Rollerblade

Rollerblade is a type of inline skate. Before Rollerblade became a generic name, two Minnesota brothers, Scott and Brennan Olsen, discovered an older in-line skate in a sporting goods store in 1980 and thought the design would be perfect for off-season hockey training. On their own, they developed the design and not long they were manufacturing the first Rollerblade in-line skates in their parents’ basement. Hockey players and alpine and Nordic skiers quickly caught on and were seen cruising the streets of Minnesota during the summer on their Rollerblade skates.

It was the success of several marketing strategies that have embedded the brand name Rollerblade high into public awareness. Then the public began using Rollerblade as a generic term for all in-line skates, putting the trademark in peril. Of course the company does not want the meaning of its trademark to get adulterated, but the term "rollerblade" is frequently used in casual conversations as a generic word for any inline skate, regardless of brand. This misuse has also appeared on official public areas such as signs, buildings, and sidewalks.

As of today, there are 60 in-line skate manufacturers already, but Rollerblade is credited with introducing the first polyurethane boot and wheels, the first heel brakes, and the development of Active Brake Technology (ABT), which makes stopping easier to learn and to control. Now, Rollerblade has approximately 200 patents and 116 registered trademarks which make the company strong and surviving.