How can we explain the eternal return of roller skating

BORDEAUX: (Nov 2) Roller skates, used as performance accessories since the 17th century, originated in Europe, in the shadow of ice skating. The great aristocratic and fashionable trends of the early 20th century were followed by numerous periods of enthusiasm, each with its own unique form and style. Yet, roller skating has never truly established itself in France as a cultural phenomenon.

The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns sparked a resurgence of interest in roller skating. Between 2020 and 2022, skate sales jumped by 300 per cent in the United States and followed the same trend in France. Through influencers such as Ana Coto and Oumi Janta , the TikTok generation reclaimed the streets and public squares. Brands were quick to relaunch models with a look that was both vintage and modernized.

This recent surge in popularity, however, did not arise from nothing. It is part of a long history of successive trends in roller skating in France and around the world. By revisiting these trends, by examining the roles of the participants and their perceptions , we can better understand why roller skating still struggles to establish itself as a lasting cultural phenomenon and therefore operates through disruption, through fads.