Inline skates

 Inline skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, have a rubber "stop" or "brake" block attached to the rear of one or occasionally both of the skates so that the skater can slow down or stop by leaning back on the foot with the brake skate. The modern style of inline skates was developed as a substitute for ice skates, for use by a Russian athlete^[who?] training on solid ground for Olympic long track speed skating events^{[citation needed]}. Life magazine published a photo of American skater Eric Heiden, training for the 1980 Olympics, using such skates on a Wisconsin road.^[1] During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Rollerblade, Inc., a company founded by Scott and Brennan Olson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, widely promoted inline skating through the registered trademark Rollerb

 

 

History

John Joseph Merlin experimented with single- to many-rowed devices worn on feet in 1760.^[3] Inline skates, skates designed to work like ice skates during periods of warm weather, was patented by Robert John Tyers of London in 1823, his Rolito design featured brass wheels.^[4] Louis Legrange of France created an inline design in 1849.^[5] Legrange designed the skates for an opera where a character was to appear to be skating on ice.^[5] The skates were problematic and unsuccessful as the wearer could not turn nor could they stop.^[5]