This is not the final skate, some small changes may appear on the final release. - Blading Deutschland.

Larger picture on Imgur (via Facebook).

Larger Picture On Imgur. Photo by J. Donhowe (via Instagram).

The story of how Russell Day became an Adapt rider keeps reminding me of an old Chris Haffey interview in Daily Bread. Chris talked about buying his first skates from his now longtime sponsor.

For some reason, that felt right to me. The idea that one of the biggest superstars in blading once bought his skates from a small company just because he wanted to show his support strikes me.

There is nothing more flattering then a rider who buy’s the product just because he loves the brand and wants to support it. Russell Day wrote me an e-mail when we just started out with Adapt. Telling me how he liked the brand and wanted to try it out.

Already afraid we had another rider asking for free skates, he just replied he wanted to buy them. 5 years later, that same person who wrote us that e-mail, just received his first Adapt pro skate and had been a member of the Adapt family since day one.

Valo Brand proudly introduces Soichiro Kanashima’s 2nd Pro Skate: the SK2. 6 years after his first pro skate. Made in Italy - All Italian Materials. 35 Years of experience in developing skates. Lana Cotta (Cooked Wool) and Synthetic Leather Upper, Plastic V13 Shell, 2016 Soul Plates made with PA (NYLON) & GLASS FIBER, Lower cuff aluminium buckles strong and light, New anti-shock footbeds, Cuff and shell are made in PU (POLYURETHANE), 2016 Liner, Synthetic material and neoprene for padding. Back View of the skates (Facebook).

Valo V13 – Alex Broskow Pro Skates (Cream Jawns).

“Just my luck, on the dawn of (what would have been) my first pro skate, I find out that Shima Skate Manufaturing has gone out of business. Oh well, here is what it would have looked like…” - Dave Lang (Photo).

Upside Down (USD) Skates, magazine ad, featuring Thrones skates as well as Arlo Eisenberg, Jon Julio & Josh Petty pro models. Photo: Coma Blade.

Mathieu Ledoux USD Carbon 3. Available now in the USA, and available from from next week in Europe. Are you REDy? ;).

Larger Picture on Facebook.

Razors is proud to release the first pro skate of one of our most popular riders on the team: Stefan ‘Horn’ Horngacher. His first pro skate is also the world premiere for Ground Control’s Formula 1 XS frame.

Highlight of the frame is a wider split which provides significantly more grinding area even with a 4 wheels flat set up. Also, the axle bolts are deeper recessed and the H-block area is thicker giving the frame even more strength and durability. The maximum wheel size is 60 mm (outside) or 56 mm if riding 4 wheels flat.

The baseless boot design provides a super close contact to the ground and is much more responsive than traditional skates. The replaceable backslide plate is perfectly grooved and aligned with the groove of the frame.

The Horn skate comes with a new Razors liner with oversized padding and articulated ankle shape which looks your heel in like a vice. It also features Horns signature wheels and ABEC 7 bearings.

Features

• White SL boot with black cuff and gold accents
• New GC F1 XS frame
• High density boot material for long lasting support
• Baseless boot design for responsiveness and perfect control
• Replaceable, pre-grooved backslide plate
• Razors Horn liner
• Horn 56 mm/90A wheels
• ABEC 7 bearings

Ground Control Formula1 XS Frame

Based on the popular Formula 1 frame, Ground Control’s new F1 XS frame features an extra wide split, deeper recessed axle bolts and a thicker H-block; 15 mm wider than the split found on the traditional F1 frame.

The maximum wheel size is 60 mm (outside) and/or 56 mm if riding 4 wheels flat.

It also comes with the smaller axle bolt heads of the FLT2 frames resulting in increased material around the axels for even more durability. The frame will premiere on GC Pro Rider, Stefan Horngacher’s Pro Skate.

Features

• Extra wide split
• Deeper recessed axle bolts
• Super thick center groove
• Additional material around axles
• Maximum wheel size outside 60 mm
• Maximum wheel size flat 56 mm

Photos: Chinarollerblading.com, Clac, Hug33. Thanks to The Inline Kid & Manulocus Bordeaux.