Soft boots, like K2 skates, offer less ankle support than the hard plastic shell of your RB lightning. I had a similar experience when I started skating with soft boots, only I was falling inward (pronation) There are drills you can do to train your ankles to maintain a center edge while skating. Mainly, scooting (push with one leg while maintaining a center edge on the support leg) and toe rolls (scoot and then maintain a center edge on your support leg and then glide with one wheel with the pushing leg until you come to a stop. The drills are boring, but they do help.

Skater with 8 pairs of high quality skates here (I do "Wizard skating"): The K2 are recreational soft boots with little support. The Lightning are hard shells with good support. The next tier is the Twister XT, FRX/1/2/3 or Powerslide Next. My advice before going on a buying spree. Do not buy Tri Skates, skip that, they're out of fashion because 3 wheels are not good for reasons I'm not explaining here. 4x80 or 4x90 if you're a tall person. Do not overtighten the 45deg strap, is only to keep your ankle in place. The support is in the shell + the cuff. Anyway, the Lightnings are great and I don't really think you need anything better unless you take it very seriously.

I’ve been rolling on the same pair of K2 FIT BOAs since 2016 and love them dearly. K2 makes some quality stuff. Regardless of brand, don’t go cheap. Such a bummer that was your experience though man. Glad you grabbed a new pair to keep rolling.

I started in inline skates and love my roller skates a lot. I go with Riedell and Vanilla for brands.

If you ever give the soft boot another go, try focusing your foot postion in towards your big toe and second toe to help increase your ankle usage. Maybe that would help with the falling outward- soft boots are notorious for having low ankle support. Another trick is that you get longer laces and wrap them around your cuff tight for extra support; they're lowkey beginner/returning user friendly.

I got those Lightning 80s a few months ago and love them! I had been skating regularly for years in the Rollerblade Zetras, which are soft boot like those K2s which can feel a bit...floppy. The hard boots on the Lightning are super supportive, the liner is firm and comfortable, the memory buckles are amazing. Those K2s are entry-level, beginner skates by the price point and as such are lacking in features.

I have no experience inline skating but i had the same exact issue, i found my size inline skates on marketplace for a killer deal $20 practically brand new before doing more researching and found rollerblades lighning 80s which is what youre showing here and I have them in my cart on amazon right now haha. The stability comes in the outer plastic shell keeping your ankles locked up and leaning forwards. The K2s being a soft toe leaves a lot of room for "lazy feet". My skates are not K2 but theyre the exact same tie up, velcro and 1 horrible ankle strap.

I hat the same with soft booths. I love hard booths.

What made you size down? I measured my feet like the sizing chart said,and got the matching skate size. I haven't received them yet though,to try them. I had to order the men's Lighting because they don't have my size in the women's.

Still have my K2 Backyard Fatties from the 90s

Are the front & rear wheels rockerable?

Soft boots suck. I love my Lightning’s!