Editing Inline skates (section)

=== Soft boots ===

[[File:K2 Fatty SC-EU edition-aka US Backyard Bob-updated 1997 1998-Aggressive Inline Skates-A Schneider-IMG 0759-Profile-bg.png|thumb|right|200px|K2 Fatty SC, 1997]]

K2 introduced soft boots to inline skating in 1993 with its Exotech line of recreational skates, marking the company’s entry into the sport. Building on this innovation, K2 later released the legendary K2 Fatty, an aggressive skate featuring the same soft-boot design. Since then, similar soft boots have come to dominate the recreational skate market.<ref>{{cite web
|url=https://www.historylink.org/File/3901
|title=K2 Corporation (K2 Sports) — a History
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|last1=Luhn
|date=2002-07-23
|website=HistoryLink.org
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|archive-date=2024-09-14
|access-date=2025-02-18
}}</ref><ref name="gorski-skate-o-pedia-aggressive-skates">{{cite web
|url=http://www.inlineskates.com/Aggressive-Skates/article-3-27-2010%2Cdefault%2Cpg.html
|title=Skate-O-Pedia / Articles / Aggressive Skates
|first1=Chris
|last1=Gorski
|website=Inlineskates.com
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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018234026/http://www.inlineskates.com/Aggressive-Skates/article-3-27-2010%2Cdefault%2Cpg.html
|archive-date=2021-10-18
|access-date=2025-02-09
}}</ref>

They are akin to hiking shoes, made of textiles, mesh, neoprene, and other soft materials. Liners are integrated into the soft boot, and are thus not removable or replaceable. A soft boot is reinforced in strategic areas with a plastic exoskeleton for structural support.<ref name="powerslide-hard-soft-hybrid-boots"/><ref name="skamidan-inline-skating-in-brief"/><ref name="powell-svensson-inline-skating"/>{{rp|15–18}}

A soft boot uses a pivoting cuff to support the lower leg, like hard boots. Otherwise, its exoskeleton covers only a small area of the foot. This allows the boot to provide superior airflow through its fabric for moisture extraction, to keep the foot cool.<ref name="vegter-hybrid-hard-boot-soft-boot"/>

{{multiple image
 | direction = horizontal
 | total_width = 400
 | image1 = Fila inline skates-bg.png
 | image2 = Child's Inline Skates-bg.png
 | caption1 = Fila soft boots
 | caption2 = Rollerblade soft boots
}}

Soft boots use closure systems similar to those of hard boots. These include laces, velcro straps, and buckles. Lacing the front of the boot is key to securing the foot within the boot, due to the lack of exoskeleton support in this area. On the other hand, the flexible front of the boot readily accommodates different shapes of foot. Soft boots thus provide a more comfortable fit at the expense of reduced rigidity and support, making them suitable for beginners and casual skaters. Committed enthusiasts, however, generally avoid soft boots due to their lack of direct and immediate response to skating moves, a result of elastic hysteresis.<ref name="vegter-hybrid-hard-boot-soft-boot"/>

Soft boots are lighter and generally more affordable than hard boots. They are also easier to manufacture in precise shoe sizes. While hard boots typically come in dual sizes, soft boots are available in half sizes for US shoe measurements (e.g., US 9.5, 10, and 10.5) and, in some cases, for EU sizes as well (e.g., EU 39.5, 40, and 40.5).<ref name="vegter-hybrid-hard-boot-soft-boot"/><ref name="powell-svensson-inline-skating"/>{{rp|15–18}}