Moxi Skates versus Riedell Skates: Things to Know Before You Buy - Hello Roller Girl

Skates are special shoes fitted with wheels to move about on rinks or skating surfaces that make skating possible, whether as a recreational activity, a sport, or a form of transportation. This activity has been gaining popularity for decades now. The love for skating, combined with the ever-growing demand for skates, has inspired many designers, including Riedell and Michelle Steilen, to create skate brands.

Paul Riedell created Riedell Shoes, Inc., a company based in Red Wing, Minnesota, the manufacturer of Riedell skates,, in 1945. Paul’s objective was to produce and offer only the most excellent quality skates available in the market.

Michelle Steilen (also known as Estro Jen), created Moxi Skates in 2008, in Long Beach, California. Coincidentally, Moxi Skates are made and manufactured at the Riedell Skates factory.

Things to Consider When Buying Roller Skates

Investing in a new pair of skates requires you to take a look at many things other than just the cosmetic element; the rad colorways. The wheels’ size and feel, the boot material, and the hardware type and quality will affect the skates’ durability and maneuverability. The factors to consider include the skates’ durability, skill levels and abilities, the cost of buying the skates, the skating type that you want, and the comfort and security levels offered by the skates.

Skates’ Durability

You do not want to invest in skates that will serve you for only a short period. Before you buy a pair of skates, you should take a keen look at the materials from which the skates’ components were made. This way, you should be able to determine whether your skate will be a long-lasting one or not.

As a general rule of thumb, leather boots will last longer and give a better fit than synthetic materials. Also, metal frames and plates are better than plastic.

Level of Skills

Your skill level affects the skates that you will need to purchase. If you are just starting to skate, then you will need a basic pair of skates that will serve you in what you will be doing; fundamental skating moves. As for advanced skaters, intricate skate designs are what they require. Advanced skating entails complicated skating activities such as high jumps, complex turns, spins, etc.; thus, specific skate designs are a must.

Cost

Your budget will always dictate what you buy. As you look at the other factors that characterize a good skate, the ultimate decider will be the associated price versus the amount of money you are willing to invest in your skates. Therefore, while shopping, always keep in mind your budget.

Durable items are made from top-quality materials; thus, they are expensive. You will need to strike a balance between your budget and the quality of your new skates. Extensive research will land you on a pair of skates with top attributes and are available at a fair price.

Skating Type

Something fundamental when deciding what skates to buy is understanding what you want to do. Do you want to skate indoors or outdoors? Are you skating for fun, participating in a skating competition, or as a form of transport? Which skating type are you interested in?

Once you have the answers to these questions, then choosing your new skates will become a lot easier. Different skate brands and designs are available based on the skating type that one is interested in.

Comfort Levels

If there is one thing that you should never ignore, it is the comfort you derive from your skates. Whether you are skating for fun or participating in a skating competition, the feel on your feet comes first. Of course, the different skates available in the market will have different feels. The comfort levels of a skate lie in the boot. Comfortable boots feature additional touches such as padding, to make you feel better while doing your thing.

The components that make up the skates, boots, wheels, bearings, toe stops, and plates, are the determinant elements on which the factors above are attached.

Moxi Versus Riedell Guide

It might seem challenging to decide which skates to pick between Moxi roller skates and Riedell roller skates. Reading through customer reviews, you will find that most skaters describe Riedell roller skates as the best in the market. The same applies to Moxi roller skates. You are confused, right? Is it a matter of preference? Worry no more; this article will help you understand more about both brands, Moxi and Riedell before you settle on your skate brand.

Boots

Boots are vital elements that make up skates; without them, you would not have skates. Your skates must have the boot so that you have something to put your feet into. Before diving into the details about boots, you have to ask yourself what type of skating you want to participate in and your skating skill level.

Vinyl or Leather Uppers

Vinyl boots are cheaper and are most often heavily padded. These boots are perfect for beginners who are not familiar with a tight, performance fit and are recommended for recreational skating. They are characterized by little stretch and maintain fit like regular shoes.

Leather boots are most suitable for players who participate in activities above recreational activities. They are long-lasting and offer high performance than synthetic boots due to their ability to stretch and form to your feet. The better the leather quality, the more comfortable and high-performing the skate boot is.

The Moxi Ivy roller and Moxi Beach Bunny skate boots are made of vinyl uppers while the Moxy Lolly and Moxy Jack come with leather boots.

Riedell roller skates are made from top-quality soft and robust leather.

High-cut or Low-cut boots?

Generally, higher cut boots provide more ankle support compared to lower cut boots. However, lower-cut boots allow more speed and agility by permitting for longer strides and more range of motion.

Moxi roller skates feature a high-top boot. The different Riedell skates’ models come with both high-cut and low-cut boots. The Riedell Outdoor, Riedell Artistic, and Riedell Rhythm feature high-cut boot designs, while the Riedell Jam, Riedell Rink and Speed, and Riedell Derby feature low-cut boot designs.

Hard-boot or Soft-boot

If you are interested in fitness skating or taking part in long skating rides, then you will require high stability and support; thus, hard boots are your most ideal choice. They are designed to tackle concrete, ramps, and rough terrains. Soft boots are suitably used in disco or dance skating since they allow for enhanced maneuverability.

Moxi roller skates feature sturdy boots made of drum-dyed vinyl for sheer colour saturation and an additional ankle padding to give comfort and security in the course of skating.

Riedell roller skate boots are hard as well since they are made of leather, which is a hard material.

Wheels

Roller skates come with four wheels in pairs, making them steady to stand on. Whether you are a first-time buyer or you are looking to upgrade your skate or wheels, particularly, you need to decide whether you are going for hard or soft wheels.

Softer wheels are most suitable for outdoor skating on uneven surfaces because they have better grip and shock absorption. The disadvantage is that they are slower and less durable. Hard wheels are suitable for indoor skating. The advantage with them is that they last longer.

Hard wheels versus soft wheels

The hardness or softness of a wheel is specified by a durometer scale that goes from 0-100A. The closer you are to 0A, the softer your wheels are, and the closer you are to 100A, the harder your wheels will be.

The wheels on the different Moxi skates have varying hardness. The Moxi Beach bunny, Moxi Ivy, and Moxi Lolly wheels have a hardness of 78A, while the Moxi Jack wheels have a hardness of 97A.

The same case applies to Riedell roller skate wheels. Wheels on Riedell Dash Skate Sets have a hardness of 91A, those on Riedell Dart Ombre Skate Sets, 93A, and wheels on Riedell Citizen Skate Sets have a hardness of 85A.

Bearings

Roller skate bearings are one of the essential components of a roller skate. They permit the roller skate wheels movement on the axe of the roller skate frame. As well, bearings are crucial in making the silky, seamless skating speed a possibility. Having the correct bearings and ensuring that they are in good condition guarantees a smooth, soundless ride that every skater desires.

Bearings are rated based on their ABEC numbers. ABEC is short form for Annular Bearing Engineers’ Committee, the body that regulates bearing ratings. The ABEC rating system stipulates grades 1,3,5,7 and 9, and the grade represents how much roll your bearings will have.

Moxi Lolly, Moxi Beach Bunny, and Moxi Jack roller skates have bearings with rating ABEC 5, while the bearings on Moxi Ivy Skates have bearings with rating ABEC 3.

Riedell Dash skate sets bearings are rated ABEC 1, while the bearings on Riedell Dart Ombre and Riedell Citizen roller skate sets are rated ABEC 5.

Toe Stops

Toe stops are used when setting off and when stopping. Toe stop requirements vary with skating type. Toe stops may not be a necessity in some skating activities, while for other skating types, a toe stop is a must-have. For instance, skaters partaking in rhythm and dance will not use a toe stop extensively while speed skaters do a lot with toe stops; thus, they must have them in specific custom designs.

Adjustable Versus Non-adjustable Toe Stops

Adjustable toe stops, as the name suggests, can be adjusted, while non-adjustable toe stops cannot. If you are a skilled skater, who takes part in complex performances and activities such as high jumps or complicated turns, then toe stops, adjustable ones, is a must-have for you.

This is because you will find it necessary to make adjustments based on the different scenarios you will find yourself. If you are starting to skate, then you may not even need toe stops, but if you do, then non-adjustable toe stops can work for your fundamental skating activities.

Moxi skates feature adjustable toe stops; Powerdyne Adjustable toe stop.

As for Riedell skates, the Riedell Dash and Riedell Citizen skate sets come with non-adjustable bolt-on toe stops, while the Riedell Dart Ombre skate set features adjustable black toe stops.

Truck and Plates

A truck and a plate at their bottom part characterize roller skates. Most plates are made using nylon, which makes the skate lightweight while trucks are mostly made using aluminium to enhance sturdiness. Based on the angle that the kingpin is drilled on, plates can be categorized into 10-degree and 45-degree plates.

A 10-degree plate assumes a more vertical setup and is designed to place a player above the kingpin and cushions, creating a more stable skating feel. A 45-degree plate features a truck design that assumes a more horizontal setup in relation to the skating floor and is more sensitive to the player’s movement; thus, creates a more aggressive stance and feel.

Moxi skates feature plates made of Powerdyne Thrust Nylon plate that can be upgraded to any of the Reactor family of plates.

Plates on Riedell Dash and Riedell Citizen skate sets are made of PowerDyne Thrust Nylon, while Riedell Dart Ombre skate sets come with Die Cast Aluminum plates.

The Bottom Line

If this is your first time purchasing a pair of quad roller skates for yourself or someone you love, or you are planning to upgrade from an old pair, choosing the right roller skates can be daunting. In fact, the number of available options could easily drive you to give up on skating and perhaps pick another hobby, bike riding maybe.

The Moxi and the Riedell Skates are among the top brands available in the market. But which one should you pick? This article attempts to answer this question by furnishing you with insights regarding these two skates, their unique qualities, the similarities, and the notable differences. Reading through this guide will give you the much-needed information that should help you narrow down your options and decide which skates to pick; Moxi or Riedell.