Reinvent the wheel: This super-simple DIY transforms sneakers into roller skates

Roller skating rinks became popular in the early 20th century. By the 1950s, they offered hours of fun for kids, as well as a way for "carhop" servers to deliver burgers and shakes quickly to customers' car windows. Skating surged again two decades later in the disco era, and a rolling workout remains an ideal aerobic exercise. If you are a roller skating fan, but want to stand out from the crowd a bit, why not make a pair of hybrid skate sneakers? They'll help you fit in a fun workout but elevate your skate-ready look considerably.

This DIY transforms your fave sneakers into usable skates so you can customize your roller ride. Whether you favor the retro look of Converse All-Star high-tops or a more contemporary running shoe converted into an even speedier rolling shoe, you will be noticed on the street or at the rink. Relive a beloved part of your youth, but do it your way.

Materials
- Pair of roller skates
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Pair of sneakers
- Pencil
- Electric drill
- 1/8-inch drill bit
- 4 flat-head screws
- Flathead screwdriver
- Pair of shoelaces

Instructions
1. Remove the plates on the bottom of each roller skate with a Phillips-head screwdriver. The plates are the parts of the skates with toe stops and wheels.

2. Place one of the plates over the sole of one of your sneakers.

3. Mark a dot with the pencil on the upper right and left sides of the sole on the toe end of the shoe.

4. Insert a 1/8-inch drill bit into the electric drill.

5. Make two small holes in the sole where you made the marks.

6. Repeat steps 2-5, but make two more holes on the bottom of the sole near the heel.

7. Place the plate on the sole of the shoe.

8. Screw a flat-head screw through the top right and left plate openings and holes at the shoe's toe end with a flat-head screwdriver. Use screws that are short enough not to break through the sole and make contact with your foot when you wear the sneaker skate.

9. Make sure also that the screws are a little wider than the drill holes, so they have something to grab when you screw them into the "sole holes."

10. Screw the heel end portion of the plate onto the sole.

11. Repeat the process of drilling the holes and screwing the plate onto the other sneaker.

12. Lace each sneaker. Weave each lace through the loops and grommets closest to the shoe's toe section. The laces should make a straight line from the right loop to the left. Next, weave them in a crisscross pattern until you reach the last pair of shoelace holes and grommets that are closest to the opening in the shoe where your foot goes. Wrap the laces around your ankles, and tie.

13. Throw on some socks, put your new sneaker skates on and glide through your hallway, down the sidewalk or through the park!