What are your views on roller skates?

[Millimat]

DD will be 7 soon and has roller skates / roller blades on her wish list. What do poeple think? Are roler blades harder than the roller skates to use? Any particular sort we should go for? Thanks

DD is almost 7 and got a pair during the summer. They have 1 wheel at front, 1 wheel behind/inline with that, and 2 wheels at the back. Once she gets better, the back 2 wheels can change position to become fully inline skates.

She's able to stand on them/move about slowly but not very confidently. I think it will be next Spring before she bothers with them again.

I would, at age 7, go straight to rollerblades. They are much cooler :o and you can do a lot more in them (turn more easily etc)

These
Ozbozz Triline skates, She is shoe size 12, I think she has skate size 2-5. You generally need to get bigger than normal shoe size as she will probably want to wear thick socks (plus she won't outgrow them as quickly)

(and Ignore the bit in my last post about a "middle" wheel!)

How about these then? would she be safe?

My ds got some rollerblades for christmas last year (7.2) and he loves them...he slept in them for at least a fortnight

He learned to balance on them really quickly. Have a look at skatehut, they have got an amazing selection and delivery was quick too.

My DC had roller blades - similar to the style you linked to - when DD was 6 or 7 and DS 5. They both managed them fine.

I would think that if she had no problem learning to ride a bike fairly young, then she has a good sense of balance and will manage them fine.

Gosh just looked at the Skatehut site - didn't know there was so much choice!!!