Do you recognize the object seen above this story? If you were born after the 1970s, you probably have no idea what that is.

Rollerskating was popular in the days when youngsters were preoccupied with playing on different high-tech gadgets. Many years ago, skating shoes looked very different from the roller skates that most young people envision today.

You couldn’t just put on these metal roller skates. You had to strap them over your shoes and make sure they were snug enough so you didn’t fall over. This gadget comes in handy if you’re wondering how these clumsy skates stay in place!

This is, in fact, a skate key! If you’re over a certain age, you probably recognized it right away. Each pair of skates would come with a key that fits into a hexagonal loop on the top and allows you to tighten and change the fit of the skate.

Most individuals would wear the key around their neck while skating to avoid losing it. If you ever lose your skate key, your skates will be declared unusable, and you will have to purchase a new pair.