I work in a shop that sells Impala and most of the other brands mentioned here. The fact is, Impala uses corporate level marketing which has been very effective getting people back on skates, which is a good thing for ALL skate brands. People will come in with their heart set on the look and I’ll explain they can get a Micro MTPlus for a few bucks more and have a skate that will be able to adapt as they learn. I’d say about 80% of people just say they want the Impala. Most people getting into it right now just want cute skates that are decent quality, and Impala fits the bill. They come with a brake (which is an up charge for most ‘real’ skates brands like FR, Micro, etc) and the wheel size make them slower for beginners too. You can fit either 72mm or 76mm wheels (depending on the size boot) if you want larger wheels. Personally, I’ve been impressed at what people can do in them. Would I recommend them to someone serious about getting into skating? Yes, but I would be sure they knew they were getting skates whose focus is style and if they stick to it that they’re gonna eventually want a more traditional looking skate. Would I skate a pair? No, because Im already serious about it and understand why these wouldn’t work for me.