They are here! SUPPORTIVE SKATES with a REASONABLE PRICE TAG! Full disclosure: Yes, I have partnered with them. However, I only did it because I REALLY like their product and was going to be recommending the skates to my students anyways. I can say that in my search for a worthy recommendation, they are the only brand I found that has all of the following:
Fun Colors Available
New-Skater Friendly
Adequate Ankle Support
Good for Artistic Skating
Vegan Option Available
Affordable Options Available
This is one of many blogs I plan to write in order to help you decide whether or not Golden Horse is the brand for you... or more importantly, which of their skates is right for you (I wrote a blog for that too). THIS post is specific to the skates I have personally tired up to this point.
To get started, here is a video I made a few weeks after I tried my first pair of Golden Horse Skates:
MY INTERACTIONS WITH THE BRAND
Besides the product, I think it is important to understand WHO is behind the brand. Initially when I saw the brand was from China, I was a little discouraged, but after talking with Helene (the person YOU will be talking to when you order) I felt relieved. From what I understand, the company is run by a husband and wife. The brand has been making figure skates for ice since 1969 and is now venturing into the roller skating world. I initially contacted them offering to give them feedback in exchange for one of their skates. My wonderful friend Kim Manning helped me secure a connection with them. After some discussion, they agreed. I let them know that if, and only if, I liked the skates, I would do a promo post and partner with them. They ended up sending me two skates at first (the Street Glide and Maestro), then a third pair after I gave them some feedback (the Magic). They have been very receptive to feedback and regularly express that their #1 priority is safety. Having been in the ice skating industry, they are used to producing extremely stiff boots and wanted to make sure that these softer roller skating boots feel okay (of course, they felt great!). Now, I am in contact with them on a regular basis and so far, have been happy with their dedication to making quality products. That said, as I am here promoting them to YOU, if you purchase yourself a pair (I hope you do) please let me know how it went! Send me a message with your experience, what did you love, like... or even dislike? As an ambassador for the brand, your experience and feedback is important to me...
STREET MAGIC SKATES - $299
These skates are one of, if not the, most affordable skate sets they offer & it is 100% acceptable for the majority of casual recreational and street skaters. These have just enough ankle support to ensure control over your skates during turns and that you won't likely injure your ankle over a typical stumble. As far as comfort goes, I wore mine for a 7 hour a video shoot at the beach and my feet felt pretty darn okay afterward (better than they would have felt in any of my other skates). This boot also comes in lots of different colors (yay)! I got purple because it is my favorite color. My Street Magics have colorful wheels, however the standard Street Magic skate set comes with high rebound yellow wheels (I haven't tried them yet, but I'd bet they are great). Last, but not least is the plate. The plate is plastic, which in large part is why they are so affordable. Is plastic ok? sure! Just don't slam them around on things or try to do any double jumps and you will probably be ok. When I was taking mine apart, it looked like there was plenty of space to add a grind bar, so... there is that. All that said, I would not expect to train a ton figure skating moves in these. You can do single jumps and one foot spins in these, but I'd draw the line there. Expect them to get softer with time. I'd call these starter skates. Support Rating: 20
STREET GLIDE SKATES - NOT AVIALABLE
I was a guinea pig for these! They aren't actually on their site, but they are comparable to the standard Glide skate set that they have. Mine just have a split leather outer (that's what makes them "Street"). The standard Glide skate is $279 and comes in pink, teal, blue, white, black and light pink. This was actually the first set that I requested from them. Upon first try, I kinda freaked out. I put them on and thought "Oh my goodness, these are WAY too stiff for a new skater". BUT now that I have worn them for a while, I can say they break in nicely. Initially I felt some pain at the front of my ankle where the top of the tongue is located, but that has since gone away. From a figure skater standpoint, I've done a single axle in these and felt safe. I've also done sit spins and camel spins. These would be a good entry level figure skater set and would also work great for a recreational skater who came from ice skating, or just wants that extra ankle support. Support Rating: 40
MAESTRO-C SKATES - $860
FIGURE SKATER BOOT 100%. Recreational skaters, don't even think about it. These are stiff stiff. They would even be too stiff for a lot of artistic skaters. The Maestro is designed specifically with freestyle skaters in mind, particularly skaters who are doing triple jumps. I haven't tried any of my triples in these yet, but I've done all my double jumps very easily and confidently in these. And the plate! OMG the plate is so nice. I REALLY like this set for my freestyle practice and I can't wait to try them in a rink on a wood floor, where I'd feel comfortable going for more rotations on my jumps. I've tried heel camels and inverted in these and feel great. All around, I'd say these are for jump focused freestyle skaters like me who like a very stiff boot. I'd recommend high socks in these due to the texture of the interior lining. Support Rating (you can choose): 70, 85, 90, 93
***MAJOR EDIT**** I have the Maestro-C, which is actually more like their CLASSIC which has a support rating of 50. It however looks like a regular Maestro. I'll also note that they do get softer over time.
SUMMARY
I'm impressed. I truly enjoy all three of my Golden Horse skates & look forward to seeing more people discovering and loving them as well. For most skaters, the Street Magic, Street Diamond or Street Noble will probably be the best options. If you want to know more about how to select YOUR Golden Horse skates, I wrote a blog that breaks down all the technical specs too. Just CLICK HERE to go there. Don't forget, when you go to order, you can use my code MEJACKIEC for 10% off.