Hot Wheels

Sometimes the best technology is hardly any technology at all. At least that’s what I thought last week as I whizzed through Central Park for the 10th time in half as many days on a spiffy new pair of in-line skates. With surprisingly little sweet talking, I had convinced my editor that the latest models deserved a critical, hands-on–or rather, feet-on–look.

In-line skating is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., with some 32 million devotees. And along with its growing popularity has come an array of new designs and high-tech materials, from carbon-injected plastic to glass-reinforced nylon. But I didn’t really care about all that techie mumbo-jumbo. I just wanted a skate that felt fast, light and, above all, comfortable.

After a few trial runs through the halls of the Time & Life Building (and a few raised eyebrows), I rolled out onto the street with my friend Maryanne and a pair of Rollerblade’s new Nature skates. A fancy version of the metal strap-ons I wore as a kid, the $190 Natures are in fact hiking boots that clip onto a plastic frame with wheels. The great thing about these skates is that when we came to a slope that seemed too steep, we just popped off the frame and walked down, dignity intact. The two-piece construction felt surprisingly stable; the boots, however, just didn’t fit right. They were available only in whole sizes meant for men and women alike (always a big mistake), and were too wide and tall. They felt to me like space boots. Maryanne pronounced them ugly.

Next up were the Outback Xs. These $250 skates weren’t much of a fashion statement either, but we were fearless on them. Made with built-in shock absorbers and extra-large tires filled with air bubbles, they cruised over potholes, manholes, dips and bumps. But they felt stiff and clunky, especially going uphill. And although they were the right size, my feet ached no matter how much I fiddled with the buckles.

K2’s Escapes ($399) seemed more promising. A flexible hinge on the bottom was supposed to let me fully extend my leg for a fast, natural stride. But the skates were downright painful. There was too much padding around the lower leg, and part of the skate dug into my inner ankle. I had another pal, Jillian, test them in her size, and her foot got so badly chafed that she had to wear Band-Aids the next day. “You couldn’t give these to me for free,” Jillian said, somewhat redundantly.

Finally I slipped into Salomon’s TR8s ($330). They were so soft and comfortable I feared I would lose all sense of reason. So I had my co-worker Mac, a serious skater and tough critic, test them out too. “It feels like your foot is wrapped in a pillow,” he said. After a couple of loops around the park, Mac decided that they felt a little “loosey-goosey” on the top of his foot. He also was worried that their flashy design would ruin his East Village hipster reputation. But my goose wasn’t loose, and I like attention. More important, I was skating faster than ever. Sure, the Outback Xs were smoother on bumps, and the Natures handier for running errands, but for pure skating joy, the TR8s win my vote.

For more on skates, visit skating.com Send questions for Anita to hamilton@time.com