Escend Blades Alpha review: Electric skates are here, and they’re pretty rad

The future has officially arrived, and its in the form of all-electric skates designed by Escend out of the UK. These aren’t roller skates with fireworks attached to them like the early pioneers of MTV’s Jackass, nor are they the regular old inlines we donned during our first couple’s skate in the 90s. Instead, the Escend Blades Alpha have successfully combined the joy of inline skating with the unmatched, effortless velocity that comes with electric motors. I kicked, pushed, and wobbled my way through two different variations of these electric skates for you, so be sure to check out my video below to get my thoughts.

Escend Blades is born

First things first. What is a futuristic microbility product without its makers? You probably haven’t heard of Escend Blades yet, but I doubt you’ll forget their name after you watch me zoom back and forth across your screen on electric skates below.

Believe it or not, Escend’s journey toward creating the first electric motorized skates I’ve ever seen started as recently as October 2020. Cofounders Anton and Rashid met while working for Arrival – another electric mobility company in the UK often covered here on Electrek.

Each founder realized they were not alone in their respective love for skating and quest to deliver an all-electric version to the masses. When they discovered they both were working on their own prototypes separately, the duo then combined forces, quit their day jobs, and began development of the nascent Escend Blades Alphas you see before you.

A year later is when yours truly came in. The Escend team reached out to me and explained they were developing an electric skate prototype and asked if I’d be interested in being one of the first people on Earth to try them out. Naturally, I said no.

Kidding! Aside from being flattered, I was thoroughly excited to try something in micromobility the world had not seen before. We held video calls where I got to see the prototypes, and the cofounders even gave me a demonstration outside their office.

Flash forward to fall 2022. After months of conversations, certification delays, and a hefty wait through customs, the Escend Alphas were on my doorstep. Finally, I could charge ’em up, roll ’em out, and try not to break my wrists while I share my experience with you all. Aside from one minor hole in my jeans, I found great success in these electric skates, which you can learn about below. But first, check out some images and a few of the pertinent specs.

Are you sold already? Without even watching my video yet? Damn, I’m good. Hold that thought, though, because we need to talk prices real quick. The Escend Blade Alpha electric skates are currently on sale via the Escend website, starting at a price of $799 for the blade platforms only.

The set with the Metro Boots costs $869, while the Doop Boots package costs $919. Don’t worry, though – Scoot’s got ya. Use promo code SCOOTERSKATES for… 3% off (sorry).

You may not be all-in on electric skates yet, and I totally understand. Regardless, you’ve gotta see these things in action. Please check out my video review below, and let me know what you think about the Escend Blades. Are these the future?