These skates are great for first and second year skaters. They are stable, and allow a lot better agility than nylon plates. Break in was a breeze, though they run a little narrow. Downsides: The plates are super heavy, had I known what a huge difference it would have made down the road, I'd have bought a lighter skate for the extra money.

These skates are fierce, I'm a beginner and started off on some cr-ppy Chicago's, and struggled for weeks getting my rhythm right, my thighs killing me, I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong...got these new babies a week ago, and my skating improved drastically! Between 1-10, I literally went from being a 3 to an 8. The fit is awesome, adjust the laces, get em loser, and they fit my "somewhat wide feet" greatly. I def recommend these skates, you'll feel like you're floating on air, and you do not have to put so much effort. Love these!!!

These skates are heavy and narrow.

I bought these skates in a rookie package from a different website. My feet are wide and the boots are pretty narrow, I had worn them for about a month and they still didn't seem to break in very well, I ended up getting the R3's which are wider and cheaper. Also, the writing on the sides started peeling off, which was a disappointment for how much they cost.

After over a month of skating 2-3 times a week, I have to say I love these skates. Very comfortable, they break in just fine. I would definitely recommend them to any rookie looking for a solid pair of skates.