Nostalgic Fitness: The '90s Trend That's Making A Comeback

Back in the early ‘90s, the future was bright. Hypercolor bright. There was a young dude in the White House and a Fresh Prince in Bel-Air, and off in the distance, you could just about see the Information Super Highway — this thing that was going to lead mankind toward some mystical Valhalla where if you didn’t know what “Valhalla” meant, you could plug it into Alta Vista and have the answer in about 90 seconds.



It was a time of forward motion — go, go, go — and there was only one way to zoom into the sweet unknown: inline skates, or Rollerblades, as they became known, thanks to the company that popularized them.



Anyone who walked upright during the ‘90s knows how much fun these things were. Inline skates looked like Moon Boots and came in rad, neon colors — and for a few years, they were everywhere. Hockey jocks and skater punks alike loved ‘em as much as their moms did, and when Saturday morning rolled around, there was nothing better than getting jacked up on PopTarts and Sunny D and shredding some pavement. Even babies were doing it.



Now, we’re in the midst of a nostalgia moment (overalls anyone?), and inline skates are making their grand return. Not that they’ve ever gone away; according to Rollerblade, there are still 17.3 million people lacing up and snapping in around the world. That makes it a more popular sport than snowboarding. What’s more, skate sales are up in L.A., NYC, and Atlanta. In Park Slope, Brooklyn — just over the river from Refinery 29's Manhattan HQ — inline skating is definitely on the upswing. Now, in addition to keeping your eyes peeled for bikers, joggers, dog walkers, and stroller-pushing parents, you've got to watch out for eight-wheel enthusiasts.



But, inline skating is no longer the cultural phenomenon it once was, and production has yet to begin on Airborne II. And, that’s a shame (well, not the Airborne II thing), because Rollerblading was, is, and always will be totally freakin' awesome. Inline skates represent everything that was right about the ‘90s. They were innovative and futuristic — kind of like those Ginsu knives you’d see on TV, only better. They were “extreme” — the second-most awesome adjective of the decade, right behind “cyber.” If you were to add a pair of Rollerblades to just about any activity — dancing, Frisbee tossing, open-heart surgery — it suddenly became edgy, cool, and worthy of MTV Sports coverage.

Read More

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?



Meet The Fitness Tracker Of Your Nightmares



What It's Like To Have The "Wrong" Body For Your Sport



Science Says: THIS Is The Best Arm Exercise