instant thumb up for speaking out the truth that $400 soul plates aint for everyone

My soul plates naturally end up like this. I don’t really see the point tbh

I caught a fair bit of the interview live, and i feel like they went a very good way to justifying their existence, as much as anyone might want. When i first saw these, i too was tremendously skeptical, but i feel like i can understand their reasoning better now. If i recall they spoke a little about the care and quality of their manufacturing, which i think is generally pretty underrated in blading - i'm looking at you, powerslide "QC" - also of course their choice of materials etc. that you mentioned. As for design, i feel like they have a good philosophy, as opposed to the Standard Omni. I went from skating Danny Beer 909s to my old rollerblade fusions with the CHUNGUS solo souls (precursor to blank) and found that the soulplates were throwing me off ledges cause of their increased size compared to the 909. After a good rubbing down on some concrete (and i think even a bit of dremel action) they were feeling much better. Funnily enough i'm now skating the Omni, and enjoying them a lot, though i did go right in with a good breaking in session from the start. Thankfully, their design also lends quite well to being broken in! Though i'm sure the guys might not appreciate it, I think a little investigation into cheaper alternatives to angled souls might be worth looking into...and just because a product isn't for everyone, be it because of price or whatever, doesn't mean it shouldn't exist - it's worked out pretty well for wizard frames (both the company and the genre of skating) after all! PS, good on ya for staying frank - i think it reflects well on both your channel and angled souls themselves.

99% of the comments say they are too expensive. In this world and economy most people can’t buy them including me. And when people see a high price they will find every reason to justify to not buy them. I could see very elite ledge skaters would want these like Julian bah or fade hurricane or maybe even murda (if he still skated)The avg skater will most likely be fine with the stock soul or will find an easy cheap mod to replace it. I still love the idea of these though, and I hope they succeed!

Wow, so you get the same feeling as a broken in sole plates for $400. Coming someone who dropped some $150 for my custom King soles on my vintage Salos, this is a solid WTF.

Much respect for your honesty on saying this isn’t worth it for you personally.

great review. the interview did talk about cost and its very cool for the owner to wants to do all that. but for a soul plate the price is still way too steep

Honestly , I glad you able said $400 is not affordable for many people and it not worth it.

I have to agree with most people, here, you could probably get these custom milled for less than what they are charging like wayyyyyyy less £200 will get you a 1msq sheet I imagine that’s is enough for about 9 pairs of plates, 3D modelling is piss easy these days, most people have phones with LiDAR for boot scanning and sculpting can be done on free iPad apps. Most people will live near a shop that offers subtractive manufacturing I’m sure you could hire them for a couple hours to carve the plates. I get the need to pay riders good royalties but it will be in vain if they can’t sell enough plates to cover their backs. It’s a consumable product atvthe end of the day so it has a shorter lifespan than say something like a wizard frame, which likely has an even more complicated manufacturing process than the plates (judging by the looks they are machined from billet)and a higher raw material cost. So somewhere around the £200 mark I think would be reasonable and still provide them with good profit margins. Example the entente frames £150 similar amount of starting material, and a more complicated manufacturing process as they have to be machined from all four faces, making it more time consuming and then they have custom hardware to make and add in as well. I’d settle at £170-80 if they are extremely hard wearing, if not, another company will probably enter the market with a slightly changed design but still offering all of the advantages. I would definately like to try something like this though, it looks like a really solid feeling experience. I hope they can bring them to a more reasonable price point.

I had no idea they were $400…. Wow. Idea is amazing, but…wow. You killed it in the jumbo video. Those guys are good, but you stood out. Loving the international vids. Looks like a cool place for an extended stay.

@iRollerboot

Ай бұрын

🥂🫡🫡

400$ 😂😂 new skates come with sole plates ..

System of 8 down : when angles deserve to Grind. 🤘

@zekwilt

Ай бұрын

Manuellllllll!!! Well played 👏👏👏🥲

@ManuelBladeVlog

Ай бұрын

@@zekwilt it aint much, but it's honest Work 😃

Great review. Not for everyone. But if those wheels are any sign of how hard you skated them…haha

If your skate crisis is over and found a particular skate boot that you love. And dont see yourself changing anytime soon, then its worth it. It will probably outlast multiple stock soulplates. But for bladers that try different brands of skates, then no.

$200 is absolute tops and that's even a stretch. $400 is just absurd. Great idea though. All souls eventually become angled too

Really good, thorough video, Ben! I respect the owners and dig the concept, but $400 to support the team doesn't make the price any less insane. This is an extremely low volume, niche soul plate company that only offers plates for three boots. I am shocked to hear that they even have a team. I'd completely abandon the model of "have a team, pay the team, mark up price to do so." Maybe the price still has to be high simply based on the material/production, but I just don't quite understand why this company needs a team and I certainly don't understand why they need to pay the team (and I am 100% for supporting skaters and skater-owned companies). That said, I hope they are able to get these down to a reasonable price and have success as a small company in the rollerblading industry.

I've heard molds and plastics for roller lading were high but damn.

This video is my thoughts exactly (keep in mind I haven't skated them personally). I have the financial means to be able to get these, but to justify putting a $400 part on a skate I paid $200 for is absolutely absurd. The idea is interesting and the execution looks good but they really need to get the price point down to $150-200 if you really want people to buy your product. I'm a filthy gear addict that buys pretty much anything blading related just because its my main hobby and I enjoy it, but it just doesn't make sense to buy these at the price point.

Why so many riders on the team? If the price point is to support the team then have a smaller team, sell more product and add people later. I mean, that’s if the Am team is getting dough of course.

@pizzamanmep

Ай бұрын

This. Harsh reality but I don’t really care about the pro team when I buy a product… Plus I don’t know a single one of their riders…

Is there a link anywhere to the patent ?

I think they are perfect for tall skaters of bigger skaters. Having to clean over to find that midline is vital for us big and tall folks

Really cool idea, but at the current price, its like buying a $500-1000 optic for a $600 dollar rifle. They need to figure out how to mass produce these at a lower cost soon or one of the bigger companies is going to take their idea for themselves.

@corneliousism

Ай бұрын

Mass producing these is child’s play, they are just trying to cash in on inflation. These take no longer than 5 mins to machine on a bog standard 2 axis cnc router. It’s literally a sheet of plastic milled slightly on one side, then flipped over for the majority of the cutting. Unless they get the price down to around 150/70 they will flop.

@inlineonline

Ай бұрын

@@corneliousism they are pretty much flopping already considering 100% of the discussion around these is about how they are too expensive lol no one even really cares how good or bad they are. It doesn't matter. A 400 dollar skate is a tough sell, a 400 dollar soul plate and blaming "supporting the pro riders" is gaslighting

@nathanchase1297

Ай бұрын

@@inlineonline Exactly. I was shocked to hear this company has a team. I was even more shocked that they said the high price is to support the team. Why does a super niche company like this need a team? And why on earth do they need to pay the team? If I was on the team I'd be like "dude, don't pay us, just make these things affordable." Idk, really strange decision IMO.

Couldn't you take a regular soulplate and hit it with some sanding machine to get the same result for less than 50? Good on you great video.

Off topic but those new cymatics wheels are looking kinda chunked 😬

I always find it fascinating that rollerbladers will complain incessantly about a $500 skate, yet hockey players will drop $1200 on a pair of ice skates, then buy a $200 blade upgrade, then pay $20 a month to have it sharpened, plus $1000 worth of pads, the $10 per session rink time, the $200-400 stick (gotta have at least 2 in case one breaks), etc. Even a really good pair of roller hockey skates will cost at least $500, plus new wheels constantly, pads, rink time, sticks, etc. Yes compared to a skateboard the rollerblade industry is "expensive", but compared to most other athletic ventures that require equipment purchases it's on the more affordable side

@corneliousism

Ай бұрын

Ice hockey skates at that price are a rarity, and even skates from 300-1000 are gonna have significantly more complex manufacturing processes, not to mention the fact that ice hockey brings in much higher coin than rollerblading. Many multiples of people can achieve well paid careers in ice hockey, it has high spectator count but it also has a very cheap entry price point as well. The people dropping the big dollar on the gear are likely pros with high wages many times the average participant. Unnecessarily inflating product prices of certain things in rollerblading will only alienate themselves from the core audience. A better business model would be to make a product which is accessible to a larger audience. Do t get me wrong, these look like a great product and I would love to try, but I realistically think that these are double the price they should be based on material and manufacturing cost .

@JustAnotherBlader

Ай бұрын

Yes but just cause it’s affordable… I mean would you pay $20 for a Big Mac simply cause it’s affordable? It’s all relative to that industry. So ya when soul plates are typically $60, asking $400 is not gonna just go unnoticed. Or a $500 skate when a lot are $300.

@RusPitman

Ай бұрын

My mate is just getting back into skating after riding bikes for a fair while and he’s stoked on the prices 😂

@cfronin

Ай бұрын

Aggressive rollerblader destroy their skates, that's why. It's not a vintage car that you can cherish and keep brand new with enough care.

@MorphogenNutrition

Ай бұрын

@@cfronin @justanotherblader if the angled souls last way longer because they are machined high molecular weight plastic then you won't need to buy multiple sets of $60-80 soul plates

I personally wouldn’t buy these soul plates mainly because when my stock soulplates are worn, the boot isn’t worth putting new soul plates on. They just get so beat that dealing with the hardware is a pain and sometimes I can’t save them and I’d have to salvage some from somewhere or buy new hardware and it’s all just a huge pain in the butt and not worth putting new parts on a boot besides frames and wheels. And I wouldn’t put these on a new boot cause then I’m skating $800 skates and that’s kinda ridiculous imo

I think the concept and performance looks fantasic. I also understand why the price point is what it is. However the price point is too high in my opinion. They should consider if it would be better to sell more at a lower price point than sell only a few at the current cost. I'd certainly be willing to invest if they were cheaper.

I naturally angle my soul foot on ledges anyways to stay on as long as possible, doesnt really matter if theyre brand new or worn in. Well I guess worn is better. These would probably work really well straight out the box but not really worth it. Normal souls work just fine I think.

At this point we’re normalizing $1000 skate setups. Cool idea but honestly I’d rather spend that money on a new pair of blades. Glad they work for you and great content nonetheless. 👊🏽

Sorry i can't see $400 worth of fun here

@wingdingdmetrius8025

Ай бұрын

blade companies have been so obnoxious with prices since THEM came to prominence with their hypebeast/ artificial scarcity/limited releases. Adapt is another one that comes to mind. Both have their heads fully up inside themselves

@Dnk328

Ай бұрын

Them 909 skate price increases dont make sense. It should get a bit cheaper or at least stay the same as more skates gets produced and sold. BUT, adapt being handmade makes sense for their high cost.

@dmgd509

Ай бұрын

For real, this is what happens when people buy 500 plastic mold skates from China 😂😊

@corneliousism

Ай бұрын

Adapt may not be everyone’s favorite brand , but at least you can see that the manufacturing process is pretty transparent, for just over the price of two sets of these soles which can be cut in about 5 minutes, you can have some pretty unique custom made skates taking 30+ man hours to build. Buying these sole plates for 400 you are being fleeced. 170… maybe I’m in. They do look fun.

@NISHIAKI

Ай бұрын

​@@Dnk328pretty sure the pricing for collab skates and pro models account for royalties paid to the company/pro. They're not just random increases for a color, they're to pay people and support their involvement. And the price increases have been consistent for each skate, so it shouldn't be too surprising when we get expensive pro/collab 909s with stock Intuitions.

Follows the same pattern as most new technology. Expensive to begin with but if it's a better design, others will make something similar and eventually the idea becomes mainstream (and likely a lot cheaper). Takes time.

If they change the material they could significantly cut out the cost

Haha the days when people could just soul ledges without a special soul kit hahahaha

I just don't think angled soul plates are needed, despite this I am glad they are a thing. Personally I have no issue skating ledges or have ever though it was an issue beside poor technique. For the asking price of $400, I'm sorry but that's far too much, that's a good pair of skates you are not buying. If they have the time and money to create these types of souls out of this materials, then they have time and money to create a normal injected molded angled soul plate out of normally plastics. 1. It's a consumable product, it's meant to wear down. 2. Cheaper to buy for the consumers. 3. Normal injected molded souls have been proven to be great. 4. Having high and low end souls is a great way to grow there produce line. 5. Due to this material being used, and how its made there are limited sized, and boots they can focus on. My points are for those who would like to try them.

“How” are they paying their team riders? If we don’t have exact amount they pay them, this reason seem shady. I get the fact that it must cost them a lot to make these but in the same time there is no way I’m paying 400$ for soul plates just to make sure their pro riders are getting paid

Just buy a belt sander

Someone needs to just make these in a 3d printer or from a piece of UHMW. Not sure why these guys are charging $400 for one piece of Uhmw plastic with a an angled piece cut from the sole plates

@SherLock55

Ай бұрын

They are charging $400 because they are greedy and stupid, firstly very few are going to spend $400 on soul plates, secondly and as you pointed out, anyone could make something similar and undercut them by quite a bit and they would be out of business (assuming anyone even bothers as lets be honest blading is very niche these days)

@NOISlights

Ай бұрын

@@SherLock55than make them. It’s not easy working with UHMW on how much it actually cost and the machining has to have tight tolerances.

70th like. Sry

@iRollerboot

Ай бұрын

🤣🤣

Still thinks this is a totally rubbish idea as I actually replace my soul plates when they get angled. Granted I skate small soul plates (m12), but isn't the giant soul plates trend the reason why you can get away with an angled version ? Because the flat part is already enough to hold you on the ledge anyway ? Plus giant soul plates are ugly, but I guess this is a matter of opinion.

I let my marine buddy punch me in the arm until I thought it started to bruise. So he punched me like 170 times as hard as he could. I ended up with like a mildly green bruise. Leave society. Be an Indian. 😊

@gadgettv2023

Ай бұрын

If we wanna get on the biology grind. Play drums and do rollerblades.

@gadgettv2023

Ай бұрын

Imo Razors could upgrade their chemistry but honestly idk. I dunno anything about the chemistry. Maybe cloth counts. Thread counts though.

@gadgettv2023

Ай бұрын

P sure Rollerblade has it good. P sure Angled just uses castle rock. Jk, lol. Just a cool technique.

@gadgettv2023

Ай бұрын

Pre worn soul plate. Omg Ben, you’re the f$cking best, dog. 😇😂

@gadgettv2023

Ай бұрын

I know an Indian who was hit by a Mack truck. 😂. Mfer laughed it off.

Most over priced soulplate ever, if you skate enough, your souls will look like that.

How can you justify the price tag?!?

i can make these in my basement buy cutting up a UHMW cutting board, 400 my ass lmao

BACK IN MY DAY, ALL WE HAD WERE RIVETS AND LUCK!!! 🥸

Haha the days when people could just soul ledges without a special soul kit hahahaha