Toe Stop Showdown, Round 2!
When you’re competing on roller skates, starting and stopping is one of the most important parts of the game. Safety is very important for skaters of all skill levels and a good working toe stop is a must. If you’re a serious athlete, you want the best equipment available, period. There are countless toe stops available these days and the stoppers that come on many skates just aren’t that great. We work with many skaters every day from those just learning to skate for fun or exercise to those that spend more time skating than anything else so we can help any skater find the right toe stop for their needs. If you’re still not sure what would be the best for you after reading this article, please feel free to email or call us for more help.
Previously, we compared the Gumball stoppers and the Bionic Bigfoot stoppers and many of our customers have told us how helpful it was, so we’re upping the game and have the 411 on 5 of the most popular toe stops around. In last year’s poll, you chose the Gumballs as your favorite stopper with both Bionic brands right on their tail so don’t forget to vote in this year’s poll so we can see who is leading the way this year! We’ve come up with some awesome tests to do against the Bionic Bigfoot, Bionic Super Stopper, Antik Gumball, Antik Superball, and Mota Monster toe stops this year! Please keep in mind that we are completely aware that we run a skate shop and not an accredited scientific research center. We also know that we would have to run these tests more times than we can count (let alone have the time for) for the most accurate results so please don’t email us to tell us this…unless you are a curious student in the position to run such tests or maybe a geek like us and your curiousity has gotten the better of you so you are compelled to see if you can replicate our results…in that case, let us know and we may just be able to help! Our goal here is simply to give our wonderful skating customers some information to help them find the best toe stop for their skating style and needs so enjoy the information and get yourself some Amaze-balls Toe Stops!!
Toe Stop Showdown Upgraded Toe Stops
We’ve found some of the best toe stops on the market today!
Let’s take a moment to learn about why these toe stops are a must have upgrade to your skates. We’ve added some great graphics and a video so take a look at those and feel free to let us know if you have any questions!
Compared to most “standard” toe stops today, the 5 we’ve chosen for this article implement new, effective technology, maximize stopping power, and quite simply: stop skaters better than the traditional toe stop. There are many differences in these stoppers (some big and some small) and we’re going to outline some of those differences in grip, longevity, and shape. Every skater has their favorite toe stop and that is great, don’t be afraid to try something new every once in a while though because you might find one you love even more. An $18-$30 test that could easily result in life changing skating is really priceless and we also know that every team has a variety of “favorite” toe stops so if you pick up a pair and hate them the first time you use them, someone on your team would be happy to take them off your hands.
Grip and Longevity
Grip
All 5 of these toe stops have more grip than traditional stoppers. We dare you to test them for yourself at a local shop or try out your league mates stoppers. Use any of these awesome stops on any surface and you’ll find the grip is superior. Order your stopper today and upgrade your game, we’re positive you’ll wish you made the switch sooner. If your skate came with a standard toe stop, this is one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to upgrade your skates. Ditch the old technology and upgrade!
In our testing video, we wanted to see which toe stop(s) would stay where they are supposed to with the pressure on them so check out these results and watch the video below to see how we did it!
- Bionic Bigfoot: 67.0 lbs
- Bionic Super Stopper: 53.6 lbs
- Antik Gumball: 21.4 lbs
- Antik Superball: 29.4 lbs
- Mota Monster: 65.4 lbs
Longevity
The 5 toe stops we chose to test were made to outlast traditional toe stops. No professional skater wants to spend time changing stoppers and you’ll have to do that even less with these awesome choices. All of these options are made of super-strong material that outlast standard stoppers. As with any abrasion tested material, if it lasts longer (or doesn’t grind down as fast) it’s typically harder. That also means it is less grippy. Gumballs stop really well and fast because of the all natural rubber compound, which is why they will wear down faster. Some of the ‘longer lasting’ synthetic materials tend to be brittle and rip off the stem, chunk, or tear. You can count on the fact that these toe stops are not going to wear poorly or break off at the stem.
In our testing video, we wanted to see which toe stop(s) would wear down the least so you can see which ones will last the longest. Check out these results and then watch the video below to see how we did it!!
- Bionic Bigfoot: 28.53-23.21=5.32mm
- Bionic Super Stopper: 30.07-24.47=5.60mm
- Antik Gumball: 28.67-22.05=6.62mm
- Antik Superball: 29.01-25.07=3.94mm
- Mota Monster: 30.25-25.01=5.24mm
Grip and Longevity Testing Video
Shape
Many of our customers ask about the shape of toe stops and what it means to them. On a rounded shape, such as a traditional toe stop, you’re a weeble wobble until it wears down flat. There are many benefits to all of the different shapes so check out the details of all of these toe stops below to see which one fits your skating style!
The Bionic Bigfoot, Bionic Super Stopper, Antik Gumball, Antik Superball, and Mota Monster all come out of the box flat and ready to rock, keeping you on top of your game. This means that you get maximum surface contact from the first time you skate on them so you don’t need to worry about that pesky break in period that all of us skaters find ever so painful.
so like ive been skating since i was 3 and im not sure if im a pro or not can you tell me what would be the best stopper for me?
What kind of skating are you doing? Indoor or outdoor? Quad or inline?
What are the best toe stops for outdoor skating? I’ve used gumball for a while (love them for indoor) but I wear them down so quickly on concrete.
Jen,
Yeah, they all kind of wear out quickly on concrete. The Gumball is a good option along with the Bionic Bigfoot or Mota Monster. Moxi has a rose petal one that’s cool, but I haven’t heard a lot about the longevity of that toe stop yet.