Do you recognize the object in the above image?
If you guessed bottle opener or wrench, you got it wrong, but no need to worry because if you were born after the 70s chances are you won’t know what it is.
Before there were Soap shoes, Heelys and hoverboards, roller skating was all the rage. However, the skates people sported up and down the block and at discos were significantly different from the ones you may be familiar with.
Unlike skating shoes that you can just slip on, these good ol’ metal roller skates had to be strapped on over your shoes and you also had to make sure that they were tight enough to keep you from tumbling.
You’re probably wondering how would one make ensure the clunky wheels stayed in place?
Well, this is where the mysterious object comes in:
Do you know what it is?
It’s a skate key!
Every pair of wheels came with a key that fits into a hexagonal loop on the top so you can adjust the fit of the skate and tighten it.
Most people wore the key on a string around their neck so they wouldn’t lose it.
If it goes missing, the skates are rendered useless and you’d need to grab a new pair.
Do you remember using a skate key? Let us know in the comments!
