I am designing a set for a play called Once Upon a Tree. It is about the old lady who lived in a shoe. Well, I wanted the shoe to be in the shape of a roller skate from the seventies or eighties. I was hoping to find some photos of skates, but I can't find any. I need inspiration from the photos. If anyone knows of a sight, or has any comments please let me know. You may e-mail me at: moongoddess0906@yahoo.com, or just post your responses on the message board. Thank you in advance for any help you may give to me.

Well, there were 3 major styles that I remember.  The most common was the "Classic Black".  This is the black glossy leather boot, and extended to mid-calf.

The other used the same style of boot, but it was of a tan suede.

The last started to gain popularity during the "roller disco" era.  It was basically a tennis shoe, with the truck (base plate and wheel assembly) of a skate attached to the bottom.

The shoe style was only popular with the "Disco" crowd, and the kids.  Since they did not give as much support, people that wore them were more prone to ankle injuries.  I know that the rink in my town did not allow anything but "full boot" styles.

And wheels make a difference also.  In the early 1970's, most wheels were of a hard clay type material.  They were prone to chipping though.

By the mid 1970's, these were replaced by Urathane wheels.  These are similar to the wheels we still use today.  Most were tan or semi-clear tan, but by the end of the "Disco" era, other colors were more and more common.

Then there is the "Road Wheel".  These were most common on the cheap "kids skates".  They used a thin metal wheel.  These were designed for use on streets and sidewalks, and were not allowed on skating rinks because they badly scared the wood parquet floors.

In that era, almost all rinks were wood.  It was not until the early 1980's that Urathane started to replace the classic wood rinks.

I hope this helps.

I was a trained roller skater in the mid to late 1980's and owned a couple pairs of urathane wheeled skates. The ones I owned were supposedly used by "professionals." Yet, if I was ever without these skates, I had to use the roller rink versions, and that was lame! Those were old (back then, they were probably from 1979 or slightly earlier) and stinky and ugly. Because our rink had been converted into a cement rink and colored a light blue, just about any skate could go on there. The problem with some of these skates is that the carpet would ball up on the wheels (maybe it was some sort of static friction that caused this) and apply themselves nicely to the rink so you could trip over a small ball of carpet about the size of a dime and break your back! Okay, sorry - this topic just brings back too many memories -

Check Ebay out - Type in "Vintage Roller skates" and you'll get all kinds of pairs on display with some good descriptions from the people who use to wear them!

Thank you so much, both of you. I can't tell you how many design ideas I got from just your information! Thanks again!

Well, there were 3 major styles that I remember.  The most common was the "Classic Black".  This is the black glossy leather boot, and extended to mid-calf.

The other used the same style of boot, but it was of a tan suede.

The last started to gain popularity during the "roller disco" era.  It was basically a tennis shoe, with the truck (base plate and wheel assembly) of a skate attached to the bottom.

The shoe style was only popular with the "Disco" crowd, and the kids.  Since they did not give as much support, people that wore them were more prone to ankle injuries.  I know that the rink in my town did not allow anything but "full boot" styles.

And wheels make a difference also.  In the early 1970's, most wheels were of a hard clay type material.  They were prone to chipping though.

By the mid 1970's, these were replaced by Urathane wheels.  These are similar to the wheels we still use today.  Most were tan or semi-clear tan, but by the end of the "Disco" era, other colors were more and more common.

Then there is the "Road Wheel".  These were most common on the cheap "kids skates".  They used a thin metal wheel.  These were designed for use on streets and sidewalks, and were not allowed on skating rinks because they badly scared the wood parquet floors.

In that era, almost all rinks were wood.  It was not until the early 1980's that Urathane started to replace the classic wood rinks.

I hope this helps.


How do you know about or remember something like that ??
???

How do you know about or remember something like that ??
???


Well, for one I am a huge trivia nut.  I often call myself a "Fount of useless knowledge".

I was also (and still am to a lesser degree) a rollerskating nut.  In fact, my first job was DJ at a roller rink in 1981.  I was 16, and worked almost every day that summer.  They pay was not that great, but I was able to skate whenever I wanted to for free, which was even more important.

I still remember a lot of the rules that skaters had to follow.  One of the important ones was "no shoe-skates".  They had a kid break his ankle the year before, and decided to stop them before it happened again.  Luckily, this was before the nation went lawsuit crazy, so they were not sued because of it.  And the rink I worked at (SkateWorld) had a blue Urathane floor, as opposed to the other rink in town (SkateLand), which had a wood parquet floor.  It was one of the first in the North West to have urathane.

And all of the skates had urathane wheels.  SkateLand changed their wheels the next year, because of the increased competition.  They saw a lot of the kids leave, and move to our ring.  Urathane is a lot easier to skate on, because it grips better, and is more likely to absorb small bumps then the clay ones did.

I started skating around 1974, when a lot of these changes were happening.  That was right about when Urathane started to replace clay as a wheel.  It was also the era that "Skatebording" as we know it now started to develop.  Boards started to get a "Kick-Tail", and soon sealed bearings started to replace the old ball bearing styles.

I started to skate regularly around 1975, and have done so until just a few years ago.  My knees are giving me problems, so I do not do it as often as I used to now.  Plus, none of the local rinks here have much when it comes to "Adults Night".  The last thing I want to do is have to put up with a bunch of little punks whizzing around me on blades, listening to 3-4 hours of rap music.

In LA, I used to skate every week at the "Moonlight" in Pasadena.  This rink dates to the 1940's, and has a wood floor, and even an organist!  And 2 nights a week they had "Adults Only" sessions, and that is what they meant.  If the skaters were under 18, they were not allowed (unless they were known by the management to be "good kids").  The only "kids" I can remember that were welcome were all Pro or Semi-Pro skaters in training.

Well, for one I am a huge trivia nut.  I often call myself a "Fount of useless knowledge".

I was also (and still am to a lesser degree) a rollerskating nut.  In fact, my first job was DJ at a roller rink in 1981.  I was 16, and worked almost every day that summer.  They pay was not that great, but I was able to skate whenever I wanted to for free, which was even more important.

I still remember a lot of the rules that skaters had to follow.  One of the important ones was "no shoe-skates".  They had a kid break his ankle the year before, and decided to stop them before it happened again.  Luckily, this was before the nation went lawsuit crazy, so they were not sued because of it.  And the rink I worked at (SkateWorld) had a blue Urathane floor, as opposed to the other rink in town (SkateLand), which had a wood parquet floor.  It was one of the first in the North West to have urathane.

And all of the skates had urathane wheels.  SkateLand changed their wheels the next year, because of the increased competition.  They saw a lot of the kids leave, and move to our ring.  Urathane is a lot easier to skate on, because it grips better, and is more likely to absorb small bumps then the clay ones did.

I started skating around 1974, when a lot of these changes were happening.  That was right about when Urathane started to replace clay as a wheel.  It was also the era that "Skatebording" as we know it now started to develop.  Boards started to get a "Kick-Tail", and soon sealed bearings started to replace the old ball bearing styles.

I started to skate regularly around 1975, and have done so until just a few years ago.  My knees are giving me problems, so I do not do it as often as I used to now.  Plus, none of the local rinks here have much when it comes to "Adults Night".  The last thing I want to do is have to put up with a bunch of little punks whizzing around me on blades, listening to 3-4 hours of rap music.

In LA, I used to skate every week at the "Moonlight" in Pasadena.  This rink dates to the 1940's, and has a wood floor, and even an organist!  And 2 nights a week they had "Adults Only" sessions, and that is what they meant.  If the skaters were under 18, they were not allowed (unless they were known by the management to be "good kids").  The only "kids" I can remember that were welcome were all Pro or Semi-Pro skaters in training.


That explains. Thanks.