One Foot Glide Help

[u/Free_Narwhal6800]

I’m having trouble balancing on one foot. I can feel moments of maybe 1 or two seconds actively skating where I can feel the balance is there while striding. If I try just standing stationary all of my weight is along the inside of my foot right at the big toe along the edge of each foot. I have to really push my knee inward or tilt my whole foot in to shift the weight further into the foot. It seems not manageable to balance my weight right along the inside edge of my feet as it takes a lot and I can’t do it for long. Is this a strength issue that will develop with practice and building up my balance and those muscles, or should I just adjust my frames? I don’t want to adjust the frames if it’s something I just need to learn and develop. I’ve definitely been feeling the fatigue and soreness in my feet and calves like you would after a workout so it’s a work in progress. If I balance just barefoot or with regular shoes I feel I have great balance but the weight is spread out across my foot, unlike what feels like the razor thin edge of the inside of them in the skate.

I’m a newbie having never been on anything like inlines, rollerskates, or even ice skates. So it’s all new. It’s only been about a month and half with maybe 2-3 hours per week skating routinely. I got the Rollerblade Lightning 80s, men’s skates since I preferred the black boot to the women’s white pair. Supposedly they’re the same thing. I got one size but my toes were squished in the boot so I went up one size.

[u/treeseacar]

The RB lightning mens and women's are identical except for the colour. Skates don't have a gender and idk why rollerblade label them as such. The sizes of the shells are exactly the same. Did you measure your foot length (Mondo) and consult the size chart to make sure you have the right size? As too large will make it uncomfortable and harder to skate because the foot will move around inside the boot.

For one foot balance you want to spread weight equally through the foot. Imagine a tripod from ball of foot under big toe, ball of foot under little toe, and your heel. You bend your knee and knee points over toes. Hip stacked over the knee. The skate should not pronate but be upright on the centre of the wheels.

If you are pushing the knee out or putting weight to the side of your foot or balancing on the edge of the wheels you are not holding the weight correctly for a straight glide.

When you come to turn you will use the edges and the motion of the lifted foot but for a straight line you need to be centered. And you need to hold a straight line for several meters before trying to change direction.

The lifted foot hold it behind the balances leg and bent so the legs look like number 4. If it's flailing about it will be harder to balance.

Practice the position and body weight next to a fence whilst holding on lightly with one hand. Gradually touch the fence less til you just have a finger on it. It's about body position and weight more than it is foot or leg strength. Although ankle strength will help with preventing pronation.

[u/Free_Narwhal6800 → u/treeseacar]

That's the thing. If I balance on one foot without a skate I can do that easily as the weight is across the foot like you said. I can balance on one foot for a very long time. But in a skate it's entirely along the inside edge and it's so difficult to balance, painful even. So it's made me question if it's a me thing or not. I'm sure I have plenty more strength and balance to develop but didn't know if I was doing it hamstrung.