CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates

Curated from 93 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: March 4, 2025

CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates

Brand: CHICAGO
Price: $60
Snoop Score:
7.7
Sentiment
5.6
Popularity
8.9
Technical
8.1

Snoop's Take

The CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates are designed for boys and men, catering to beginners with their classic adjustable high-top design suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. Users note that these skates provide good value for beginners, with comments like, "Best $55 of my life," highlighting their affordability and solid performance when upgraded with better wheels and bearings. While there are concerns regarding build quality, particularly about the wheels and hardware, many users recommend these skates as a reasonable entry point for new skaters, making them a viable option in the beginner category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Outdoor Skates

The boots have done well but the original wheels should go.

Positive Feedback

They are notorious for the wheels disintegrating, plates and axles snapping, boot peeling away from the sole.

Negative Feedback
Product
7.7
CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates
Leisure Skating
6 / 10
Fitness & Recreation
7 / 10
Social Outings
9 / 10
Skill Development
9 / 10
See how this compares to all Outdoor Skates

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Good value for beginners
The boots have done well but the original wheels should go.
I bought this Chicago leather skates just because they’re cheap and seem like decent pair to start with.
Both of them fit fine, and comfort is similar if not the same between the two.
they appear to have metal hardware and would do fine tooling around a rink.
Attractive design
First, that's a *really* nice paint job you should be very pleased with! I'd definitely make room on a shelf to display these, but I'd probably be a bit reluctant to actually wear them . . .
Aside from your skate question, I just needed to say that is the most beautiful paint job I have ever seen on skates. Amazing 😍🤩
Comfortable fit with adjustable features
He skates well, and is still getting better.
You'd kinda have to replace everything... Plus you'll have the bother/expense of getting them re-mounted twice.
While they work outside, it’s not as smooth and the wheels get really really scratched.
Stable and provides good traction
they are indeed horrible. but you already own them so just be careful because they have a tendency to break
all I hear on the internet is how they are unfit. They seem like a little upgrade will take you a long way.
Good for beginners
They’re fine enough for where she’s at, but
Most pre-done skate sets have bland entry-level wheels and stops anyway.
New wheels will make a huge difference.
Are the Chicago Skates actually any good? Should I give them up and just try purchase another pair of better quality or more comfort?
Adjustable for growing kids
She'll probably be outgrowing her skates before they actually fall apart so I would stick to cheaper brands like impala and the moxi rainbow riders.
Great value for beginners
Best $55 of my life.
Good for cruising with outdoor wheels
I had those skates! They were great for cruising around especially after changing to outdoor wheels.
Good for beginners learning to skate
Okay, awesome! I think I’ll probably replace the wheels and just learn on these until I get to a point I want to upgrade to better skates.
Hello everyone and welcome to our weekly Q&A megathread!
Good value for the price
Overall, if you want a good value, good quality skate that is easy to find at various stores, then you should consider the Chicago 800/805.
Upgrading wheels and bearings improves performance
I have some chicago skates I'd like to upgrade the wheels on.
I just upgraded my bearings to reds and the wheels to radar energy on my Chicago’s and they work great!!
Very similar over here. Got energies + roller bones bearings and it’s like 8x better!
Same!! It worked great!! Chicago Bullets with Radar Energy 🙌🙌🙌
Good for outdoor skating with proper wheels
Reds bearings are my go to and I skate on juice outdoor wheels & Chaya big softies- mostly do distance skating for reference
I started with a pair of Chicago’s and everything got 10x easier when I put on outdoor wheels that were larger and softer you want some gummy wheels
Wheels of different sizes affect stability and agility
For wheels the general rule is bigger = more stability, smaller = more agility, softer = street and outdoor skating, goes over bumps better, a little bit slower and more grippy, harder = indoor skating on smooth surfaces, a bit faster and more slippery.
Good introductory skates for beginners
What are you guys thoughts/experience with the Chicago skates? I ordered a paid and they’re coming in today.
They are a very cheap pair of skate and with skates you get what you pay for.
Decent wheels for outdoor use
The wheels that come with those beginner Chicago skates are hybrids and they are decent enough to get you by outside.
High-quality bearings enhance skating experience
Are you skating Indoor or outdoor? Reds or Rollerbones bearings are a good start.
Customizable with better wheels and bearings
Thank you I appreciate this.

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Poor build quality
They are notorious for the wheels disintegrating, plates and axles snapping, boot peeling away from the sole.
Neither are high quality and if it was an option to return both and get something even slightly better I'd do that.
The ride is better but the skates are still bad.
They are known to fail, and when that happens, the skater and everyone around them are at risk of injury.
Not worth upgrading due to rapid growth
Plus, kids grow fast. What you spend on any upgrade they will outgrow in a year or less.
Wheels may get scratched and wear quickly outdoors
Switch out your wheels! It’ll be like night and day.
With Chicago’s, I would skate outdoors and the toe stop would shake loose and eventually fall off and they were super dangerous.
Negative reputation for build quality
A lot of people recommend changing out the wheels, plates, and stopper because they’re plastic.
Parts like wheels and toe stops often need replacement
if I were you I’d probably just get new wheels for outdoors and skate on these until you feel like you need to upgrade because these are holding you back.
Wheels may not spin freely due to tight lock nuts
make sure all your wheels spin freely.

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CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates
CHICAGO Skates Premium Black Quad Roller Skates
Snoop Score
8.5
7.7
7.7
Sentiment
8.6
8.1
5.6
Popularity
9.0
9.8
8.9
Price$119$79$60
Comfort & Fit
Durability
Versatility
Maneuverability
Performance
Style & Design

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Discussion on wheel hardness and types for outdoor skating
thank you so much!! I think these are urethane wheels, i’m not sure tho
Look up about the wheel hardness scale, each wheel is graded from 78a-102a (or it might go a little higher?)
Discussion on quality of various skate brands
you’ll get a lot more bang for your buck.
and there’s so much more out there than just Moxi and drop ship brands.
cheap drop shipped skates being marked up due to the boom.

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Seeking outdoor skating locations
I've been visiting the local rinks, but I keep getting the same advice which is that I need to practice on my balancing technique i.e. learning to place my all of my weight on the foot that is leading.
Search for "soccer mini pitch" near you. These are hard surfaced, outdoor soccer courts.
Some park districts have hockey rinks that are open in summer to skate at.
Skating became a fun hobby for me as an introvert during the pandemic.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Interest in transitioning from quads to inlines
I have no idea where to even start.
Discussion on beginner challenges in roller skating
pretty sure beginners fall a lot in general. I’d suggest checking out some yt tutorials on basic skating and just start practicing skills knowing it may take time.
Recommendations for YouTube tutorials
I second YT videos. There's a few great channels, but Dirty Debbie has a ton of content for beginners.
Interest in outdoor skating locations
It's just more peaceful than rinks with skate rentals, etc.
The ponds have flag poles and they’ll fly a green flag when the ice is thick enough to skate on.
Looking for skating locations in Chicago
Hi! I’m moving to Chicago in a few weeks and am looking for recommendations on skate rinks and outside skating spots.
Fleetwood Roller Rink is well put together and has a reasonable range of skill levels.
There are more, but these are what I could think of at the moment - and welcome to Chicago! :)
Hi /u/stanczza! If you're looking for skate friends near you, try taking a look at our ["skate frien
Discussion about skating locations in Chicago
I'm not loving skating on crowded trails, haha.
Everyone was very welcoming, and even if you arent really into park skating it might be worth going just to meet some people and practice other stuff.
We did have a good time skating Navy Pier and stopping for a beer, though.
Hi! Im newly into skating & I live in Chicago! Do you need a skate pal lolol

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Discussion on skate durability across brands
Any kind of skate boot can be used outdoors for learning, cruising trails, or grooving on pavement; slap some soft wheels on your skates and you're good to go!
They’re on the expensive side (around $250) but they’re very sturdy and the boot can be repaired if there’s any damage.
I liked that the outside of the boot is suede and didn’t get beat up the way vinyl boots like the beach bunnies get scratched.
Overall if a more narrow boot is what you’re looking for and not trying to spend a ton I think they are a really good boot.
Discussion on safety for outdoor use
Will my Chicago skates be okay for outdoor skating? I plan on changing the wheels and bearings before trying them outside but I keep hearing mixed things about them and I'm unsure if its safe to use them outside.
Discussion on skate Chicago event and social skating
Skate Chicago 2024 is less than 2 weeks away! (Sept 5 - 8)
Skate Chicago is a free 4-day recreational urban street skate event where skaters from around the world gather to socialize and explore the city on inline and roller skates.
Awww wished I knew about this sooner :c Don't think I'm a skilled enough skater to trail skate.
Outside of the big Skate Chicago event, we also do theamed road skates every other Friday night.
Welcome to the skate community
Good plates are expensive and I wouldn’t recommend mounting them yourself if you’re not an experienced skater who knows what they’re doing.
Discussion on upgrading components for better performance
they make great budget beginner skates and they have an adjustable toe stop which I upgraded too.
Discussion on upgrading wheels for better performance
i got a pair of chicago skates and I was just sure to change out the wheels and bearings.

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