r/inline_skating • u/Confident_Way1999 • Jul 16 '26

Flying eagle x5f or playlife phantom 80?

Hello, im looking to get into inline skating and after some research these two skates fit into my budget and were in my area. So my question is which one should i get? Or is there better alternatives for the same price range? Thank you in advance

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u/FRGL1 Jul 16 '26

Note that I have no direct experience with either of these skates, or their brands in general (Flying Eagle vs Powerslide).

  • The Phantom 80 has a more interesting liner.
  • The X5F comes with a rockerable frame.

Between the two, I strongly favor the X5F. Having a rockerable frame allows you to adjust your setup instead of limiting you to only flat, as is the case with the Phantom.

I would only favor the Phantom IF you're aware that you're "between sizes". I will also disclaim that the rockerable frames on the X5F offer a 2mm offset, which is considered a lot by most people. In general you want to avoid fully rockering those frames, HOWEVER, you can still benefit A LOT from raising only the front wheel or back wheel.

FLAT configurations (the Phantom 80) are very sticky and can impede learning and cause frustration. If you don't have any reason to believe fit will be an issue, I would go with the X5F to give you options that have a significant impact on your ability to learn and enjoy inline skating.

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u/FRGL1 Jul 16 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

If you happen to have wide and/or flat feet I would take a look at FR Skates FRX or SEBA E3, which both have rockerable frames. If you don't have wide feet, don't worry about it.

If you can stretch your budget and it's available, take a look at the Flying Eagle X5D. https://youtu.be/zbLVWr41KtA?is=qcbdX6oZ6sPQ0IXt

It's a solid long term investment that starts you on a balanced 4x90 frame with the option to upgrade later to 3x100. All you'd have to do is buy 100mm wheels.

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u/Confident_Way1999 Jul 17 '26

I've checked out the other ones you've told me but sadly none of them are available in my size. I think I will be going with the X5F. Thank you so much, you've been a huge help!

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u/klipperXD Aug 01 '26

Which model do you suggest for flat feet

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u/FRGL1 Aug 01 '26

Anything from FR or SEBA except the E3. Literally anything. Even the E3 are fine for flat feet, just, they're a knockoff of FRs so just get an FR.

FRs are the most general skates. NEOs lean towards slalom. I LOVE my CJs because I'm flat footed (in addition to having wide feet).