Powerslide Kaze 4x90 - Black Inline Skates

Kaze skates are not newcomers to Powerslide’s catalogue – in fact, they were one of the very first models to get release back in 2016, when Trinity mounting has premiered. They were never popular, though – no, they never had any “hard no” flaws in design, the reason lies elsewhere. To put it simply, they were released into rather uncomfortable “no man’s land” when it comes to pricing.

These are pure breed freeskates/urban skates, but cost more than popular hardboot skates. On the other hand, they come cheaper than carbon based freeskates, but it is not that significant margin. Plus, lets not fool ourselves – sales of skates such as Hardcore Evo or Igor are driven mostly by enthusiasts of freestyle slalom and Kaze were never that good of a choice for this discipline.

Kaze were an answer to question nobody has asked and Powerslide knew that all along. They have tried to find a niche for them and kept investing into design, giving it a full overhaul in season 2021. Truly, so much has been changed that it is almost a completely new skate! But something was still missing to give it justice. A frame worthy of the boot, that is.

At the tail-end of season 2022, Powerslide has finally released a version of Kaze which feels right and isn’t just a stop-gap between hardboots and carbon skates, but a solid product on its own. New Combat Rocker frame made new Kaze 90 one of the most interesting releases of the year.

Kaze are built around unique, high cut boot. The base is the same one as in Swell skates, but rest is totally different. First of all, skates come with integrated cuff design, which offers surprising amount of ankle support – better than what you get in most hardboots, in fact. To reinforce the connection between cuff internal structure and boot base, Powerslide has decided to leave larger cuff screws in place – these are not for attaching external cuff (trust us, there’s no point in doing that, even though it is technically possible). The upper part closure uses two Velcro straps and lacing, which goes to the very top of the skate.

This design, in conjunction with innovative tongue made out of soft but springy casted polyurethane, gives a lot of freedom when it comes to adjusting how much ankle freedom and forward bending we want. Kaze heavily resemble hockey skates in that aspect. You can lace boot tightly and pull the straps in a way which makes the boot so rigid it feels almost like having a plaster cast on your leg – a nice idea for downhill. However, you can also achieve so much ankle freedom that performing freestyle maneuvers in these skates won’t be a problem at all. These skates are made with performance in mind and you can really feel it – padding is relatively rigid, making them super responsive and great at transferring the energy on push.

Because this boot has been made for users who put attention to how their skates are laced, the most part of the work to keep your heel in place depends on it. Skates do come with 45 degree Velcro strap, which helps you to erase any potential heel lift. This element is fully replaceable, hardware including. If you find that you don’t really need this Velcro, you can easily detach it and enjoy sleeker looking skates. On the other hand, if you’ll feel that a bit more rigidity in ankle area would be beneficial for you, it is possible to mount a buckle instead (you need to buy them separately, multiple types fit, but obvious choice are Powerslide ones).

The materials used in Kaze are all top notch. Recall padding adjusts to your anatomy very quickly, as it gets softer thanks to your body heat. The same material is used in many MyFit liners. A durable synthetic leather has been used for the outer skin, while toe area has been reinforced by additional shielding made out of PU. Boot base is made out of plastic with addition of glass fibres into the mix and is characterized by excellent level of rigidity, beaten only by carbon alternatives. Of course, skate uses Trinity mounting.

As you can see, the boot is excellent – solid and supportive. A good frame would come in handy, wouldn’t it?

Meet a new challenger in the market of high end freeskating frames: Powerslide Combat Rocker. The Combat Rocker frames were made with urban skating and more artistic moves in style of flowskating/wizard. Powerslide are making several different types of these frames – new Kaze 90 come with 4x90 one, measuring 291 mm.

The frames are made out of aircraft 6061 aluminium alloy, extruded and CNC machined for nice finish. But it is not a mere single-void extrusion. It is a triple void extrusion, making a debut in Combat Rocker. It comes with two levels of structural bridges for unmatched rigidity. This is truly best of the best when it comes to extruded aluminium urban frames.

A feature defining Combat Rocker frames is ability to adjust the axles position – however, in contrast to prior rockerable frames made by Powerslide, there are six positions to choose from instead of two. Thanks to hexagonal spacer design, you have a more granular level of adjustment. Set rockering to be very subtle, or more extreme if you like.

Interestingly, even though these frames do use spacers, the axles are one-piece with threaded head, instead of two-piece like in similar solutions from the past. This greatly simplifies the process of tinkering with rockering options. Furthermore, they are made of stainless steel - a very important characteristic, making them not only super strong, but also preventing threads damage.

As you can imagine, hexagonal design allows a lot of freedom when it comes to positioning the wheels in relation to each other. This is a huge advantage here for several reasons, with most important one being: agility. You can really adjust the wheel setup to your liking and even use the rockering to tilt the skate forward, for more aggressive stance. There are multiple possibilities and frame invites you to experiment with them. In addition, the spacers have numbered corners, allowing you to easily set them to desired configuration.

The 4x90 291 mm Combat Rocker is a good compromise between speed, setup height, stability and agility. If you want a four wheels frame, but easier to handle that 4x100 mm one, it is a great pick for a bit of wizardry. This particular version is also more universal in relation to all boot sizes, so it is a logical step to use it in Kaze 90.

What else? Skates come with high quality, durable Undercover RAW wheels with WICKED ABEC9 bearings.

New Kaze 90 stand out of the crowd not only because of their looks, but also thanks to their specs. If you are in search of skates which will serve well for long distance skating, freeride or “doing magic” on flat ground, you have found them. These are definitely one of the most interesting skates released in year 2022.