- Jul 11, 2001
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I used to play basketball, took up after college, would play pickup. It really is a lot of fun and great for conditioning.
But my usage now is different. I took up street skating quads in 1989. I bought used cheap quad skates in a thrift store and the wheels came off the front of one skate... took me a year to get over the injury. Threw away those skates and went into a dedicated local skate shop and there was a customer in there who lived in my neighborhood and he explained to me that he bought basketball shoes and mounted skate plates to them, told me exactly how. I did that and loved it, have done it ever since. My feet are extra wide, so picking a pair of basketball shoes that fit me really helped. New Balance used to make BB shoes in 4E, and a 10 1/2 or 11 4E always fits me. In fact I always buy New Balance 11 4E when I want new shoes of any kind. But it appears that New Balance stopped making basketball shoes.
I'm on my 2nd pair of uppers now (high end New Balance 11 4E) after continuing my street skating since 1989. Lately I'm skating more than ever and the shoes I have are getting pretty ragged. Worse, I had two accidents this year because a wheel came off (December, the lock nut fell off) and the front king pin broke in 1/2 in April, the front wheel truck flying off the skate. I fell both times, my leg still hurts in bed from the first fall and I am in therapy from the 2nd because of a badly sprained pinky finger, have splints on 24/7.
Well, I figure new uppers and new skate plates (complete with trucks, etc.) are a really good idea. I don't want to fall again because of a breaking skate. What skate stuff to get is a separate topic, I want to start with the shoes. I drill holes in the shoes to mount the skate plates, reinforce the connection with plates under the insoles.
I am in Berkeley, CA. A few days ago I went into a big sporting goods store close to my house and the guy tending the shoes told me they don't stock BB shoes in wide sizes. The only idea he had was Dick's Sporting Goods, he said in Concord. Looking it up, they don't have a Concord story, but one not far from that in Pleasant Hill (14 miles away). I'm wondering if driving out there is really a good idea. When I looked online some months ago I couldn't find the New Balance I have now or something like it. What would a serious basketball player with wide feet do for shoes???? TIA for help, suggestions!
But my usage now is different. I took up street skating quads in 1989. I bought used cheap quad skates in a thrift store and the wheels came off the front of one skate... took me a year to get over the injury. Threw away those skates and went into a dedicated local skate shop and there was a customer in there who lived in my neighborhood and he explained to me that he bought basketball shoes and mounted skate plates to them, told me exactly how. I did that and loved it, have done it ever since. My feet are extra wide, so picking a pair of basketball shoes that fit me really helped. New Balance used to make BB shoes in 4E, and a 10 1/2 or 11 4E always fits me. In fact I always buy New Balance 11 4E when I want new shoes of any kind. But it appears that New Balance stopped making basketball shoes.
I'm on my 2nd pair of uppers now (high end New Balance 11 4E) after continuing my street skating since 1989. Lately I'm skating more than ever and the shoes I have are getting pretty ragged. Worse, I had two accidents this year because a wheel came off (December, the lock nut fell off) and the front king pin broke in 1/2 in April, the front wheel truck flying off the skate. I fell both times, my leg still hurts in bed from the first fall and I am in therapy from the 2nd because of a badly sprained pinky finger, have splints on 24/7.
Well, I figure new uppers and new skate plates (complete with trucks, etc.) are a really good idea. I don't want to fall again because of a breaking skate. What skate stuff to get is a separate topic, I want to start with the shoes. I drill holes in the shoes to mount the skate plates, reinforce the connection with plates under the insoles.
I am in Berkeley, CA. A few days ago I went into a big sporting goods store close to my house and the guy tending the shoes told me they don't stock BB shoes in wide sizes. The only idea he had was Dick's Sporting Goods, he said in Concord. Looking it up, they don't have a Concord story, but one not far from that in Pleasant Hill (14 miles away). I'm wondering if driving out there is really a good idea. When I looked online some months ago I couldn't find the New Balance I have now or something like it. What would a serious basketball player with wide feet do for shoes???? TIA for help, suggestions!
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