The single was recorded with former Quicksand bassist Sergio Vega, who played bass on the entirety of Diamond Eyes.

[2][3] As part of a promotion for Diamond Eyes, a free download of the single was made available for 24 hours on February 23, 2010 through the band's website, accompanying new information about the album.

[4] The surge of visitors trying to download the track crashed the website's servers, resulting in temporary technical difficulties.

[6] As a part of international Record Store Day on April 17, 2010, 3,000 copies of "Rocket Skates" were released in a limited edition 7" vinyl format with a "picture sleeve" supporting the unofficial holiday.

Amy Sciarretto of Noisecreep claimed the song was "heavier than granite and very Deftones circa '98",[4] while Annie Zaleski of Riverfront Times stated, "Calling it 'heavy' doesn't do it justice".