Sad to hear this since I just bought a pair of Karma Pros (luckily at half price €250 unused and second hand). As a guy there isn't much to choose from at this price point. I did already order a long stem toe-stop (Chaya Cherry Bomb) since I'm going to install 65mm 78A street wheels to re-learn skating. I got mine in Red which I like but I get what you mean with the non-neutral colours. The Karma Pro also comes with ABEC 9 bearings which I'm happy about. Oh the Karma also has a wider axel (67mm). Will share some experience once my skates arrive (in 4 days). I had buyers regret 20 years ago when I bought a pair of Roces 5th Element aggressive inline skates which were completely wasted on me. They were SUPER heavy, had hard small wheels which were not suitable for street skating (we had no skate park). Riding around on big pebbled tar roads my feet would go numb. If you don't mind buying skates with heels carefully consider what you will be doing with any skate you buy. Thanks for the review
Very late comment :) I skate on the Karma, and one of the people i skate with all the time, is on the Kismet. In regards to the grind blocks: The main reason they feel (very) lively comes from the offset of the contact point on the block in relation to the center line of your foot. So unless you hit the coping just right (with the weight on the inside of your foot), you are in for one heck of a lively skate :) In regards to the toe stops: Reason for the default (imo) short stem is this: its not fun to attempt to slide along on the trucks and then hit the toe stops :) Mind, its a fairly silly choice by Chaya, because as you talk about, a long stem toe stop (i run on Gumball, she does too) solves all the challenges with both keeping it tight, but also gives you the flexibility of having it either clear the truck or further down (if you prefer that for non-grinding skating) re: Longevity: Hers seem to be holding up fairly well so far. But it was her first proper quad skate, so there is some "figuring out what kind of skater you are" murmurings from her from time to time :) re: Wheels: the stock kismets are quite lovely on concrete according to her (i have not tried them personally) and any extra grip they might have on wood ramps could be from the pattern that is in them stock
Thanks for this review especially since there are not many on RUclips. I am considering picking up park skating and many of the people that review this skate are already well versed and skilled in park skating, so my question is do you think many of your issues with this skate will be “noticed” or experienced by people who are beginners and have not already been park skating with other more advanced skate upgrades? I just think if you are already used to wider trucks and upgraded plates and grind blacks and harder wheels it may be difficult to switch back to this more basic set-up especially since it seems like it it marketed to beginners. Thanks again for this in depth review.
That’s a really good point and really worth considering, but this is an issue with any product review. I try and be clear in my reviews and say what my existing experience is to help give a bit of insight into my own background. I think that’s important. I was trying to approach this review from the perspective of a beginner, and to bring my existing experience to help evaluate the skates. A beginner’s point of view will definitely be different, because they aren’t able to put their experience in a wider context. I want to help people make informed choices when picking their skate equipment. I hope this has helped and good luck with the park skating ☺️
FYI - I found the little wrench tool works great for the Chaya XTNDR trucks & axles. It is how I got the axles tightened onto the trucks. That is the only useful thing I got out of the little wrench tool. Great review!! I've been skating on these Chaya Kismet skates since I started park skating so I'm kinda used to them, but it's nice to see them from a more experienced skater's view and I agree with what you've said.
Thank you for an excellent review ! I had two questions please: - you mentioned that the skate is marketed for pretty much all-round use (although principally skatepark). Do you think it has any drawbacks for rollerdance / street skating use? - what is the difference between conical cushions and the ones provided with the skates? I am sorry, I couldn’t catch your explanation. Thank you again, I loved your video!
Hello! 👋 I have limited exerpience with roller dance, so I’m probably not the best person to comment on that topic. However, I suspect that the wheels are probably not the best for dancing because they are soft. You may find you need to buy a harder set of wheels for dance. For street skating they’ll probably be alright and better than a lot of other beginner set ups out there. I did mention some negative aspects about this skate like the materials it’s made from and the low cut boot that wouldn’t offer much ankle support, so that will be up to you and what you’re looking for in a skate. Cushions typically come in conical and cylindrical shapes. You can set your skates up to each have two pairs of cylindrical cushions or a cylindrical and conical combination. The difference is that the cylindrical pair may feel more rigid and like you have less flex in your trucks, while the conical cushion will give your more manoeuvrability because your truck can move more side to side. This will also be affected by how tight you make your trucks and the softness of the cushion itself. There’s a lot you can play with there and make changes to suit your style or comfort ☺️ Hope that helps!
I had kismets and sold them. Mainly because the fit was really unfortunate (and I did try the smaller size too). I have issues with stability and so hated the grindblock. And the short wheelbase and a greater angle of kingpins (if I remember correctly) gave me way too much agility and "wiggliness". The skates also got trashed badly pretty fast even though I used them only for a couple of months. Especially if you skate on concrete, do not get them if you want this skate to last! (I had toe coaps, I am talking about the rest of the boot even if you have toe caps) Otherwise, if you love an agile skate and it fits you well (foot shape size) then I would go for it.
Which is better the Chaya Kismet or the bont parkstar? I’m an aggressive inline skater but would like to do aggressive roller skating since my daughter loves rollerskating.
Hi! That’s a really good question! I was trying to avoid making direct comparisons between the two skates, because I wanted to evaluate them on their own. Personally, I think the Bont Parkstar package set up is much better than the Chaya Kismet, but if you’re on a budget or in your case it sounds like quad skates won’t be your main wheels, then the Kismet is a good option. Essentially, you’re looking at these differences: Chaya // Bont Boot: Mostly textile but with leather strip // All leather Heel: very slight 9mm insert // (23mm) height Heat mouldable to fit your feet better: no // yes Plate: Glass fibre reinforced plastic // option to choose nylon & fiberglass or aluminium Grindblock: comes standard // need to source and fit yourself Wheels: 92A standard // 78A standard (I think this is still the case) or upgrade to Street Flow (89A) or Park Flow (99A) I hope this helps!
I need to know more about using two cylindrical cushions, first time I've heard of that. How is it with regards to stability compared to playing around with hardness?
Good question! If you use two cylindrical cushions on each kingpin, the skates should feel more stable (especially if you use medium or hard cushions). The down side is that you may feel unable to access your edges as easily and be able to turn by leaning into the sides of your skates, but it is still possible! If you want to try switching out your cushions, make sure you pick up some larger retainer washers too! They’re usually not very expensive ☺️
I can't believe how many brands sell skates as Park Ready, with no grind block. Obviously grind block costs extra 100$ so yea you might not want that... Surly you would prefer to buy a pair of skates then buy some random Block and hope it fits.
I found you on instagram ! Your video is the best about this subject ! Just a question, when you talk about the size, did your toes can "wiggle" in it ? Because mine do it and when im on my toe stop its a little bit loose, any recommandation ?
Hi! 👋 When I bought the smaller size, I couldn't wiggle my toes as easily and when I went on my toe stops, my toes were really smushed into the end of the boot. In the larger size I could wiggle my toes without touching the end of the boot and these were a better fit for me. My toes didn't touch the end of the boot when I went on the toe stops in the larger size. If you have a little bit too much room in your skate, you could try wearing a thicker sock, that can help. Or try tightening the laces at your ankle to keep your heel in the back of the boot. I hope that helps 😀 But let me know if you have any other questions 😄
Hi, I just brought these and brought my actual shoe size. I’m going to exchange them for a half size up. What do you recommend? Should I go to an 8.5 (40) or to a 9 (41)? Cause I have zero wiggle room my toes feel smushed lol
Hi! 👋 it’s hard to say, because it’s all about the comfort of your feet ☺️ maybe try the 40 first and then if they still feel too snug, try the next size? This might sound weird, but I also have specific socks that I wear with my skates 😂 I have to wear thin socks, because thicker socks make my skates too tight!
🌟Leave me a comment if this video helps you out! 🌟
Sad to hear this since I just bought a pair of Karma Pros (luckily at half price €250 unused and second hand). As a guy there isn't much to choose from at this price point. I did already order a long stem toe-stop (Chaya Cherry Bomb) since I'm going to install 65mm 78A street wheels to re-learn skating. I got mine in Red which I like but I get what you mean with the non-neutral colours. The Karma Pro also comes with ABEC 9 bearings which I'm happy about. Oh the Karma also has a wider axel (67mm). Will share some experience once my skates arrive (in 4 days). I had buyers regret 20 years ago when I bought a pair of Roces 5th Element aggressive inline skates which were completely wasted on me. They were SUPER heavy, had hard small wheels which were not suitable for street skating (we had no skate park). Riding around on big pebbled tar roads my feet would go numb. If you don't mind buying skates with heels carefully consider what you will be doing with any skate you buy. Thanks for the review
Very late comment :) I skate on the Karma, and one of the people i skate with all the time, is on the Kismet.
In regards to the grind blocks: The main reason they feel (very) lively comes from the offset of the contact point on the block in relation to the center line of your foot. So unless you hit the coping just right (with the weight on the inside of your foot), you are in for one heck of a lively skate :)
In regards to the toe stops: Reason for the default (imo) short stem is this: its not fun to attempt to slide along on the trucks and then hit the toe stops :)
Mind, its a fairly silly choice by Chaya, because as you talk about, a long stem toe stop (i run on Gumball, she does too) solves all the challenges with both keeping it tight, but also gives you the flexibility of having it either clear the truck or further down (if you prefer that for non-grinding skating)
re: Longevity: Hers seem to be holding up fairly well so far. But it was her first proper quad skate, so there is some "figuring out what kind of skater you are" murmurings from her from time to time :)
re: Wheels: the stock kismets are quite lovely on concrete according to her (i have not tried them personally) and any extra grip they might have on wood ramps could be from the pattern that is in them stock
Thanks for sharing! ☺️
Appreciate your thorough review thank you 🙏
Thanks for this review especially since there are not many on RUclips. I am considering picking up park skating and many of the people that review this skate are already well versed and skilled in park skating, so my question is do you think many of your issues with this skate will be “noticed” or experienced by people who are beginners and have not already been park skating with other more advanced skate upgrades? I just think if you are already used to wider trucks and upgraded plates and grind blacks and harder wheels it may be difficult to switch back to this more basic set-up especially since it seems like it it marketed to beginners. Thanks again for this in depth review.
That’s a really good point and really worth considering, but this is an issue with any product review. I try and be clear in my reviews and say what my existing experience is to help give a bit of insight into my own background. I think that’s important.
I was trying to approach this review from the perspective of a beginner, and to bring my existing experience to help evaluate the skates. A beginner’s point of view will definitely be different, because they aren’t able to put their experience in a wider context. I want to help people make informed choices when picking their skate equipment.
I hope this has helped and good luck with the park skating ☺️
FYI - I found the little wrench tool works great for the Chaya XTNDR trucks & axles. It is how I got the axles tightened onto the trucks. That is the only useful thing I got out of the little wrench tool. Great review!! I've been skating on these Chaya Kismet skates since I started park skating so I'm kinda used to them, but it's nice to see them from a more experienced skater's view and I agree with what you've said.
Good to know! Thank you!
i think the toe stop issue comes from the fact that they're supposed to be out of the way if you want to grind on the trucks
thank you for this video!! it was incredibly helpful!
Glad you found it useful ☺️
Thank you for an excellent review !
I had two questions please:
- you mentioned that the skate is marketed for pretty much all-round use (although principally skatepark). Do you think it has any drawbacks for rollerdance / street skating use?
- what is the difference between conical cushions and the ones provided with the skates? I am sorry, I couldn’t catch your explanation.
Thank you again, I loved your video!
Hello! 👋 I have limited exerpience with roller dance, so I’m probably not the best person to comment on that topic. However, I suspect that the wheels are probably not the best for dancing because they are soft. You may find you need to buy a harder set of wheels for dance. For street skating they’ll probably be alright and better than a lot of other beginner set ups out there. I did mention some negative aspects about this skate like the materials it’s made from and the low cut boot that wouldn’t offer much ankle support, so that will be up to you and what you’re looking for in a skate.
Cushions typically come in conical and cylindrical shapes. You can set your skates up to each have two pairs of cylindrical cushions or a cylindrical and conical combination. The difference is that the cylindrical pair may feel more rigid and like you have less flex in your trucks, while the conical cushion will give your more manoeuvrability because your truck can move more side to side. This will also be affected by how tight you make your trucks and the softness of the cushion itself. There’s a lot you can play with there and make changes to suit your style or comfort ☺️
Hope that helps!
@@geekgirlskates9310 Thank you so much for your super informative reply!
Best,
Mar
Hi. Thanks for the review. I wpuld like to know what about the size? Running smaller or normal?
I had kismets and sold them. Mainly because the fit was really unfortunate (and I did try the smaller size too). I have issues with stability and so hated the grindblock. And the short wheelbase and a greater angle of kingpins (if I remember correctly) gave me way too much agility and "wiggliness". The skates also got trashed badly pretty fast even though I used them only for a couple of months. Especially if you skate on concrete, do not get them if you want this skate to last! (I had toe coaps, I am talking about the rest of the boot even if you have toe caps) Otherwise, if you love an agile skate and it fits you well (foot shape size) then I would go for it.
Thanks for sharing your experience! I’m glad I’m not the only one 😅
Which is better the Chaya Kismet or the bont parkstar? I’m an aggressive inline skater but would like to do aggressive roller skating since my daughter loves rollerskating.
Hi! That’s a really good question! I was trying to avoid making direct comparisons between the two skates, because I wanted to evaluate them on their own. Personally, I think the Bont Parkstar package set up is much better than the Chaya Kismet, but if you’re on a budget or in your case it sounds like quad skates won’t be your main wheels, then the Kismet is a good option.
Essentially, you’re looking at these differences:
Chaya // Bont
Boot: Mostly textile but with leather strip // All leather
Heel: very slight 9mm insert // (23mm) height
Heat mouldable to fit your feet better: no // yes
Plate: Glass fibre reinforced plastic // option to choose nylon & fiberglass or aluminium
Grindblock: comes standard // need to source and fit yourself
Wheels: 92A standard // 78A standard (I think this is still the case) or upgrade to Street Flow (89A) or Park Flow (99A)
I hope this helps!
I need to know more about using two cylindrical cushions, first time I've heard of that. How is it with regards to stability compared to playing around with hardness?
Good question! If you use two cylindrical cushions on each kingpin, the skates should feel more stable (especially if you use medium or hard cushions). The down side is that you may feel unable to access your edges as easily and be able to turn by leaning into the sides of your skates, but it is still possible!
If you want to try switching out your cushions, make sure you pick up some larger retainer washers too! They’re usually not very expensive ☺️
@@geekgirlskates9310 thanks, I will try them
I can't believe how many brands sell skates as Park Ready, with no grind block. Obviously grind block costs extra 100$ so yea you might not want that... Surly you would prefer to buy a pair of skates then buy some random Block and hope it fits.
I found you on instagram ! Your video is the best about this subject ! Just a question, when you talk about the size, did your toes can "wiggle" in it ? Because mine do it and when im on my toe stop its a little bit loose, any recommandation ?
Hi! 👋 When I bought the smaller size, I couldn't wiggle my toes as easily and when I went on my toe stops, my toes were really smushed into the end of the boot. In the larger size I could wiggle my toes without touching the end of the boot and these were a better fit for me. My toes didn't touch the end of the boot when I went on the toe stops in the larger size. If you have a little bit too much room in your skate, you could try wearing a thicker sock, that can help. Or try tightening the laces at your ankle to keep your heel in the back of the boot. I hope that helps 😀 But let me know if you have any other questions 😄
@@geekgirlskates9310 thnaks you are awesome !
Hi, I just brought these and brought my actual shoe size. I’m going to exchange them for a half size up. What do you recommend? Should I go to an 8.5 (40) or to a 9 (41)? Cause I have zero wiggle room my toes feel smushed lol
Hi! 👋 it’s hard to say, because it’s all about the comfort of your feet ☺️ maybe try the 40 first and then if they still feel too snug, try the next size? This might sound weird, but I also have specific socks that I wear with my skates 😂 I have to wear thin socks, because thicker socks make my skates too tight!