With these roller skates, the skater kept on the shoes they were wearing and simply stepped onto the skate base. The strap would go around the skater’s ankle, which was essentially the only thing holding the skater’s foot in place other than the very small toe clamp.

So, what was the key for? The key was for unlocking the base so the skater could adjust the size of the base and fit their feet in accordingly. Though roller skating has never been for the faint of heart, it especially wasn’t back in the 1950s and 1960s!