FR FR1 84 - Black Inline Skates

FR Skates brand has emerged in 2018, however it is not hard to see that in fact it is a continuation of one of the most valued freestyle and freeskate brands – namely, Seba. After years of experimentation with all kinds of skates, from aggressive to fitness and speed ones, owners have decided to redefine their product line. FR Skates is more focused and relies on what always was a core of Seba lineup – solid skates for freeride and top end freestyle slalom skates.

FR1 skates were at the forefront of technology in urban skates for over a decade and even today they are ahead of large majority of competition offerings. FR1 80 is one of the most recognized freeskates in history and its popularity is not fading even though so many years have passed since the very first version.

Skates are based around rigid hardboot made out of durable material and equipped with multiple convenient features which are held in high regard by thousands of skaters. The shell itself has been cut more open than usual in skates of such design – it improves comfort, especially for user with high instep.

Starting from the top of the skate, FR1 model is equipped with a cuff with the most advanced canting system used in the industry. It allows for 16 different cuff positions and can help in fixing problems with pronation or supination or simply serve to change cuff height. FR skates were one of the first skates to introduce replaceable abrasive pad on the side (sometimes called “slider”) which makes boots to last longer by protecting them during wheel slides (shuffles). As you can expect, this piece is present in current FR1 edition.

Other recognizable elements are metal blocks sunken in to shell material in place of traditional mounting points. Each one of them has 7 threaded holes for screw, which allow for frame position adjustment. Additionally, they reinforce frame and boot connection, making it more rigid and greatly improving energy transfer. Mount spacing is 165mm and boots are compatible with most of the frames which use this standard – also triskating ones, which are easier to attach thanks to special wheel well next to front mounting point, which makes more room for big wheels.

Inside of the shell there is a comfortable, anatomically shaped liner which can be laced in the upper part, helping in securing the foot in place. Beneath the liner sits a shock absorber which makes skating more comfortable and reduces impact of landings. Boot tightening is composed of laces and two buckles – traditional one with receiver and metal lever on cuff and ratchet buckle to secure heel in place.

Skate comes with new 4D frame of 255mm length, complete with four 84mm White Urban Speed Wheels and Twincam MW9 Titalium Freeride bearings. While, admittedly, the 4x84 setup is far less popular among freeskaters than 4x80 one, it have its dedicated fans. Thanks to a bit bigger wheels, you can skate faster, but the real game-changer here is the frame lenght: longer frame allows for deeper, stronger push and in turn, makes building up speed easier. It is also much more stable when riding at high speeds. Longer wheelbase also works as an advantage during slides and landings. Best thing about it? The maneuverability is still excellent and setup height is not increased in any significant way.

You can say that compared to 4x80, the 4x84 are almost "cheat" frames - you'll find that skating at high speeds, sliding and jumping are easier. Furthermore, these benefits are in place even if you'll swap wheels for 80mm ones - because they largely come from frame length, not the additional 4mm of wheel diameter. It's not a secret that different skating styles require different tools for the job, and while four 80mm wheels in 243mm frames are good, versatile choice for people who want to also skate a bit of slalom, the 255mm frames come on top for those who don't care about the cones at all and want a pure-breed urban skate. FR1 84 is one of the best stock setups for hardcore freeride fans.