With all the new rollerskate brands popping up all over the world, it can be quite the challenge to pick the right skate these days.. and if you know Ginger Skates, then you know that we are very very fond of the Riedell brand and we don’t sell anything else.
But there’s one brand that has been around for quite some years (since 1920!!) and we decided to finally give them a try: Wifa rollerskates from Vienna, Austria. I (esther) have tried them on for a few times now and I would like to share my experiences with you in the hope that it will give you some useful background info when buying your (first) pair of rollerskates (please know that these are personal experiences, other skaters can have different opinions of course!).
Material.
The boots are made of leather and the quality of the leather seems to be very good. The feeling of the outside parts is very soft and the leather on the inside of the boot is also very nice, making it stand out from the popular Moxi Lolly boot that has a fabric lining. To our surprise we noticed that even the sole is made of leather and the heel from wood so its stiffer than plastic and it has a way more classy look than some other skates in this price range.
Fit.
The feeling inside the boot is generally comfortable although I do have the feeling of enhanced pressure under the ball of my foot. Overall support is not extremely firm but enough for moderate use.. I notice a lack of counter support on the inner side of the foot (arch) that may actually lead to the higher pressure under my foot. When dancing on skates I use this support a lot and I do feel it’s missing in this boot. This is something that a lot of lower priced skates lack, but the Moxi lolly boot for example does have it and that’s perhaps also one of the reasons why the Moxi Lolly boot is more expensive than this boot.
Sizing.
We feel the sizing charts are a bit off.. My size is a European 39 but I had to order the 38 to get the right fit. My feet are on the wide side but this boot fits me well, I think with some more breaking in time they will even fit like a glove.
Laces.
The laces are a bit standard, I would upgrade to Derby Laces instantly :-) Oh and the color of the leather rubs off on the white laces making them look yellow-ish real fast.
Insole.
The insole is pretty simple, it doesnt give any extra support and it gives the skate a bit of a hard feeling on the bottom of your feet. I’m thinking that with a sport-sole the experience of this boot will be elevated to a higher level quite easily…
Price.
Considering that this boot is made in Europe with the finest materials we feel that the price of Eur. 160,- for the boot-only option is very very good for what you get.. There’s no plastic involved and we have the feeling that skaters will use these skates a lot longer then some of the other brands that beginners buy (that I won’t mention the name off but you know ;-) Some of those cheap skates end up in the garbage after 6 months and we are very confident that this won’t be the case with these beautiful full leather Wifa boots. So much better for the environment!
Summary.
We are pleasantly surprised by this boot. We love that Wifa is based in Europe and that they have a long and good reputation of making (ice) skates.
Plus:
quality of materials
general comfortable feeling
made in Europe
no plastic parts
decent price
Minus:
no counter support (edit 3rd of oktober 2021`: I should be more specific: meaning less support at the arch of the inside of my feet)
les quality insole and laces
Conclusion.
We ordered some fitting models so from now on you can also try on a pair of Wifa skates when you are at Ginger Skates HQ for a bootfitting. Come and try them on for yourself! We will need to order them after you tried them on, so you can make your own choice of plates and wheels to go with the boots. Wifa is also releasing a new rollerskate model this winter and we can’t wait to see that one as well.
See you soon on skates!
Esther & M
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