Riedell Solaris Boots

Solaris Boots

I started hearing about the Riedell Solaris boots about a year ago and boy have they taken the derbyverse by storm!  When I finally got my hands on some, the first thing I noticed was how amazingly light they were, which is saying a lot since I had been skating with some very light carbon fiber boots.  Like many other skaters, I'm skeptical when new products are introduced and the $349 price tag was a little more than I wanted to spend at the time.  So instead, I watched as more and more skaters switched to these boots and listened to their feedback.


Solaris boots are made with high quality leather, heat moldable counters, and have a rounded toe box which helps them fit a wide range of foot shapes. They also have an antimicrobial perforated microfiber lining with moisture and odor resistant treatment, a huge plus for barefoot skaters such as myself.

Example of Custom Colors

For skaters who prefer a bit more flair, Riedell offers a pretty impressive array of custom color options for an extra $90.  You can even change the color of the ankle straps!


After selling about a dozen pairs of these boots and receiving mostly positive feedback, I ended up getting a pair for myself and so far I'm quite impressed.  For the past few years I have had to deal with hot spots, calluses, toe nails that don't want to grow right or end up falling out, and discolored parts of my feet, but the Solaris boots have given me hope that my feet will be pretty again!  They are unbelievably comfortable and there was no break in period.


The first time I skated with these boots, I had an issue with my heels slipping, almost wanting to pop out of the boots.  Solaris boots feature a narrow heel and V-Lock Strap around the ankle, so I didn't expect my heel to move at all.  I did a little research and found this video featuring Jackie Daniels which shows an interesting method for engaging the V-Lock Strap.  I started lacing my boots this way and no longer had any heel slippage.

Aside from heel slippage, I did end up switching out the insoles, but I've had to do this with all my previous Riedell boots as well.  Years ago at RollerCon, I complained to a Riedell employee about how crappy their insoles were and he said skaters end up throwing the insoles away so Riedell doesn't see a need to improve the quality.  I thought this was a strange response but I didn't pursue the issue further.  In any case, it didn't surprise me that I needed to change out the insoles, many other skaters may need to as well.

Quite a few skaters ended up buying (or wish they had bought) boots a half size smaller than what they normally wear.  This is likely due to the C/AA width which provides a wide area for the ball of the foot.  Feet tend to lengthen when squeezed so it makes sense they would be a tad smaller in a roomy boot.

Developing a blister/hot spot on the inner arch of the right foot happened to a handful of customers and one customer had it develop on her left foot.  In most cases, the blister healed and didn't return; however, some skaters ended up needing to wear eZeefoot Ankle Booties or something similar to prevent it from reoccurring.  All the skaters with this issue said it was a minor inconvenience and that they still loved the boots.

Other than that, I have only heard positive feedback, which is pretty amazing!  For about a year after the Solaris boots were introduced, they were selling so quickly that customers had to wait 6 weeks to get them.  Fortunately, Riedell has been able to catch up and many sizes are in stock and available now.

Solaris Sport Package

Solaris Boots $349


Solaris Sport Package $479

• Plates: PowerDyne Reactor Fuse Nylon
• Wheels: Radar Pop
• Bearings: KwiK Zenith



Solaris Pro Package

• Toe Stop: PowerDyne Jupiter

Solaris Pro Package $699

• Plates: PowerDyne Reactor Pro Series
• Wheels: Radar Halo
• Bearings: KwiK Zenith
• Toe Stop: PowerDyne Jupiter

These are just a couple skate package options but you can always mix and match to create your perfect setup.  I'd love to hear feedback on what other skaters think about the Solaris boots and what kinds of boot/plate combinations you are using.  Feel free to e-mail me at 2N1SkateShoppe@gmail.com with any comments or questions.

Until we skate again!
Shocker

A Slip of the Tongue...

Probably not the type of tongue you're thinking of...I'm talking about when the tongue of your boot slips, which can be more than just annoying.  Over the past few years, I've had to deal with my weirdly shaped ankles causing the tongues of my boots to shift, creating callouses and blisters, and I have figured out a few tricks to keep these things from happening that I would like to share with you.  I'll be happy if I can help at least one skater prevent heel slippage or blisters.

But before we get to these nuggets of wisdom, I'd like to congratulate Emily Joy for winning our Nutcase helmet contest!  She gets an awesome new Nutcase helmet for submitting her helmet story in the comments of the "One Hit Wonder" blog post.  Our next give away will be announced soon, so stay tuned!

And now for the ankle issues and possible solutions...

Lacing Loop

If the tongue of your boots ends up sideways by the time you are done with practice, you may be able to prevent this from happening by lacing your skates a little differently.  First, check to see if the tongue of your boots has a little slit or loops like the boot pictured to the right.  If so, make sure both laces are running through the loop, which will help to keep the tongue in place.

If your tongue doesn't have the slit/loop or if lacing through it still doesn't help, you can try lacing from the outside in until you get to the last eyelet, then lace from the inside out to make tying your laces easier. 

Do you have issues with your heels slipping?  Try this little lacing trick.  When you get to the last 2 pairs of eyelets, skip the 2nd to last pair to lace the very top pair of eyelets first, then lace the skipped eyelets.  This should help your boot fit more snugly.  This can also help prevent blisters around your ankle and heel. (Sorry for the photo quality...tried my hand at taking pics with my phone.)



Finished Product



Lacing Skipped Pair



Skipping a Pair





Ezeefit Booties

Speaking of preventing blisters, have you tried Ezeefit Booties?  I was skeptical at first, but after getting a couple hot spots on my ankles from my new boots I was willing to try anything.  My feet tend to sweat quite a bit so I was curious as to how the neoprene booties would do...and was pleasantly surprised that they indeed preventing any more rubbing.  I didn't notice them during practice and even forgot I had the booties on by the end.  There is no reason for anyone to get blisters when breaking in new skates ever again!  These also helped my skates fit more snugly so they could be another option for those of you having heel slipping issues.

Have your own trick for preventing blisters/heel slippage?  Let us know in the comments...

Until we skate again,

Shocker