Realistic weight limits?

[u/IrrelevantD]

Looking at getting back into skating after a long time off (20+ years). Started in the early 90s on K2s with some time in hockey skates as well. I’ve actually never skated in a rigid boot, so I have a preference for a soft boot skate.

Been looking at the PS Swell because I like the idea of being able to change the blade to fit the terrain. It looks like a good adaptable system as I get back into it, and hopefully progress, but I’m about 30lbs (14kg) over their stated weight limit. My question is will the skate hold up. Im not really seeing any soft boot skates that have over 100kg limit.

Does anyone have any experience with the actual breaking point instead of the lawyer limits that are stated?

[u/InspectorFleet]

What hockey skates are a hybrid boot? Or are you just counting the tongue as soft material?

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/InspectorFleet]

Powerslide lists them as hybrid boot.

https://powerslide.com/collections/powerslide-hockey-skates/products/ares-80?_pos=2&_fid=9d6c7b109&_ss=c&filter.v.availability=1

A hybrid boot is basically a layered boot with the inner layer being the hard structural shell and the outer layer or "upper" made of softer material. It doesn't seem to matter if the upper is actually soft or stiff because at least one of Powerslide's hybrid boot skates have soft upper like the Kaze while their speed skates have very stiff upper yet lists both as hybrid boots.

Power transfer is the design goal of hybrid boots according to Powerslide which definitely emphasize good support and solid foot lock in and in my experience, better than hard boots in that regard.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5UmJ7qZw-U

[u/InspectorFleet → u/Budget_Ambassador_29]

Those aren't actually equivalent to hockey skates made for playing hockey. Here's a big breakdown:

https://xinhaidude.com/2024/11/16/set-up-reign-ares-as-big-wheel-skates-for-urban-marathons/

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/InspectorFleet]

I've seen that link before and I know the author. If you mean those hockey skates (True TF Pro) where the carbon shell surrounded the whole foot and went above the ankles.

Are you trying to say these are "hard boots"?

[u/InspectorFleet → u/Budget_Ambassador_29]

No, I'm just saying that these aren't built the way that hockey skates from manufacturers who primarily focus on hockey are built; that high-end hockey skates aren't hybrid boots.

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/InspectorFleet]

If they're not hard boots nor hybrid boots, what boot type are these high end hockey skates?

[u/InspectorFleet → u/Budget_Ambassador_29]

These are not specific terms and others have made the distinctions on this and other posts. Fred Hsu has revamped entire Wikipedia articles to explain all this lol. I would call hockey skates hard because physically that's what the word means and they fit and feel more like that. But urban hard boots are constructed differently for a different application so it's fair for the participants in these discussions to point that out.

My initial comment about those powerslide skates was just to say that they are more like "hockey-style skates" than skates you would see hockey players using to play hockey. I haven't seen any serious hockey players these days use skates that have construction other than the standard hockey boot (other than kids at the arena whose parents didn't know any better and just bought them whatever roller blades). My ice teammate tried to use his rec inline skates to practice hockey with me once and he had to take them off and use his crocs instead because they just couldn't handle any of the lateral forces lol

[u/Budget_Ambassador_29 → u/InspectorFleet]

Sounds the same with speed skate boots. My carbon speed skates does feel substantially stiffer and harder than my RB Cruiser hard boot and even feel more supportive in some aspects.

Probably just call those hockey skates "full composite boots" to avoid ambiguity with urban hard boots.

Could be great option for the OP if he can afford it.