RollerKicks: A Comprehensive Review
Table of Contents
Intro
As it seems did everyone else; I discovered RollerKicks – the shoe with retractable wheels – on Tik Tok. After I watched the 30th video in a row of different Tik Tokers deploying and retracting the wheels in their sneakers, I knew I had to have a pair! I love gimmicky things, and I prefer rolling over walking any day, so these shoes seemed like a true match made in Heaven.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of information on RollerKicks out there. When I searched for a pair and decided whether I should order some for myself, I found the information I discovered through my research to be lackluster and incomplete. That is what inspired me to write this review.
Link: RollerKicks
About
What Are They?
So – what exactly are Kick Rollers, or – erm – RollerKicks?
They’re sneakers with retractable wheels built-in, so you can choose to walk or glide at any given moment. The wheels pop in and out via the button at the back of the shoe, and honestly, it really is just that easy.
Why was I just confused about the name?
What Are They Called?
Well, I’ve seen it both ways. There is an Instagram account with a username one way, while the name in their bio was once the other. It seems to be straightened out now though; with their name being cohesively, “RollerKicks,” but it is still pretty confusing. There is even one website for Kick Rollers, and one for RollerKicks, and I can’t tell if one is just selling the other’s product at a higher mark-up, or if they’re both run by the same people. The Instagram account I’ve found isn’t verified, but it has the most amount of followers than any other account for the product, and in their bio is the link for the website with the more expensive shoes.
Also – even on the website that seems more reputable (and is cheaper in cost of the product,) you will see both RollerKicks and Kick Rollers written throughout the website.
Even still, it is much easier to find (anything on) them by googling ‘Shoes with Wheels’ instead. Though, regardless of how you try and look them up, you’re bound to find them clustered between Heelys and roller skates and Flaneurz skates – the company that makes detachable roller skate wheels for everyday shoes, (which yes, I’m also interested in having in my possession, frankly.)
I’ve drawn to the conclusion that the Instagram account I’ve found is either a different company or someone else who has taken it upon themselves to sell RollerKicks for a marked-up price on their own. The website of the Instagram account I found isn’t well laid out, and like I said before – the account isn’t verified. Additionally, the more legitimate-looking website I found (and linked here) has zero mention anywhere on their site of having social media accounts anywhere. Though, I think they’re the real deal when it comes to RollerKicks. I just think that not having a social media presence is a bad marketing move – especially with how their product was trending on social media. I think they could have really taken off with that, and failed to.
Ordering
Why I Ordered From Amazon
When I ordered a pair for myself, I opted to order off of Amazon instead of the RollerKicks company’s website. Amazon already has my credit card information memorized and I already knew I trusted their tracking system, and that’s what ultimately made me decide to go that route. The third party that supplied my Amazon order was based somewhere in Asia if I remember correctly. I live in Canada, and Asia isn’t exactly next door, so waiting for my order to come through did take a couple of months.What Do They Cost?
RollerKicks are expensive – arguably too expensive for the product you get – floating around the $200 mark depending on where you live and when/where you decide to order. Unfortunately, it’s one of those situations where if you want them bad enough, you’re cornered into paying that price. The product itself is too new to stumble upon a used pair on Kijiji or Facebook Marketplace for a more reasonable price, and they’re only supplied by one company (as far as I can tell,) giving them total control over the cost of the productWhat Are My Cosmetic Choices?
RollerKicks come in a variety of different colors and patterns, even having some options for shoes that light up for a higher price, but they basically only come in only one type of shoe – a typical ‘running shoe’ style sneaker. I don’t know if that will always be the case, and honestly, I hope it’s not. I would love to see different kinds of shoes with the pop-out wheel technology! Though – my desire for different styles may just be because I’ve never been a fan of the typical sneaker. I tend to gravitate towards casual or skater shoes, personally.
Another thing to note is that many of them have the heart/star design you see in my photos of mine. I would have loved to have a black pair that didn’t have that heart/star design, but there isn’t enough variety in that regard.
How Do They Fit?
When ordering nearly anything that goes on your feet – from shoes to skates to RollerKicks – it can be nerve-racking to know which size to order, as not all shoes are truly true-to-size. With that being said, I am happy to report that the size guide on the RollerKicks website and Amazon was accurate; my RollerKicks fit just the way I had hoped they would.
What Comes in the Box
The shoes (laced,) and a spare wheel. That’s it! Admittedly, I have no idea where the spare wheel my shoes came from is, but I can order another from the RollerKicks website worst-case scenario, so that gives me some peace of mind.The Switch/Button
As I mentioned before, the retractable wheels are controlled by a button at the back of the shoe. I have to be honest, the design of the button isn’t as good as it could have been.
Where Is It Located?
The button is circular and located behind the heel of the shoe. The end sticks out in an indented rectangular-ish shape for your fingers to grab.How Does It Work?
The button has an arrow etched into it, and when the arrow is facing up, it is in the ‘unlock’ position, which means popping the wheels in and out is enabled. When the arrow is facing any other direction, it is in the ‘lock’ position, which means you will not be able to accidentally deploy or retract the wheels – as a safety precaution. When the arrow is in the ‘unlock’ position, you simply press the button once to release the wheels, or you press and hold while guiding the wheels back into place to retract them.
The Design Flaw. (Opinion.)
The poor design, in my opinion, is mainly in the company’s choice to make the switch a swivel that moves easily and freely in 360 degrees. It’s easy for the button to unintentionally rotate while going about your daily life – which can cause unintentional wheel releases or retractions, which has happened to me several times. It’s far more common (like, by a landslide,) for the wheels to accidentally pop out than it is for them to pop in, though. For the most part, it’s easy to catch when this happens before anything detrimental happens – which is great, considering once, the wheels popped out on me as I was walking down a flight of stairs, but it is still a little unsettling just how easily this can happen.
In a sense, I understand the choice. While on the go, it’s easier to barely twist the button and feel ensured that it is locked. Still, I don’t think this was the best decision at the end of the day.
In my opinion, it would have been a better decision to make the twist of the button to lock and unlock should have been built to be binary – with a click into either mode to keep the arrow facing in the position you desire it to be in until you decide otherwise. I think that would have been safer, and more user-friendly – because you do have to look to see which direction the arrow is pointing in, and when you want to pop your wheels out, the arrow has to be pointing exactly at the deploy position mark. If it clicked into place, you wouldn’t have to look at what you were doing, and the switch from walking to rolling would be quicker, easier, and more seamless.
Tik Tok’s Dishonesty About the Shoe
If you did see these shoes on Tik Tok, then you have seen the hundreds of videos of people kicking the button to deploy & retract their wheels. (Conveniently, the struggle of pointing the arrow in the correct direction cut out of the smooth, satisfying process.) I wanna talk about that nifty little stunt for a minute because while it is super cool, it’s not what those Tik Tok videos make it out to be.
Learning to Use the Button
First of all – it’s a little tricky to get the hang of. The first several times I used the buttons to release or retract the wheels, the process of it was a little less… um… graceful.
Popping them out is far easier to get down. At first, I was a little afraid of how hard to hit the button, and I would find myself striking it three or four times before finally getting the wheels to deploy. (I’m a gentle creature.) It didn’t take too long for me to understand that the button could handle a little bit of abuse, though, and in no time, I was releasing the wheels 100% of the time I intended to – though, I think that the release might have loosened up a tiny bit since I first purchased them. With that being said, the arrow in the correct position has proven to be a pain, as there have been countless times where I’ve intended to deploy my wheels and have been unable to because the arrow was pointing a fraction of a degree away from the position I needed it to be in. That, or from the time it took for me to stand upright after bending over my heel to position the arrow, somehow, it swiveled around an entire 180 degrees and was certified locked, preventing me from shooting out my wheelie wheels like I intended to do. Trust me – it’s annoying to repeat the process of hovering on one foot & standing in Tree Pose to get the arrow pointed where it needed to be after you just finished doing just that.
Getting the wheels back into the shoes – well, that’s a bit more of a learning curve. I could not get down the ‘press the button with the other foot and step down into the shoe’ move for the first little while! It was more… ‘press the button with the other foot, nothing happens, try again, wobble, stumble, try again, check that the arrow isn’t pointing the wrong way, try again, wobble, stumble, sit down, press the button with my thumb, grab the wheels with my hands, press the wheels, my hand slips, the wheels pop back out, try again, think I got it all the way, let go, the wheels pop out, try again, push really hard, realize I’m not pressing the button hard enough, try again, get the wheels in.’ … For the first few times. Now, maybe this is because I tend to be gentle with things – especially new things, regardless – I think most people would struggle more with learning how to get the wheels back in than popping them out – to some degree – as I did. Learning how to use my other foot to press the button while I stepped into the shoe was a learning curve, and it came down to me being frustrated with not being able to do it and practicing it until I felt I had it down.
Is It Lacklustre?
However long it takes you to get used to swiftly popping the wheels in and out, it will never feel as satisfying as all the videos allow you to believe – because of the ill-designed button and how easy it can be to accidentally pop the wheels in and out when you desire the opposite. One of the appealing things for me about the RollerKicks was the fantasy of swiftly switching between the shoe and the skate as the terrain ahead called for it. I dreamt of approaching a flight of stairs and effortlessly retracting the wheels until I climbed to the top and found myself on a flat floor, where I could pop them back out with ease, or coming across a puddle, or a jagged, broken piece of sidewalk, and without giving it much thought, opting to walk across the obstacle ahead before returning to my rolling glory. However, with the button’s design to swivel so unpredictably into the lock or unlock position, and with it being so possible for the wheels to release or retract unintentionally when the button is in the unlock position, the transition between shoe and skate is much clunkier and time-consuming in practice than what I had initially imagined it to be.
The Shoe
How Well They Fit
It seems to me that there was noticeable care put into designing the shoe itself. As mentioned, the fit is satisfyingly true-to-size, and even before the initial break-in period, the shoe is comfortable enough to wear for a few hours, though I want to elaborate on that further in a minute. The laces don’t come undone super easily, and you can usually get away with tying a standard bow and expecting it to remain tied as you utilize the shoe – usually. The shoe hugs your foot for an all-over snug fit that isn’t uncomfortably restricting.
Digging Into My Feet
On my particular pair, I have noticed that there are a couple of spots in my shoe that dig into my foot in a way that I don’t really notice for the first few hours of wear, but after a duration of so long, when I do begin to notice, it begins to take a toll. Mind you, I don’t believe that this is an issue that is going to last forever. Despite owning these shoes now for just about a year, I don’t believe I have worn them enough to completely break them in, and I believe that once I’ve gotten enough use out of the shoes to loosen up that those particular spots will stop digging into my feet, I just think that the shoes are still too new and rigid.
Why I Recommend Insoles
I don’t see many people owning RollerKicks and being the type to be heavy users of the shoes, but for those that are, I would recommend fitting the sneaker with some insoles. The shoes don’t have much arch support, and due to the design with the built-in wheels, after long stints of usage, I find that the bottoms of my feet start to feel raw. Of course, often, when products try to be two things at once, they aren’t the best at being either of those things, and I think that where we start to see the true flaws in the shoe itself is within that missing pillowy midsole that we would typically find under the arches of other regular shoes. Wearing these shoes made me realize just how much suspension and shock-absorbency typical shoes offer us. This isn’t necessarily a con that would cause me to recommend you scrap the idea of purchasing the kick rollers entirely, but it is worth being aware of.
What They’re Like to Walk In
There is more than one way you actively notice that there are wheels built into the shoe when you’re just utilizing the shoe itself… Walking is… loud; arguably more obnoxious than the sound of the high heels down the linoleum hallway your teacher used to wear in grade school.
Walking also takes some getting used to. The shoe doesn’t bend to your foot very well as you shift from heel to toe when you step the way that regular shoes do, and the result feels rather clunky. It’s not something you can’t get used to by any means, even if you’re especially sensitive to the way things feel, but it does take a little time. The first few steps you take with the shoes on will likely make you feel a little uneasy. It does not feel natural, and you may be inclined to believe it feels unstable, but the more you walk around, the more comfortable you will become, and eventually, you won’t notice that it feels different than a regular shoe at all.
Do You Still Notice the Wheels?
The wheels, when retracted, become flush with the bottom of the shoe – they don’t entirely burrow into it. This means that you can still feel some rolling in the wheels when they are retracted, but this is most noticeable when you don’t have any weight on your foot. When you’re seated and the wheels are retracted, you can gently glide your feet across the floor and feel the wheels roll under the arches of your feet. When you’re standing and you have your weight shifted into one hip, you will feel your floating foot slide easily across the floor beneath you. This can be a little unsettling – there have been moments where I wondered if I could have nearly fallen – but it is also something that you eventually become totally accustomed to.
RollerKicks In Action! (Video)
The Skate
Learning Curve
Just the same as the shoe, getting used to the skate is a bit of a learning curve. With that being said, I would say RollerKicks are for people who have had some kind of previous experience with balancing on wheels and aren’t the best option for beginners who want to learn. Not because I think it would be impossible to learn to roll with RollerKicks, I just think that they would be frustrating for a beginner and would likely become an item to collect dust in the closet, where for someone who already has the muscle memory for rolling, just the same as the shoe element, you do grow accustomed to the feel of the rolling shoe.
Balance & Stability
Even if you are someone who grew up on roller skates, finding your rhythm on RollerKicks will be a bit awkward. With both the space between the front wheels and the back wheels and the space between the wheels and the shoes when deployed, balancing on RollerKicks does not imitate the balance of wearing roller skates. The first few times you use the RollerKicks, or even after you pick them back up after a long duration of neglecting them, you will feel a strong sense of instability that can be pretty confidence-shattering. As the trends of my review will tell you, it is something you do eventually get used to, but it does have an unsettling impact on your experience wearing the shoes.
Wavering Development
Regardless of getting used to it, however, the balance aspect has a continuous effect on experiencing RollerKicks. Using the skates built into RollerKicks does not have the natural, gradual improvement in skill and development that you would experience wearing roller skates. Instead, it is wavering; you will feel confident and accomplished one minute, and unstable and awkward the next. The progression using RollerKicks is more of an inconsistent, unpredictable wave than it is a curving crescendo. I’m not saying overall that RollerKicks are difficult to use – they’re not, but they’re just not an item that provides a hobby with endless room to develop, they are just instead of a quirky, leisurely, gimmicky toy that doesn’t have a very high peak. I’m saying – don’t expect them to simulate the experience of roller skates, that’s not what they should be seen as, and in my opinion, they don’t rival a roller skate in any way, and they have unique learning curves to adapt to.
The Wheels
Outside of balance, everything else in utilizing the skate function has some things to get used to. The wheels spin a lot smoother than what I was predicting. If you take the shoe off and flip it on its back and use your index finger to spin the wheel, you will find that it spins for a very long time. However, don’t expect to glide infinitely after a few measly little pushes. Expect to push more often than you anticipate you should because you will push more often than you will glide.
Turning & Cross-Overs
Turning is an awkward thing to get used to, too. I have found that the best turning technique, is just to look where you are going and push mostly with the outside foot. Performing crossovers and taking tight corners are not things you should expect to do (very often – depending on your skill level) when wearing RollerKicks.
Can You Go Fast?
Don’t expect speed. You will likely only travel maybe a little quicker than your walking pace. This is not a stab at RollerKicks – it is just to give you a proper expectation. I had this expectation before purchasing RollerKicks and it was one of the appealing elements for me; I wanted to have the option to roll instead of walk when I traveled, and it is a nice feature to be able to carry on at the same pace as your friends while having the luxury to choose to roll instead of walk. Though, bear in mind – I prefer rolling over walking just – generally.
How Should You Interpret RollerKicks?
I think it is really important to view RollerKicks as a tool to have an option to roll over walking, for even if the wheels were designed for things like speed and quick maneuvers, (which I don’t believe they should be,) the shoe isn’t designed to support such intense usage. Roller skates and roller blades are designed to take more wear and tear, and they’re also designed for you to take it, too. In short, roller skates and roller blades offer ankle support. Their boots curve with your ankle and hug your foot and your calf to keep your ankle rigid and lessen the possibility of injury through more intense usage. RollerKicks – are shoes. They do not secure your ankle, and with more reckless usage, your ankle is likely to roll or sprain. RollerKicks are designed to be used leisurely; for strolls or quick bursts or as something to use to pass along the time.
No Brakes?!
On that note… RollerKicks do not have brakes. On Roller Skates, you might find a toe stop, and on Roller Blades; a heel stop. Though these things are detachable, and an experienced rider may decide to detach their brakes, I think the lack of brakes on RollerKicks further highlights their intended purpose. You don’t need brakes on RollerKicks. You will not be traveling fast enough to avoid a collision and they are not designed to be used in situations where brakes would be a requirement. If you are not comfortable enough to stop yourself while wearing RollerKicks, you will have ample time to warn a potential pedestrian or seek out help to avoid an obstacle long before you would ever collide. Further – dipping your toe or heel while wearing RollerKicks isn’t what I would consider… wise. The distance between your [toe] or [heel] and the ground is more significant than it seems and dropping either in the middle of a roll would likely end in a not-so-graceful faceplant. That can tie in with the points I made before about the balance learning curve and the placement design of the wheels.
Tricks
That said, if you’re anything like me, you’re probably going to test your limits with RollerKicks. (Just please do so in a safe environment!) Like I said before, basically, the only findable footage of people using RollerKicks online is either the wheels deploying, or small, slow circles on a garage pad, and I got curious as to whether tricks are possible in RollerKicks, so I tried a few. I did manage to (kind of) moonwalk, manual, and spin, but it is not confidence-inspiring. Though, I’ll admit – doable
If you're looking for information on those shoes with wheels Tik Tok popularized, this is a great review to read! #rollerkicks
Practicality & Applicability (And What to Expect)
When I first became enamored with RollerKicks, the most captivating fantasy was traveling around the city, retracting and deploying the wheels as the terrain ahead called for it, and weaving in and out of shops while never slowing my roll. However, after delightfully receiving my pair in the mail, I quickly discovered that that dream was just simply – a dream.
Outdoors
RollerKicks are certainly not designed for the great outdoors. The smallest pebble or slightest dip or crack in a sidewalk can stop them dead in their tracks and cause you to gracefully nosedive into the cement before you. Perhaps a more experienced rider can handle a bumpier terrain, or perhaps an individual a bit heavier than me could push the wheels more firmly into the ground but so far in my experience, these are designated indoor shoes. Granted, I live in a place where the weather heavily influences the state of the ground so perhaps if you live in a city where the outdoor surfaces tend to be smoother, you could get away with recreationally utilizing your pair outside, but for me, that doesn’t seem to be an option.
Indoors
On the note of RollerKicks leaning towards being indoor shoes – stores don’t tend to like wheels being used indoors. I have been yelled at once in a Wal-Mart for wearing them, (okay, yelled at is a bit harsh – she just said no rolling in the store,) but I have been able to wear them indoors everywhere else I’ve been with them so far. I think that the elements that prevent employees from talking to me about it are that I am respectful when wearing them in an establishment; I’m not reckless and I keep my pace at the same walking pace as the customers around me, and I don’t create any kinds of close calls, and that I am a grown-up – which I think communicates that I am more likely to be responsible.
How Often Will You Wear Them?
I don’t wear my RollerKicks nearly as often as I predicted when I first ordered them. Their niche application took away some of the magic, and I find I wear them around the house more often than I wear them anywhere else. Days will strike me where I will feel like having them on, and I’ll roll around the living room or my office – one of these occasions was when I was inspired to try to do some tricks!
Practical or Novel?
I wouldn’t consider them practical shoes. They’re a quirky, fun novelty item and should truly be viewed as such. You’re not going to wear them to commute or to satisfy your needs for adrenaline or adventure. They will likely sit on your shelf more often than you expect, but if the novel aspect of these shoes is appealing to you, you will be thrilled to wear them whenever the mood strikes you.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Fun
- Unique & quirky
- Conversation piece
- Well made
- Novel
- True to size
- Easy to use
Cons
- Impractical
- Loose button
- Wheels can deploy at random
- Niche
- Indoor tools solely
- Limited aesthetic choice
- No arch support
- Unstable
Final Thoughts
I’m Happy With My Pair
While I know it may seem like I’ve talked a lot of trash about RollerKicks throughout this review, I am thrilled with my purchase, and I continue to be happy with my pair. Had I written this review only, say, a week after owning my Kick Rollers, my review would have likely been raving, and I would have been elated to recommend these shoes to any walk of life. However, as I’ve gotten to experience the shoes, I have realized that they’re not going to be for everyone and that there is a lot of room for improvement, and I think that that is important to highlight.
What I Hope To See In The Future
I truly hope that the company that created RollerKicks continues to expand on and perfect its design. I would be disappointed if this was their final product, and I would feel as though their potential fell flat. In the future, I hope to see a broader selection of aesthetic choices, an improved button, a shoe that supports feet of every kind for long hours, and a more versatile skate that can handle more challenging terrain. Overall, I feel that this is a wonderful idea that can and should be elaborated further, and I would be the first in line to buy a pair that checked all the boxes I believe they’re currently missing.
So…
Who would I Recommend these For?
I don’t think I would recommend these for children or adolescents. Not because I think they’re dangerous to cause any serious or long-term damage or be dangerous in a way a child wouldn’t typically stumble upon on their own, but because I think a child or a young teen would grow bored with them far sooner than the price point would allow to be reasonable. For the youth, I believe these shoes would be exciting for maybe a full weekend, and then find themselves in a box shoved in the rafters of your garage, forgotten about for years to come.
If you are looking for a shoe that can swiftly transform between being a regular shoe and being a toy you can roll on, I would encourage you to invest in Heelys instead. Though I have never owned Heelys myself (to my demise,) I believe they would satisfy that itch far better than RollerKicks currently can. I have also witnessed Heelys being flawlessly used in outdoor settings where I live, so despite their shoe-with-wheel “lowering kit,” I believe they can handle the bumps and grooves of the paths outside better than the RollerKicks shoes. Even with the built-in suspension advantage they appear to have over their Heely counterparts.
If you’re looking for a commutable toy that can transform between being a shoe and a skate, I would recommend you spend the extra dollars and invest in a pair of Flaneurz instead. You would lose a lot less of the shoe-to-skate fluidity than you would expect, and though I have yet to cozy my own feet into a pair of Flaneurz, in that aspect, I believe you would be getting a better bang for your buck.
If you’re a roller-skater, and you’re looking for options to commute… dude, just get a pair of roller skates. Maybe Flaneurz, if the convertible aspect tickles your fancy, but I think you will be let down by RollerKicks if your expectation is for them to resemble roller-skates in any adequate way.
If you happen to be one of my friends, despite the reasons you may have to not want a pair and despite how legitimate those reasons may be, I will still recommend you get these shoes so we can be a part of something together. (Please guys. Please.)
But in all seriousness, honestly – those that I would confidently recommend these shoes for are individuals like myself; those that like trying out new quirky toys, and those that will continue to be satisfied with the product, even after the slight disappointments they experience when they realize that the reality of owning a pair doesn’t align with the fantasies they had about them beforehand. Those that will not be bothered when they sit on a shelf for a while, and those that are likely to have inspired moods to put them back on again – even if just once in a blue moon. Those that are excited about the conversations that will spark when wearing the shoes, and those that feel special when wearing them on their feet. Those that would choose to roll over walking any day, and those inspired by Peter Pan and the idea of never truly growing up.
… Or just those that want to make a few TikTok videos of them retracting and deploying the wheels. That sector of people, too, would quite enjoy these shoes.
Regardless, I would still recommend you wait until a pair happens to wind up on eBay, Kijiji, or Facebook Marketplace, or for the regular price of RollerKicks to drop to a more digestible price. Or – fingers crossed – for the company to develop the shoe I’ve been dreaming of.
All in all, I truly do love this product. I don’t think that it is for everyone, and I think that the best way to know if they’re right for you is if you still feel excited about owning a pair after making your way through this entire, extensive review, even with it seeming so keen on highlighting the flaws of the shoes. If you do get a pair, I genuinely hope that you love yours as much as I have loved and still love mine. It is a fun thing to have, and I fill with glee whenever I slip them back onto my feet.
A Letter from Danika...
Thank you so much for reading! Do you have your own RollerKicks? Do you want a pair? Let me know in the comments!
While you're here, why don't you take a look around and see if there's anything else that peeks your interest!
Evergreen D
Very interesting. Wasn’t aware these kinds of shoes existed until I came across your article! Thank you,
Ruby
Hi, I am worried about fake ones out there. Did you do any research on the actual manufacture website or sales vs Amazon or others. Is LieKick fake?