[K2 has officially released its 2016 collection of skates including two new aggressive models, the Unnatural and Front Street.
While we’ve been privy to the release of the skates for a while thanks to “leaks” by Mushroom Blading and Super Cool Blading, the final products are now ready to ship and available for pre-order from retailers across the globe.
For the first time in a long time, K2 has put in some serious work into their aggressive offerings instead of rehashing the Fatty Pro and Varsity models.
Innovations include a brand new frame (looking a lot like the Kaltiks) that accommodates a flat setup of up to 61mm wheels and the return of the Teflon soul plates last seen on the classic King 55s.
Love ’em or hate ’em, it’s great to see one of the original rollerblading manufacturers putting in the time and money to come up with something new and fresh, instead of rehashing the same old tired designs some of us had been skating since the ’90s.
The end result is something that diehard K2 fans can finally get excited about and perhaps the rest of the blading community as well. The Unnatural are K2’s top of the line skates, retailing at $300US. They feature all the new innovations from the K2 lab in a stylish black, white and orange colour scheme.
FEATURES
Aggressive Cuff
Aggressive Base with Teflon® Inserts
Rockered-Optional Aggressive UFS Frame with Integrated H-block Design
60mm Wheels (frame can accommodate up to 61mm)
Adjustable Shock Absorbing Footbed
ABEC 5 Bearings
The Unnaturals obviously hold the most appeal for the core aggressive market and we expect to see quite a few rolling around when they finally hit the streets. The Front Street is a more budget-friendly option ($250US) for those who don’t want t spend the earth but still want a quality pare of skates for ramp, park or street.
Coming in a black and grey colour scheme with blue and maroon highlights, they don’t look quite as nice as the Unnaturals but still pack plenty of features including the new-look frames (but not the Teflon inserts, unfortunately).
FEATURES
Aggressive Cuff
Rockered-Optional Aggressive UFS Frame with Integrated H-block Design
56mm Wheels (frame can accommodate up to 61mm)
Adjustable Shock Absorbing Footbed
ABEC 5 Bearings
While we don’t expect the new line will set the industry on fire, it’s a solid return from one of the blading game’s original companies. Coupled with the singing of Dave Lang after the collapse of SSM, they are certainly off to a good start. To check out the full catalog for 2016, click here.
What do you think of the new K2 range of aggressive skates?
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