How Do You Make Aluminum Insoles for Roller Skates

If you're going to make roller skates out of shoes, you're almost certainly going to need some sort of additional insole, even if you're not doing any aggressive park skating.

.Why?

If you compare any roller skate boots you'll notice they have a hard, flat sole. This would make them uncomfortable to walk on, but it's ideal for any kind of skating. Conversely, even tough boots have a much softer, bouncier, sole than roller skates do. If you attach those directly to a roller skate plate, you're going to find that it feels squishy and weird. Trust me, I've done it. It doesn't feel good.

How Do I Get an Aluminum Insole for Roller Skates?

The easiest thing to do is to go online to your nearest roller skate shop and search for "aluminum insoles". They may carry those made by CiB. If they don't or if you don't know what shop to look for, check on Etsy. If that also fails.... I hope you're handy with a tool or two because you might need to make them yourself.

How Do You Make Aluminum Insoles for Roller Skates?

There are several ways you could make an insole yourself, and which way you choose will depend on what tools you have access to and what you're comfortable with. I have made an Aluminum Insole tutorial video which covers the way I make aluminum insoles, but it is of course not the only way to do it.

What follows are written instructions with the assumption you want to do it the same way I do.

What Do I Need To Make Aluminum Insoles for Aggressive Roller Skates?

• Jigsaw
• Jigsaw blades for cutting 2mm aluminum
• Machine lubricant (ex: WD40)
• Aluminum sheet, 2mm; large enough for both your feet
• Sharpie
• Sanding Sponge/Block
• Work Gloves
• Goggles (optional)
• A Mask/ Ventilator (optional, highly recommended)

Instructions

1. Take the insole out of the shoes, and trace each of them on your aluminum sheet.
2. Insert the proper blade into your jigsaw and spray a tiny bit of machine lube (WD40) on the blade
3. Put on safety gear (gloves, goggles, respirator). The need for a respirator might not seem obvious, but aluminum dust is toxic, so you don't want to be breathing it in.
4. Cut just on the inside of your tracing lines, so your insoles will be just barely smaller than the insoles you got from the shoes.
5. Before you remove your respirator, goggles, and gloves, clean up the aluminum dust that probably got everywhere.
6. When you think you are finished, try to put your insoles in your shoes. If they float above the inside a little and can't be pushed flat, they may need to be trimmed down a little bit.
7. When you are actually finished and the insole fits inside your shoe, sand the edges with a sanding sponge/sanding block, until they are no longer sharp.

What I've Learned About Cutting Insoles, From Experience

• You'd think smaller aluminum, like 1.5mm, might be easier to work with, but it's actually harder because it starts to shake and is really hard to keep still. Don't even waste your time with it, even if it's way cheaper or the only kind you can find locally.
• If you try to make the metal insole the exact same size as your soft insole from inside the shoes, it probably won't fit since the soft insle bends and the metal should not. That's why I say to cut slightly inside your tracing lines--but only slightly (1-2mm)

That's it. Have fun, be safe, check my how-to video, and please tag me on Insta (@rollerskaterevival) if this helped you personalize your skates!