Can I replace these toe stops?

Do I have anything positive to say about impalas…

Yes. I am positive you should not waste your time or money on these.

It’s not a bug that these stupid things implode on themselves, it’s a feature. It has nothing to do with the pandemic or shortages or whatever. They’ve always been this way and they don’t give a shit.

They are not part of the community, they’re a fast fashion money grab. There are plenty of options at similar price points that are actually safe.

I've had mine for about 12 months I think. I use them 1-3 times a week, usually for 1-2 hours each time. I mostly rink skate, taking lessons, but also practice drills outside on a flat basketball court between lessons.

They've held up fine for that level of use. I'm still a beginner, and can use them for most of the basic skills I've been learning. I did replace the wheels with some suregrip fames though, just because I felt like the sticky stock wheels were holding me back a bit, and I was right. I know everyone is down on Impalas, but for beginner, low risk, short term use? I think they're an ok buy. Just maybe teach your niece some basic maintenance so she can check them over after use for any issues.

Yeah you can replace, they're not height adjustable, although sure grip do some shorter toe stops that would be compatible .

For all the hate impala get, I actually still use their toe stops and cushions on my current skates as they're soft and responsive.

The big screw in the middle comes out I believe to replace the toe stops.

They are indeed. You just need a set of bolt on toe stops. They're not customizable in terms of height and utility. You can't get really big ones, or jam plugs. But you can get a new set of bolt on toe stops and put them on.

Edit: Impalas are fine, especially for kids. They're not good, but their reputation mostly comes from the pandemic when their customer service was in the toilet and they were engaging in some pretty horrible business practices.

Yes, I have even modded cheaper skates, ones with mono axles and ones where the bolt is lost into the plate . More fiddly but can be done.

Yes! You can get shorter bolt on toe stops or even jam plugs. Either way i would not get impala skates, they are generally bad quality and that can even make them harder to skate in.

Since she’s young and just getting into skating, I would get her a nice second hand pair. Look on Facebook/ebay/vinted (if you’re in UK). I’ve done artistic, derby and street skating and I’ve ONLY ever had second hand skates, I save a lot of money and I can still skate just as well as others with brand new ones. I get the appeal of brand new skates, but especially when you’re just starting out save some money and get second hand - ideally not impalas..

https://preview.redd.it/bi7cjz3959qd1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aa402b78f29b2ea83e6e108a66f6758d59d5ccf3

If you love your niece, up her budget to buy her a decent pair of skates that won't break and possibly injure her. Here's how Impalas hold up, this was after maybe 5 hours total time spent in them. I can best describe the quality as a pair of Payless seconds mounted on the cheapest and heaviest plate they could find then skimped on 4 cents of lock tite.

Yep they're replaceable. You're looking for "bolt on toe stops" a few different manufacturers make them but impala brand replacements are really nice and cheap. You can also find jam plugs that work for bolt ons too.

I have good things to say! Through a series of unfortunate events I had to part with my Jacksons and could only replace with impalas. I may get roasted for this but for a cruising around/dance/rink/rec skate (or people just dipping their toes) impalas are cute as shit and function perfectly fine. In fact, while I miss the Jackson boot because it fit me better, I've realized the ten degree action on the impala stock plate actually works better for me 🤷🏼‍♀️

I would not use them for skate parks, heavy duty trail skating or derby.. but I'm two years deep with mine skate avg 6-8 hours a week and having no problems.

I'm of the opinion that there were many quality control problems across a lot of rollerskate brands during the pandemic because the sudden volume was too much for every manufacturer (lookin at you moxi lolly and moonlight rollers). But now things are caught up you don't see complaints near as much unless people are going too hard on them. Do lemons happen? Yes. But that not just impala that's every brand.

I think your niece will love them and if she sticks with it you can upgrade her on a birthday or graduation at a later date when she decides what style of skating she's most into 😊