell, it introduced a new soft top lacing system and much taller, distinctive liners with a huge embroidered Shima logo. The skate community around the world literally went crazy for the new Razors models. Absolutely everyone wanted to own them! So it's no wonder that the first batch sold out literally on the stump and already in August of the same year we could find their successor in stores.
The Shima 2 model introduced the first Ground Control UFS frame and distinctive white cuffs, thus starting the great craze with mixing colours of parts in aggressive skates. Again, demand was so high that a few months later the Shima 2 LE was offered, which were Razors' first pro models in white. Today it's no longer impressive, but more than 20 years ago most of the skate models for aggressive inline were kept in dark, subdued colours, and except for the white Roces M12 model from the 90s, it was hard to find something similar on the market before. The idea took off, and white skates became a new hot thing. As a result, the third edition of skates signed with the name Brian Shima was also offered in snow-white colours, but at the same time it was Brian's last pro model based on the classic Razors Cult shell.
The first three pro models of Brian Shima inline skates helped to transform Razors from a little-known, often ridiculed brand before into an undeniable market leader. As Shima himself currently states: “...these were more than just another product, it was bigger than me...”. And we can't disagree. Shima Razors skate accompanied Brian during the most important moments in his skating career and became synonymous with the golden era of aggressive inline skate culture. It was on Razors skates that he came closest to landing “Leap of Faith”, he rode them in “What do you believe in” or with their help that he won the memorable street competition in front of the Bercy hall in Paris. Also, let's do not forget one of the biggest wall ride in history, scored during IMYTA Montreal) and the times when we could even see Chris Haffey skating white Shima 3, who, while waiting for the premiere of new Remz UFS models, was killing it on a pair borrowed from Brian himself. Not surprisingly, Razors is now back to producing its most popular models of rollerblades in new, slightly modified versions that are adapted to current market requirements.
Razors got off to a very successful start in 2023, offering an unexpectedly limited reissue of its iconic Razors Shima 3. The brand had already made a big impression last year, offering a refreshed Shima 1, but this time the launch of new gear is even more elaborate. At Razors' invitation, Brain Shima personally appeared at Winterclash 2023 to help with the promotion. We could also see Brian Aragon there, who with a big smile on his face and enthusiasm took off in the PRO category on the new, latest Shima 3 boots — does this mean that a full return of this legendary figure to the world stage is being prepared?
Although originally offered in Boot only form, the updated version comes with the latest Ground Control FTL 4 frames with a friendly flat setup. Therefore, the Razors Shima 3.1 is no longer just a tribute to older fans, but also a great ready-made set for any new skater. The rather compact, universal shape of the shell, combined with the comfortable Reign v.3 liner with stretchy neoprene in the toe area, will easily fit virtually any type of foot. All the appreciated properties of Razors skates like high flexibility and characteristic low centre of gravity are naturally present here.
The Razors brand is currently in need of apt decisions to gain its position in the inline skating world again. Razors Shima 3.1 aggressive inline skates are certainly a hit and represent a major step forward for the company's image, which has been somewhat diminished recently. We hope that this will not be the last time we will be able to see celebrities like Shima and Aragon at international competitions thanks to the Razors brand!
