@Mina Becke Okay, great! Just know that while they have metal plates, those do have a bad rep for poor durability (glued together, heels come loose, factory wheels wear quickly), though they are comfortable and stylish. I saw a pair of these in a thrift store and they seemed solid to me but I didn't know what I was looking at - we all learn as we go. Every brand has entry level products and these are reportedly good for beginners, and casual skating. They might last until you need something better - a year. I re-glued my Chicago Bullets, separated on the side, not the heel which might be more difficult. (I used LOCTITE "Vinyl, Fabric & Plastic" flexible adhesive - worked great, good as new.) But you can mount the plates to other boots if it comes to that. I like to fix things and almost everything is fixable if you know how. Youtube is full of how-to videos. Here's pics of Impala heels; the green ones look more glue-able than the pink.

@Mina Becke Yeah, same here. 10 months ago I hadn't even thought about skating; and now I have 4 pairs of budget-friendly skates.

@Isabel Athina Mitzen You are very good at drills! I can see what you're doing and you are managing to repeat everything over and over without fail. Good concentration and balance, from what I can tell. I'm sure it'll get more fluent with time. I didn't even notice how the arms were doing... in fact, maybe use the balance pole until you got that footwork down - just hold it across your waist, or like tightrope walkers do, then you could add arm movement after. I used it today and it felt like it helped a little, and was easy to hold at the waist instead of out front like I had. I'm flying blind with the thing as I haven't seen anyone use it. I'm not good at that fancy footwork yet, can't do manuals or spins, so I'm only on fundamentals. I can't even transition smoothly or certainly not at speed like everyone else, but I still have knee pain. Have you asked one of the teachers here or Kimberly Manning to take a look? She apparently knows her stuff, but maybe she's busy.

@Isabel Athina Mitzen Yeah, maybe not use the balance stick in the house, heh heh. You're lucky to have some skate buddies, but I'm basically on my own, so I'll be looking at recording more, too, which I'll be studying. I'm messing with my iPhone now to help with that. Getting some time in a dance studio would really be helpful (full length mirrors).

@Jay West I "c", I think. I don't know what that is, but in the beginning you have to think about a lot of details that after a bit will just happen without thinking, like when you learn to ride a bike or drive a car. I would try to keep it as simple as possible for now, what makes sense to you, learn one thing at a time. I'm having difficulties too, but it's because I got impatient. Take time.

@VIvian Chloe Mia You're doing good to learn something the right way first, so you don't have to go back and relearn doing it right - you know, avoid creating a bad habit you have to break later. That does save time overall and ends up being faster. You're fortunate you have someone to work with you in person.

@Jay West Lol, thanks Jay. Actually, I had a pet possum years ago, and they're fairly docile. Skunks and raccoons have attitude, though, (we have these urban critters here). They come out at night. I'm kind of a night person myself, keepin the mischief alive.

Oops... the other day I took note of only one sign; I just noticed the other, that the park is indeed also closed after 10. I broke the law. I'm an outlaw. ........ COOL !

Hey Jay. 1st, Nehjie has a quick intro on the parts of the skate (under fundementals/masterclass, free, in classrooms). On you tube there are good people who put out extensive content: Estro Jen (and others) with Moxi skates (How to Adjust Your Roller Skate Trucks - Loose VS Tight Trucks), and Katie under her name Skatie: New Beginner Roller Skates Out Of The Box - How To Set Them Up And Trying For The First Time (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFyG-y1apQA), also (To Loosen or Not to Loosen: The Roller Skate Truck Adjustment Conundrum!). There's many people with tips for skaters but these two have TONS of videos - very comprehensive. As for wheels, I myself went through my old wheels, bearings, cushions, etc and upgraded as they were 45 years old (eesh). One special thing I learned was, the bushings in between the bearings inside the wheel is there for a good reason: to grip the inner part of the race that the ball bearings ride on, otherwise they don't ride right and end up scoring your axles instead. Like Isabel said, you want to tighten your axle nut just enough to grip that so it's steady and the wheel doesn't wobble. Too loose and it doesn't work quite right. Also, you'll only know if your bearing needs cleaning or replacing that way or if you take it off and spin it in your hand. Again, it's when the inner race is gripped so you can spin the rest of the bearing and feel if it's slow or even grindy (like it has dirt in it). Adjusting your trucks is another science with nuances so watch the videos, and consider if you might need to swap out the cushions in them because usually with new or very old skates you do. There's a few different durometer hardnesses available too, and fortunately they go by how much you weigh.

@Aleeta Powe Yes, especially as I bought the wrong ones at a skateboard shop, where I then had to overtighten the trucks which gave less range of motion... I'm waiting on the right ones from ebay now. That was for relatively new ones too; the 45 year old cushions were hard as rocks, so they weren't cushiony at all. It had been so long since I'd skated that I don't remember how much I forgot, or if I knew much back then. But yes, even minor changes under our feet make a big difference. I never forgot when I read once that even a 1/8" difference in the height of a step on a staircase will trip everyone. So the details and nuances are interesting to me. Getting everything dialed in right is a big advantage.