K2 Alexis

The K2 T:Nine Alexis women's inline skate is a solid and affordable, if not spectacular, entry in the dominating K2 lineup. An Inline Planet review recommends this skate for casual users. It performs well, with a smooth, fast, comfortable ride, but isn't so high performance that it's likely to get away from you, as is the case with the K2 T:Nine Celena and K2 Mach 90, both ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed picks because of their super-high, responsive performance.

Older Alexis models came with a hi-lo frame that combined 80mm and 84mm wheels, although the 2011 Alexis comes with four 84mm wheels. You have a choice between conventional laces or a Boa closure; the Boa system received significantly more and better ratings on Buzzillions than the conventional lacing system.

The most authoritative review of the K2 Alexis appears on InlinePlanet.com, and briefly compares the Alexis to other K2 skates. It goes into adequate detail about the skate's fit, hardware, frame and fastening, but unfortunately this review dates from 2007 and some of the features have been updated for more recent models. The total of 13 Buzzillions reviews between the 2010 and 2011 models of the Alexis usually wouldn't be enough to form a strong opinion about this skate, but in the world of inline skate reviews, this is a relative bounty. The user reviews offer a positive, if not detailed, consensus.