Rollerblade Macroblade 80 ABT W Grey/Mint Inline Skates

Macroblade is the main line of Rollerblade’s fitness skates. The company that has founded inline skating placed their bets on comfort, simplicity, proven solutions, attractive looks and high quality materials. The result are skates that are not only fun to use, but also “just work” without much need for maintenance.

Rollerblade is returning to one of their classic inventions this year and once again offers skates with active brake system. These are intended for people who are sill learning how to skate and are having hard time finding balance to use regular brake, let alone skate without it.

Macroblades are typical softboots – meaning that they have a relatively soft, breathable and lightweight boot placed on stable composite base with rigid external cuff, giving the ankle a good level of support. Even though the cuff itself is fairly minimalistic, it is rigid and high enough to prevent pronation and supination. It is open at the front, allowing you to get lower on your knees while skating. A strong, plastic buckle on top provides a secure closure.

It is worth to note that due to how braking mechanism work in these skates, their cuff is higher at the back than one found in regular Macroblade 80. This allows for calf to press against it and push the brake downward.

The soft part of the boot is modelled after high quality training sneakers not only when it comes to looks, but also in terms of fit and materials. The outer mesh fabric does excellent job at letting air in and moisture out. Beneath outer layer you’ll find a comfortable, anatomically shaped Performance padding. Furthermore, inner lining material is abrasion-resistant to last longer. A fast lacing system allows you to easily tighten the boot. Final touch is the Velcro strap to lock you heel in place.

Macroblades come with stiff, two piece fitness frame riveted to the boot. It is made out of thick aluminium sheet and embossed to give it shape which benefits rigidity. The axles are two-piece, but because of clever design with one of the parts locking in the frame, you need only single allen key to tighten them. Comes in handy when time comes for wheel rotation!

Skates have 265 mm long frame which provides plenty of stability and good base for deep, efficient pushes. Thanks to it, skating is easy and you can go fast once after acquiring some skating experience.

Even though the maximum wheel size for this frame is 84 mm, the skates come stock with 80 mm ones. This is because this model is made for less experienced skaters, who can learn proper technique on smaller wheels. The option to upgrade later remains open. The 82A hardness is a good middle point between comfortable roll and speed. The SG5 bearings are a decent choice for rec and fitness skating.

The unique feature of ABT (stands for: active brake technology) is their brake. Instead of lifting your toes up to brake, all you need to do is slide your braking foot forward a bit. This tilts the cuff backwards and activate lever which in turn presses brake rubber against surface. It is super easy to maintain balance and slow down at the pace you want, as this system gives you granular level of control over braking strength. Furthermore, height of the brake is adjustable, so you can get consistent braking feel over time, simply by tweaking the rubber position.

Macroblade 80 ABT W come highly recommended to those who look for comfortable, well made skates for light fitness use or to serve as introduction in to the sport. The active brake technology makes it easier than before.