What kind of inline skates should I get for transportation and jumping?

Kristina Brockwell: Ebay is not the best place to get your first skates. Fit is critical and if you are buying online it is important to be able to exchange them if the fit isn't right. You want them to be snug without crushing your toes. You want them to do exactly what your feet do without letting them move around inside - especially if you will be landing from jumps.Unless the skates are listed as new, you might be getting ones that have wheels or bearings that need replacing that would bring the price up to more than new ones in a store would cost.For both transportation and jumping, I would recommend recreational models or freestyle models. Freestyle models are made for jumping and very maneuverable footwork. They were a spin off of recreational skates but went away from the mainstream of them to supply more support for the ankles.For stopping, the easiest and most effective method is using a heel brake. Check that the skates you are getting have one. However,! most people who are into jumping or freestyle eventually get rid of it so that they cannot catch it on the edge of an object (you can jump well with it but just have to remember that one skate is longer than the other) or the other skate when doing some slalom moves.Generally, look for 80mm wheels. They are big enough to give you a good ride and still be maneuverable and reasonably stable when landing from jumps. For the abuse of landing from jumps, you want aluminum frames with extruded frames being better.I am not going to list specific models. If you are looking at something like Ebay, you need to be flexible about what you are getting and to be willing to let some auctions "get away" if the bidding isn't appropriate for the item. There are just too many ones that may be useable by you....Show more