Skating is all about having fun. Roller skating entails just that. Impala is there to help you meet your skating requirements, by availing awesome quality roller skates. Their mission is to help support constructive and inspiring community for skaters of all levels that is welcoming to, and acknowledges diversity in all walks of life. They are committed to continuous advancement in their product range and are always listening to customer feedback in a bid to better their products
Impala products are Peta-approved vegan. The company cares about their impact; hence they seek to create products that are conscious of this – from the materials to the manufacturing processes in place. The “Impalaskatesquad” is a global community for people who love to skate, whether at the beach, local streets, at rinks, or in the skate parks.
A Brief History of Roller Skates
Roller skates sprouted with a bang, coming to existence first at a party in the 1760s. The inventor, Joseph Merlin, wore his newly invented wheeled shoes to an event In London, where he unfortunately and unwillingly smashed into a wall mirror. In the process, he sadly hurt himself and the invention’s prominence for many years that followed.
In 1818, roller skates made a more victorious entry as part of a ballet held in Berlin. The event named “Der Maler oder die Wintervergn Ugungen” (The Artist or Winter Pleasures) featured ice skating shows, which were replaced by roller skating to allow indoor performance.
The following year, the first recorded copyright for a roller skate was bestowed to Monsieur Petibledin in France. Monsieur’s skates were built to attach the underneath of an ordinary shoe, with a wooden sole mounted over a single inline row of wood, copper, or ivory wheels.
The modern roller skate was invented in 1863, by James Leonard Plimpton, who created the equipment referred to as a quad-skate. Leonard’s wooden wheels were fixed on a rubber cushion that permitted them to pivot a bit when the wearer leaned either direction, left or right.
Plimpton installed a floor for roller skating in the building that housed his furniture business. He then summoned customers to rent his skates and test them out. Plimpton also helped create the New York Roller Skating Association (NYRSA) to publicize it as a recreational sport.
During the same period, E.H. Barney developed a metal clamp-on design that suited both ice and roller skates and could be reinforced using a screw. In the 1890s, a newer version with adjustable length emerged. It permitted users with varying-size feet to share common skates. This style gained popularity with kids during the 1960s.
In the following decades, Plimpton’s design was upgraded with the addition of ball-bearing wheels that allowed smoother movement as roller rinks and roller-polo leagues emerged in cities across the United States. In the end, standard skates featured a tall boot laced up over the ankle, giving additional support and movement control.
In 1916, the first roller skating film called “The Rink” was recorded, and it featured Charlie Chaplin, as the star actor. During the 1930s, the term roller derby became popular for speed skating and long-distance competitions that featured multiple events. By the end of the decade, promoter Leo Seltzer started amending regular roller derby rules to make the activity more of a contact sport.
By the 1950s, the National roller derby league featured six teams across the country. Skate designs were then enhanced with the creation of stronger plastics and the invention of toe stops in the 1950s and 1960s.
Together with the spread of car-centric drive-in restaurants, the skating carhop gained popularity in suburban America. The disco age rekindled the roller-skating tendency as adults stepped into the dance floors wearing polyurethane skates. Films such as “Rollerball” and “Xanadu” captured the stylistic sport. In the 1980s, Scott and Brennan Olson created the Rollerblade company. The company promoted inline skates as the new frontier. Similar to Kleenex, the word Rollerblade is now so accredited, it is often used generically.
The History of Impala Roller Skates
Impala skates do not boast a lot of history as they have been around for only a few years. Impala Roller Skates was founded in 2017, in Melbourne Australia, by Globe International. It is driven by a group of females who are passionate about skating. The company is famous for its surf, skate, and women’s streetwear. With a sentimental throwback to the ’70s, 80’s & 90’s, Impala recalls the yesteryears of skate.
Impala skates are currently available worldwide at stores or online – in Australia, Indonesia, Europe, New Zealand, USA, UAE, and Asia.
Impala Roller Skate Products
Some of Riedell’s most popular skate products include Impala Quad Skate Pink, Impala Quad Skate Black, Impala Quad Skate White, Impala Quad Skate Marawa Rose Gold, Impala Quad Skate Holographic, Impala Quad Skate Leopard, Impala Quad Skate Cynthia Rowley Floral, Impala Quad Skate Midnight, and Impala Quad Skate Aqua.
Impala Quad Skate Pink
In reverence to the yesteryears of roller skating, Impala has designed this quality skate in an exciting color and style trend to get you feeling confident at the rink or skating in the streets.
Impala Quad Skate Pink Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82a durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Black
With respect to the good old skating days, Impala creates this valuable skate in exhilarating fashion to make skaters happy as they do their thing.
Impala Quad Skate Black Features:
- PETA-approved vegan product.
- PVC upper, heel, and sole.
- Metal speed lace eyelets.
- Aluminum alloy trucks and baseplate.
- 58mm, 82A durometer nylon-core urethane wheels.
- ABEC 7 bearings.
- PU brake stopper.
Impala Quad Skate White
Paying homage to the amazing years of roller skating, this skate is designed in such a way that skaters reminisce the early skating days. The quality that comes with this skate is unmatched.
Impala Quad Skate White Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminum alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82a durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Marawa Rose Gold
This skate is a product of a collaboration between Impala and Marawa. It features exceptional touches, including a custom printed liner, rose gold hardware, and marble swirl wheels that make this skate one of its kind.
Impala Quad Skate Marawa Rose Gold Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82s durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
Impala Quad Skate Holographic
This skate features glittering, PVC uppers, and bubbling blue laces for a colorway that surely turns heads. It also features top-quality components including metal speed lace eyelets, ABEC 7 bearings, aluminum alloy trucks and baseplates, and 58mm 82s durometer nylon core urethane wheels that guarantee a seamless and quality ride. Whether you are skating at the rink or along a pavement or street, Impala’s Holographic Roller Skates will upgrade your skills to the next level.
Impala Quad Skate Holographic Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82a durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Leopard
The Leopard model has been designed by Impala to give a combination of excellent comfort with durable components.
Impala Quad Skate Leopard Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82s durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Cynthia Rowley Floral
The designer of Impala Quad Skate Cynthia Rowley Floral, Cynthia Rowley, is deemed the pioneer of “surf-leisure” by Vogue. Cynthia possesses an unconstrained spirit and fearlessly redefines the limits of fashion. The brand “Cynthia Rowley” is an industry-leading lifestyle brand developed on a philosophy that fashion is meant to be an adventure.
Impala Quad Skate Cynthia Rowley Floral Features:
- Custom floral printed upper and laces
- Specialty Mesh lining
- Custom branded aglets
- 58mm 82A durometer urethane wheels with custom floral printed nylon core
- Custom gold trucks, baseplate, hardware
- PU brake stopper
- Custom metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- PVC upper heel and sole
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Midnight
Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminum alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82a durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Impala Quad Skate Aqua
This quality skate from Impala meets the requirements of every skater, ranging from beginners to skilled skaters. It features long-lasting boots that blend exceptional ankle support and superb comfort.
Impala Quad Skate Aqua Features:
- PVC Upper, heel and sole
- Metal speed lace eyelets
- Aluminium alloy trucks and baseplate
- 58mm 82s durometer nylon core urethane wheels
- ABEC 7 bearings
- PU brake stopper
- PETA-approved vegan product
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Impala roller skates good?
Impala skates are a stunning choice and are available at an accessible price point. They have a padding material that makes the skates fit on the feet and ankles amply and painlessly. The bushings are nice and soft. The wheels are gummy and roll remarkably on concrete roads.
These skates make a solid, good product, giving you a value for your money. They are firm, but once broken in; they become a joy to have them on. Impala skates feature a comfortable boot, metal plate, and they have a provision for changing wheels, plate, and toe stop whenever necessary.
Are Impala roller skates good for beginners?
Impala skates are good for people who are just getting into skating. They are designed with an aluminium metal plate, fixed toe stops, and hybrid wheels, making them perfectly suitable for cruising, learning how to skate, and fundamental dance moves.
The aluminium plate is lightweight, offers stability and easy movement that beginners require. The wheels are not as large as most outdoor wheels; thus, they do not feel cumbersome. The toe stop is great; it is big, quiet, rubbery, and of high quality. The comfort and adjustability that characterizes Impala skates make them the perfect choice for beginners. You may want to upgrade the bearings for a better skating experience.
Do Impala roller skates run small?
Similar to any other type of skates, knowing how your Impala skates fit is essential; otherwise, you risk having your skate run small. A correct skate fit is ideal because if it is not rightly sized, it is more likely that you will experience blisters, damage to the boot support, and eventually, you may start to dislike skating. To avoid all of that and to ensure that your Impala skates do not run small soon, you need to select your skate size carefully.
The black skates have a wider toe box than the other colors, and the holographic ones run smaller than all the others. Impala roller skates are listed in US ladies’ sizes. Ladies can pick their skate sizes to match their regular sneaker sizes, while men will have to go up two full sizes. Impala roller skates are only available in full sizes; if you are a half size, it is recommended you buy the next size up. True to size, check the size chart on Impala’s website, select your ideal fitting skate size, and avoid the problem of your skate running small.
The Bottom Line
It is always fun to pick up a new hobby. Skating is tremendously fun; it is a surprise that it is not very common these days. If you are a beginner, you may think skating is intimidating at first, because you will not have an idea what to do with the big skates on your feet. But it is really worth giving a try.
Get yourself a pair of proper fitting Impala skates and keep practicing every day; you will start to feel more comfortable with time. Impala skates are exceptionally comfortable, they have great price reviews, and their aesthetic is super cute; you will want to be a part of the Impala community.
