It`s a year 1997, the peak of the world's boom of aggressive inline skating. The sport is developing at a surprising pace - fresh and progressive skating requires new solutions. Roces Pros were seen skating a mysterious new equipment - Fifth Element skates.
At the beginning of 1998, Roces officially introduced a new skate model to the market, available in two color versions. Designed by Gino Conte (one of Roces' main designers behind the historic M12) with Rawlinson Rivera and all of Roces' pro team, the skate shell consisted of hard polyurethane for the main shell and softer PU for the lacing area.
A common new feature of most of the skates released back in 1998 were interchangeable parts, and the Fifth Element was no exception. The skates had a removable soulframe which was attached to the shell with 3 screws. It delivered a huge, completely flat soulplate and one of the first profiled grooves. In addition, a large distance between the 2nd and 3rd wheel, removable H-block and the option of rockering the wheels in 4 positions were parts of the package. Back then, most of us used skates with raised heel soulplates - the new Roces ones made quite an impression and motivated to get an upgrade.
Even though an information about women’s version and Pro models for several team riders (Rawlinson Riviera, Jon Julio and Josh Petty) was included in Roces catalogs at the time, none of them have ever appeared for sale. Why? The Roces brand wasn’t really willing to focus on promoting individual riders – as it turned out later, it was a big mistake. The top aggressive skaters joined the USD brand and started to work with it on producing their first Pro skates immediately. Nowadays one can only wonder what would happen if Roces were to make a different decision – perhaps then, the famous “stretch crew” and the timeless videou “Coup De Tat” would not help the USD brand in becoming the future market leader…
But let`s get back to Roces. In 1999, the second generation of Fifth Element skates was released. The shape of the soulplate has been slightly altered (more heel space) and the depth of the groove has been improved. The buckle on cuff has been significantly covered from damage, and the ratchet strap itself could be hidden inside of it. Roces Khuti, released in the following year (2000), introduced a new lacing system and looked promising, but the lack of proper team support, significant market shrinkage and growing competition (USD, Salomon, Razors) began to push the Roces brand into the background. The situation showed very well that even technically best equipment will not be successful without the promotion done by decent riders. While the competition was delivering personalized skates signed by names of the most respected skaters, Roces has gradually plunged into releasing skates made from stock leftovers, which deviated more and more from the industry’s standards (models like Roces 5k, Element 50 or Element 52).
Present
2018 was the end of an era in the world of aggressive skates. The respected Valo Brand, which has used Roces' factories for the last 15 years, was disbanded.Thus, Roces was left without its 'aggressive' branch. Still having in mind their image mishap from 2 decades ago, Roces decided to return to the aggressive market once againg. This time, an extraordinary group of extraordinary skaters from all over the world has been gathered, creating the new, official Roces team. It was a bull's eye shot.
In a very short time, the company's policy towards their riders improved significantly, which immediately translated into a lot of great content which took over the social media by a storm. As soon as in January 2019, a refreshed version of the Fifth Element was announced – least to say, the anticipation was huge. Product went on sale in June of the same year. The new version looked similar to the older one (same color scheme), but new Roces 5th Element was now UFS compatible, and the one-piece soulframe was replaced with a re-branded, 2-piece Valo soulplate. The skates literally sold out very quickly, so Roces had no reason to slow down. By the end of October we received the first official 5th Element skate Pro model in the history of the brand - Yuto Goto. The skates have become widely accepted and ever since, we receive new editions in a regular manner. To help the environment, the new model is made of 47% corn starch and features many parts made of recycled plastic, as well as a liner made out of hemp.
PRO models based on the Roces 5th Elements skate, thus far:
- Roces 5th Element PRO Yuto Guto (Fuka Green)
- Roces 5th Element PRO Nils Jansons 'Breeze' (White)
- Roces 5th Element PRO Nils Jansons 'Storm' (Black-Navy-Red)
- Roces 5th Element PRO Savosin Illia (Aqamarine)
Is Roces 5th Element a good choice?
Roces essentially offers two aggressive skating models - compact and slim M12 and spacious 5th Element, described here. It is worth to quote the words of Pro rider Nils Jansons, which explains the main difference between these models in a straight to the point manner:
“... Performing tricks on Roces 5th Element is much easier and definitely doesn't require that much effort. But riding the Roces M12 will make you a much better skater... "
It's hard to disagree with that. Roces 5th Element skates are, next to Razors models, the widest shell for aggressive skating on the market. Thick, well padded liners will fit any type of feet. In combination with the elastic PU material in the lacing area, it gives the impression of a super soft and ultra comfortable skate. Re-branded Valo soulplates, considered as one of the best on the market (shape & size wise, with great durability). They are unmatched for cess slides, as well as soul and royale tricks. In addition, the low-set cuff gives us a lot of ankle freedom with back-to-front movement. Such characteristics make it unnaturally easy “to lock” the skates while performing grinds. If you had a problem with Topside tricks on ledges before, then Roces 5th Element may change that!
Size selection
Roces 5th Element skates are produced in only three shell sizes:
- Size 1 - marked by the manufacturer as EU 39-40, with length of 250-255mm
- Size 2 - marked by the manufacturer as EU 41-42, with length of 260-270mm
- Size 3 - marked by the manufacturer as EU 43-44, with length of 280-285mm
We recommend choosing a size at least 1x smaller than your footwear and in addition, following the given Mondo Point dimensions.
In our opinion, Roces 5th Element skates will be a good choice for:
- Beginner skaters - learning your first grinds will be much more fun. The flexible shell will allow you to perform topside tricks easily, while large space for soul tricks will allow for much longer grinds. Thanks to the boot’s universal fit, we can easily choose the right size of the shell
- Older skaters getting back to skating - many of us used to start on the 5th Element. These skates were once the most common skating equipment here in Poland and other European countries, so nostalgia can be a huge factor! Yet, what is more crucial, soft skates mean moderate energy transfer. For someone who returns to aggressive skating after many years, a slightly slower gear will be perfect. The skates will not "roll out" from under your feet, and the massive, heavier structure will help with maintaining stability
- Skaters riding Roces M12 so far and looking for something different - the narrow shell of the popular Roces M12 is light and responsive, although it has a rather small soul space for tricks. In addition, the M12 soulplate material is not the fastest - it works great on steep handrails, where it allows a controlled slide, but on standard flat rails or ledges, it can be a little too slow for some. Thus, if you are an M12 user and feel like you are missing something, the 5th Elements can help you to broaden your skills!
What's next?
Following the actions of the Roces brand, we can rest assured - the skates are being improved with each subsequent season, so all you need to do is wait for new products to hit the market. Currently, the Roces team is testing new models of RL2 liners (designed specifically for the 5th Element), which may appear as quickly as in the next edition of this skate. There are also rumors about a version with...a skin!
