The Powerslide Zoom skate is a phenomenon. The boot is solid, simple, low-priced and comfortable.
The beauty of the Zoom 80 skates is that Powerslide can manufacture the model extremely cost-effectively because of the riveted-on frame. If you are the type of skater who doesn't want to switch up your frames (most people), then the Zoom is a jackpot. Additionally, the riveted mounting of the frame performs fantastically for stability and energy transfer, plus no more loose-bolt anxiety!
Fit and comfort:
The popularity of the Zoom skate is also heavily dependent on its fit. Powerslide intended to build a 'budget' liner for this low-priced model but managed to stumble upon one of the better liners currently available market-wide. It's been noticeably consistent in its comfort across a range of foot shapes.
Wheels bearings and frames:
The stiffness of Aluminium provides efficient energy transfer and, therefore, excellent retention of speed when you are on a roll. The wheelbase is short (243mm front to back wheel) for improved turning and manoeuvrability. Great for the city and great for bursts of acceleration when skating on a more wide-open terrain. The 80mm wheels and Abec 5 bearings provide a decent balance of stability, control and performance.
Dual sizing explained:
The skates are 'dual sized', which means that instead of, for example, buying a size 41 or 42 you buy a 'dual-size' 41-42. The manufacturing of most hard-shell skates are like this (with an outer shell that accommodates two sizes). However, the Zoom (and many other Powerslide models) label them like this instead of putting individually sized liners in shared-size shells and branding them as individual sizes. Not only is this a more transparent way of labelling the skates, but it also makes it a more forgiving way to order them online to avoid buying the wrong size.
Size tip: These skates are slightly generous in size compared to other skate models, but we'd still recommend buying your regular size. If you feel in between sizes, you can usually get away with going down to the smaller size in this model.
