Inline Skates for Men

Reviewers like Rollerblade

The Rollerblade Activa II 4D for women (*Est. $230) and the Crossfire II 4D (*Est. $230) for men have an unusual lacing system. Rather than traditional laces, they use a filament lace that ratchets tight. Twisting a button lets you tighten and loosen them. Reviewers say the system works well and is easy to use, but we did find a report that the filament snapped. The review at InlinePlanet.com notes the good ankle support and stability with 90mm wheels. However, editors note these skates are on the heavy side, so they aren't fast (which is fine for beginners). The review at The Wall Street Journal notes that the Activa II 4D and Crossfire 4D inline skates ride smoothly and are easy to maneuver.

The Rollerblade Activa II 4D and Crossfire II 4D have an adjustable frame, which means you can adjust the balance of the skate on the wheels for the best comfort. The similar Activa II 90 (*Est. $200) and Crossfire II 90 (*Est. $200) skip the adjustable frame, but still have the ratchet lacing system. Most reviewers found the Rollerblade skates to be very comfortable, with great support and padding, though one female tester with wide feet didn't find them as comfortable.

You can find some slightly cheaper inline skates at Wal-Mart and discount stores with brand names such as Bladerunner and Roller Derby, but we didn't see these skates tested in reviews, so we can't determine how they compare against the class-leading K2 and Rollerblade skates.