Powerslide Imperial One - Black/Yellow Inline Skates

We honestly doubt if Powerslide Imperial needs any introduction or recommendation to urban skating fans. These skates are present in German brand catalogue for a decade, after all. Even though they are no longer the flagship model, being in a shadow of younger Next and Zoom, they still are super solid option for freeskating and even for people who want to get in to freestyle slalom without dropping a lot of money on carbon boots.

The Imperial design may be ten years old, but it has not aged a bit. The bold, futuristic lines are still eye-catching and good-looking. Imperial shell is made out of glass fibre reinforced plastic, which makes it extremely resistant, durable and supportive. These skates are made for demanding urban action: jumps, slides, fast skating. Their exceptional rigidity and level of support also makes them a great choice for big wheels and indeed, they are pretty popular option among skaters who like to built their own, custom setups.

Another feature that made Imperials so iconic and popular is the X-Slot frame mounting. The boot uses 165 mount spacing with raised heel (ssm, v-type) like many other freeskates out there, but comes with a fluent way to adjust the frame position. The mounting points are placed in rails in the middle of metal plates embedded in the boot underside, allowing for precise front to back frame position adjustment. Meanwhile, elongated bolt slots in the frame let you to adjust its position to the sides. You can fine-tune the skates to work better with your anatomy and skating technique, not to mention the fact that thanks to flexibility of X-Slot system, compatibility with ssm mounting frames is excellent. Last but not least, the before-mentioned metal plates increase energy transfer efficiency, resulting in a faster and more responsive skates than if the frame would simply be mounted on plastic.

Inside the shell you’ll find a comfortable MyFit Basic dual fit liner. It is a dual-sized liner, meaning that sizing corresponds to the shell sizing (i.e. EU41-42) – the stretchy toe made out of neoprene allows it to adjust to user’s foot size. Anatomically shaped foams give high level of comfort. The boot closure consists of lacing and two strong buckles, locking the heel in place. Replaceable slider protects the shell in area most prone to damage during falls and on slides.

Imperial Black Yellow come with gravity casted Gamma frames. These were and still are the basic model if aluminium frames in Powerslide’s catalogue. Nonetheless, they are durable and lightweight. Matt finish resonates well with overall skate looks. It comes with Spinner High Rebound wheels – these have strong core and plenty of urethane on them. Wicked ABEC7 grade bearings complete the package, ensuring smooth roll.

Imperial may no longer be the top dog in Powerslide’s urban skates catalogue, but they are still a great choice for urban skating. The boot is excellent when it comes to durability and have one of best frame mounting solutions among freeskates. Furthermore, spare parts are widely available, thanks to the fact Imperials are on the market for so long. Their design was ahead of its time and remains relevant all these years later, allowing them to go toe to toe with more recent skates, both by Powerslide and the competition.