(Part 2) Best products from r/NewSkaters

I find that they make a small difference, but probably not enough to be worth ~$60 for a new pair.

I've skated Adidas Neo Denim which I find super comfortable and flexible but wear down easily and make the bridges of my feet get sore really easily.

The other shoe I have is the DC Cole Light with gum bottoms. They're great for the price and are awesome if you want to try out the typical "skater" shoe, plus the gum grips really well and doesn't wear out as fast. I have to say the back is a bit looser than I'd like though, kind of feeling like it might be more of a Zumiez/PacSun shoe than an actual skate shoe.

I've also got my eyes on the one with the orange back because that looks more comfortable and I love orange

I've actually been doing some reading on this. So although, I might not be 100% on everything, I can give you the gist of my research.

Longboards come in a bunch of sizes and have dedicated task. Then tend to promote stability at the sacrifice of maneuverability, and depending on the size of the board it'll have a reversed kingpin truck. These promote stability in carving motions by putting the turning emphasis on the front truck. Standard kingpin trucks puts the turning on the tail. It's why you can tic tac easily on skateboards and not full sized longboards. One type of longboard is the cruiser. They are easy to push and meant for minor task like commuting and bombing mellow hills. You can obviously do other stuff on it, but that's the general expectations of a cruiser. They can resemble the typical longboards or oddly shaped skateboards. They tend to get grouped as a whole as longboards no matter the dimensions.

Cruisers can look like this, this, this, or this. Penny boards are pretty much smaller plastic versions of the 3rd board. They are lightweight, and the large and soft wheels makes it easy to ride a large variety of surfaces without much work. Some people like them, but I can't stand the things. They flex too easily. It's too small which makes it harder to do pretty much everything but carry it. They are slippery, and the tiny tail with those tall and oddly shaped trucks makes it super hard to pop. The larger variants are Nickel boards. They aren't as bad, but I would still prefer to get a wooden board with griptape. But technically, they're cruisers and thus grouped in the longboard family.

Other longboards include downhill, dance, freeride, freestyle, and cruising/carving

Technically they're all skateboards, but the way we're using the term, skateboards are typically used for cruising and tricks and have smaller wheels because of it. Again the standard truck puts the emphasis on the tail for turning. The size promotes precision maneuverability at lower speeds. They tend to be smaller than longboards, but depending on the setup they can overlap. Popsicle decks are the norm, but you'll find people skating all types of shapes. For example old school freestyle decks are much flatter and tend to be directional. Some decks can double as cruisers and park decks as long as you have standard trucks, a tail, and change the wheels out. They won't be as good as a deck built specifically for the park, but it'll more or less work depending on the skater and the skating being done.

You can get hybrid wheels that handle cruising pretty well, but also will be hard enough to do tricks on. Softer wheels will make bumpy crappy roads a bit easier and less jarring. You may want to go with a little wider of a board for cruising, 8.25" or even 8.5".

If possible, I would check to see if there are any local skate shops in your town. They'll know what's popular for your area's streets, and they'll be able to give you the best advice.

If I had to order something online, it would be to pick a board size, get some indy trucks that fit that board, and then go with some Cruiser wheels. I wouldn't go over 54mm. You can still do many tricks on cruiser wheels, and they'll almost all be beginner tricks. If you find yourself struggling with some, get some harder wheels down the road and swap wheels when you need to. Don't forget bearings and griptape and of course, a super sweet deck.

And make sure you tighten your trucks for more stability and get comfortable with it. Looser trucks are often better the more advanced you get, but do skate tighter trucks to start.

Yeah I think you're maybe biting off more than you can chew right now, haha. Learning stuff like kickturns and manuals will really increase your overall balance on the board. If you can't stop with your back foot at slower speeds, how are you gonna do that going 15+ mph? Practice in lower-risk settings!

Wrist-wise I actually don't like the metal/plastic flat slat wrist guards because they tend to diffuse too much pressure further up your arm. I use these really lame Rollerblade brand guards off Amazon that cost like $10, but I actually really like them. They seem to diffuse a lot of the impact in the palm pads and the wrist protection part is quite flexible. I've taken some pretty gnarly slams on them and not felt a thing. (I also usually don't fall on my wrists, I've practiced learning to tuck and roll when I fall but sometimes shit goes south too fast for me to know what's happening and fucking a wrist more than i need to is just not in the cards for me).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BFPH048/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

There's a link to the guards I've been using. Of course they have "ROLLERBLADE" and pictures all over them haha. I've tried the traditional bar-braced pads and I like these way better. BUT they're just the final safety net in case I have to bail onto my hands, practice falling! I like to find concrete butt-up against a big patch of grass and basically just roll into it, hit the grass, and tuck and roll.

I've been skating for a while and more or less have only been skating transition for the past 6 years-ish. Mainly I started just where you are with some rather large (I would call) street wheels. For transition I found that the lager wheels tend to help build some speed and the softer they are the better they grip on concrete. So currently I've been riding these which are 60mm 85a wheels. I know 60mm is REALLY big jump but I've found they help launch my fatass better than 58mm. These wheels are ninja like on just about every riding surface.

As a last FYI if you decide to go anywhere in the 56-60mm range of sizes I would recommend riser pads, and for the 60mm+ wheels you may need to be looking in the longboard section, I have some 0.25" risers with my powells and they work pretty great, minimal wheel bite.

Last last thing: If you move to flat edge wheels stray from febels, smiths, Willie grinds, really anything that will put stress on the inside of the wheel. (I've ripped the wheel off the core of some 60mm 85a OJ's)

Im just getting back into the game after a 20 year hiatus and have the same concerns as you. Surprisingly, I quickly remembered how to fall again but I definitely miss my harbinger wrist wraps. They were awesome back in the day as they were gloves that had a nice solid wrap around the wrist and a palm side splint only. I always worried about the top side splint breaking my fingers and this was an awesome solution. I went down hard numerous times in parks and street and those things were champs. Unfortunately, they don't make them anymore but I did order the ones below and they will be arriving today. I will update here after I use them if you'd like.

Hillbilly Wrist Guard Gloves - Half Finger (Black, Large) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0046EWXC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_rSisDbJAEVE6A

Not exactly "cheap," but you could probably find them on-sale somewhere - the Emerica Figueroa is a freaking amazing shoe. Suede with a rubberized coat over the toe, some thick-ass padded side panels, and comes in every color you could imagine. They've got a sock-lining too, so you can wear them with or without laces and they hug your feet super nicely. The sole isn't vulc, but still gives a suprising amount of control despite the added jump protection. I'm not doing any tricks though, just cruising around, so I can't give you a full breakdown, but I noticed VLSkate wearing them in a video and called him out - he said they were his current favorite shoe (:

I highly recommend a cupsole shoe with any insoles from FP (Footprint). The FP King Foams (https://www.amazon.com/Footprint-Insole-Technology-Kennedy-Insoles/dp/B00ONE6J04/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468511337&sr=8-1&keywords=fp+insoles) are amazing. Probably the best insoles i've ever used. As for a good cupsole shoe, i loved the Etnies Marana (https://www.amazon.com/Etnies-Mens-Marana-Skate-Shoe/dp/B00AF79T1Y). Great shoe. Really comfy, protective of your foot and when paired with FP Kingfoams, its just perfect.

I can't see the website you linked right now because I'm at work and we don't have filters. I'm not familiar with the Currency rate, but if i recall correctly it's almost double the USD right? So 100 pounds sounds like a 200$ american board. You probably don't need to spend that much. But I don't know the currency rate.

I don't know if you guys can order from Zumiez http://www.zumiez.com/build-your-own-skateboard/ You must have something similar in Europe if not. But check out that link and build one of the $99.99. You really should go for the $119.99 But I know how appealing saving money is to you. And a representative did tell me that some of their $39.99 boards are actually pretty comparable to the 49.99 ones.

Most skaters will say not to buy from a Corporation like Zumiez and say to support your local shop, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Seriously, they best advice someone gave you was to just go to your local shop, tell the guy you want a decent quality board but are looking for savings. They'll show you what you can get for the prices your looking for. But most likely that means spending AT LEAST $100 USD, and probably more. Also, if your looking for savings you should stop looking online where you're going to have to pay shipping. Just go check out your local shop.

Anybody have input on these complete setups for him? I know their good board companies... But for so cheap there must be some catch... Is it the Trucks/wheels/ETC?

http://www.amazon.com/ELEMENT-Skateboards-SECTION-Complete-SKATEBOARD/dp/B00CA97JW6/ref=sr_1_8?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1450806025&sr=1-8&keywords=complete+skateboards

http://www.amazon.com/ENJOI-Skateboards-WHITEY-Complete-SKATEBOARD/dp/B002R6NEYE/ref=sr_1_7?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1450806025&sr=1-7&keywords=complete+skateboards

http://www.amazon.com/Powell-Peralta-Blacklight-Ripper-Complete-Skateboard/dp/B00CO3MQO4/ref=sr_1_9?s=outdoor-recreation&ie=UTF8&qid=1450806025&sr=1-9&keywords=complete+skateboards

Look for Blind, Element, Enjoi, Alien Workshop ... completes. The decks are fine and the trucks/wheels/bearings are good to start with, but I would recommend replacing trucks, wheels and especially bearings as soon as possible.

I would definitely recommend this one: https://www.amazon.com/ENJOI-Skateboards-WHITEY-Complete-SKATEBOARD/dp/B002R6NEYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1523712389&sr=8-1&keywords=enjoi

I'm 42. I bought these last year. Best money I've ever spent. Pretty discrete, too. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IUJEDW/

You have a few options. Just know that if you're going hard and practicing everyday, your shoes probably won't last longer than a month. If you get high end($80-90) skate shoes, they still won't last longer than a couple of months. So my suggestion is that you get some Shoe-goo. This can make your shoes last potentially forever. Just apply it to the areas of your shoes that get damaged. And you can always put on more goo as soon as you wear out the goo protection. I currently wear Etnies Marana XT's, but I'd also recommend Van's Ultrarange. It's a high premium for shoes you're going to shred but it is totally worth it, especially if you shoe goo them.

I've had this board forever, way more fun than a penny in my opinion.

Is this it perhaps? ( https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Cruz-Powerply-Complete-Skateboard/dp/B001L8LZOA ) If not, can you send me a link of where you bought yours? Thanks!

depends on what you're looking at

generic completes not from an actual skate brand are at best a half step up from a walmart board

however there are legit completes out there... the powell completes are pretty decent... mini logo trucks, bearings, the deck is made in china but i'd wager same wood as a mini-logo the problem with buying them on amazon is the item descriptions rarely tell you the size of the board

TGM skateboards is a seller on ebay and amazon who sells completes some of which pair legit decks with off brand everything else (amphetamine bearings, core trucks, shop brand wheels) some that use more legit brands for the trucks, and some that just do everything from a reputable brand... though with that last option i can build very close (they don't have the exact same deck) to the same thing for a few bucks less on skate warehouse

Some pain is unavoidable. However, one thing that really, REALLY helped me was just to buy some cheap slip-on shin guards and ankle guards. I found some on Amazon for around 20 total and I never have to worry about hurt ankles/ shins with learning flip trips. They're so light I don't even notice them when I wear them and they fit discretely under my pant leg. I would recommend them to anyone. If anyone is interested:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07H9SX8QT/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07W21RMBY/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Just to add another option: Order some Shoe Goo off amazon, pull some old and busted shoes out of your closet and make them into skate shoes! I found an old pair of pumas and two pairs of destroyed Chuck Taylor's that are working great for me

Let yourself heal up first. Then when you are ready to get back into it wear one of these.

https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004IUJEDW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Shoe Goo Repair Adhesive for Fixing Worn Shoes or Boots, Clear, 3.7-Ounce Tube https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002L9AL84/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kre6Cb2HVGHQS

Don't buy a walmart board. They will frustrate you and possibly cause you to hurt yourself. They don't roll or turn worth a shit.

Most shops carry completes for just about $70 or so. CCS has darkstar completes for cheap. You can also try the CCS mobile glitch (search on reddit for details), but I'm not sure if it still works.

Shit, amazon has an enjoi complete for just over $75 including shipping.