Powerslide - Zoom 100 - Red Inline Skates

If you thought that Powerslide said their final word in terms of hardboots based on Trinity mounting with release of NEXT, you are in for a surprise. The brand follows up with new ZOOM skates, which surely will make some noise in lower price bracket segment of freeskates market.

ZOOM’s story has started with a desire to create a new shell to replace the one used in low price Powerslide One freeskates (Bronx line) and in aggressive model USD Sway. It soon became evident that new boot exceeded expectations and is also a viable choice for higher class equipment. Designers created a Trinity mounting adapter for new shell and started extensive testing. After months of tweaking and adjusting, ZOOM came to be.

Even though the boot uses a separate adapter to make it compatible with Trinity mounting, a majority of benefits this system brings is transferred to new skates. Three mounting points allowed engineers to lower the centre of gravity, make energy transfer more efficient and provide easier control of the skate. The shell is rigid and long lasting thanks to glass fibre reinforced plastic used for production. Much like in case of NEXT skates, the boot does have high lacing and is secured with two buckles. Outside of the boot is protected with large, replaceable slider. Inside of the shell sits a MyFit Basic dual liner with EVA insole – it ensures a high level of comfort without raising a price of the whole skate. Thanks to possibility to heat-mould it, the liner is one of strong points of ZOOM skates. No other skate in this price bracket offers such great fit customization.

ZOOM 100 are equipped with Elite casted frame of 231mm length. It fits three Hurricane 100mm wheels with Wicked ABEC7 bearings – a setup perfect for beginning of an adventure with freeskating on three wheels. Trinity mounting makes the skate lower and thanks to it, anyone who feels comfortable with 4x80mm will not have any problem with taming 3x100mm setup. This configuration makes a great fit for city skating and will allow to implement freestyle elements in to your ride. Short frame provides agility so great, it is even possible to start playing with freestyle slalom using this setup. ZOOM 100 are also a great choice for people with smaller feet, who usually were limited to 4x76mm setup (the same frame length) but want to have something faster without sacrificing agility. Last but not least, the boot is compatible with all Trinity frames, even the off-road ones – this opens up a path for potential upgrade in the future for those who like to tinker with their skates.

ZOOM 100 are not just a lower-end budget skates. They are, as a whole, much more than a simple sum of their parts. Powerslide has cut costs wisely when creating cheaper sibling of NEXT and while it can be easily spotted in which areas compromises were made, ZOOM skate so good that it is hard to believe they are a budget offering. Smart design has resulted in skates that offer a wide range of possibilities and will satisfy newcomers and experienced skaters alike. Up to this point, triskating market has lacked a solid, lower cost skate which would offer skating experience comparable to more expensive models. The budget constrains usually resulted in skates with high centre of balance, which made the skates less suitable for inexperienced users. ZOOM 100 are a solution to this problem – a true modern, solid and well-designed urban triskates at affordable price.