How to Choose Skateboard Wheels
Wheels are two numbers and almost everyone gets the second one wrong. Diameter in millimetres is easy. Durometer, the hardness rating, is where riders end up with a board that fights every crack in the footpath.
If you skate parks, hard wheels. If you are getting places on Australian roads, soft. That covers most of it, and the rest is below.
The short version
- Street and park default: 52mm to 54mm, 99a. Suits almost everyone.
- Technical flip tricks: 50mm to 52mm, 99a to 101a. Lighter, closer to the ground.
- Transition and bowls: 54mm to 58mm, 97a to 99a. More roll speed.
- Cruising and commuting: 56mm and up, 78a to 87a. Rolls over everything.
- Rough Australian concrete: size up and soften off. Our footpaths are not skatepark floors.
- Cost: $55 to $85 a set of four.
- Going bigger? Check for wheel bite. You may need risers and longer bolts.
What we cover
Diameter · Durometer · The combined chart · Soft wheels on a street board · Shape and contact patch · Brands · FAQ
What diameter should you run?
Diameter changes acceleration, top speed and how close you stand to the ground. Smaller wheels accelerate faster and feel more controllable. Larger wheels roll faster once moving and cope far better with bad surfaces.
| Diameter | Feel | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 50mm to 52mm | Quick, light, low to the ground | Technical street and flip tricks |
| 52mm to 54mm | The all-round standard | Street and park. Most riders |
| 54mm to 58mm | More roll speed, more clearance needed | Transition, bowls, ramps |
| 56mm to 60mm | Rolls over everything, slower off the mark | Cruising and commuting |
| 60mm and up | Fast, smooth, not for tricks | Cruisers and longboards |
Anything above about 56mm usually needs riser pads to avoid the wheel contacting the deck in a hard turn. Risers need longer hardware, so buy both together.
What is durometer and what should you pick?
Durometer is hardness, written with an A after the number. Higher is harder. This is the number that decides whether skating home is pleasant or miserable.
| Durometer | Character | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 78a to 87a | Soft. Grippy, quiet, absorbs everything | Cruising, commuting, rough roads and footpaths |
| 88a to 95a | Medium. Some grip, some slide | Rough parks, mixed use, beginners |
| 97a to 99a | Hard. Fast on smooth ground, slides predictably | Street and park. The default |
| 100a to 101a | Hardest. Slides easily, unforgiving on rough ground | Smooth concrete, technical skating |
The mistake to avoid: buying 99a wheels because that is what the pros run, then trying to skate to the shops on them. Hard wheels stop dead on gravel, transmit every crack straight into your feet, and are loud enough to be genuinely unpleasant. If you are travelling rather than doing tricks, go soft.
Some brands print two ratings, such as 99D alongside 99a. That is a manufacturer's own scale, usually indicating a formula they claim performs above its A rating. Treat it as marketing that happens to be broadly true.
Putting it together
| What you actually do | Diameter | Durometer |
|---|---|---|
| Learning, mixed surfaces | 53mm to 55mm | 95a to 99a |
| Street, ledges, flip tricks | 51mm to 53mm | 99a to 101a |
| Park and bowls | 54mm to 56mm | 97a to 99a |
| Cruising the neighbourhood | 56mm to 60mm | 78a to 87a |
| Commuting on bad roads | 58mm to 60mm | 78a to 83a |
Can you put soft wheels on a normal skateboard?
Yes, and it is the single best change you can make to a board you use for getting around rather than tricks. Same deck, same trucks, soft wheels, and suddenly cracked footpaths and gravel driveways are not obstacles.
Two things to check. Wheel bite, since larger wheels sit closer to the deck: tighten the trucks, add risers, or both. And hardware length, because risers need longer bolts.
Plenty of people keep two sets of wheels and swap them depending on what they are doing. It takes ten minutes with a T-tool.
Does wheel shape matter?
Less than diameter and durometer, but it is real. The contact patch is how much urethane touches the ground.
- Narrow, conical shapes have a smaller contact patch, so they slide more easily and weigh less. Favoured for technical street.
- Wider, classic shapes put more urethane down, giving more grip and more speed through a turn. Favoured for transition.
If you are not sure, a classic shape is the safer choice. Slide-happy wheels are a preference, not an upgrade.
Which brand?
Spitfire are the benchmark. Formula Four is the formula most riders compare everything else against, at $64 to $70 a set. The Bighead range covers the same ground from $55 for a 52mm up to $85 for a 54mm.
Powell Peralta make the best soft options we stock. G Slide at 56mm/85a is around $100 and G Bones at 64mm/97a around $75, both aimed at cruising and sliding rather than street.
Wheels are a category where the well-known brands genuinely earn it. Cheap urethane loses its rebound quickly and flat-spots easily, and you notice within a fortnight.
Skateboard wheels FAQ
What size skateboard wheels should I get?
For street and park, 52mm to 54mm is the standard range and suits almost everyone. Go 50mm to 52mm for technical flip tricks, 54mm to 58mm for transition and bowls, and 56mm and up if you are cruising rather than doing tricks.
What durometer skateboard wheels do I need?
Hard wheels of 99a to 101a for skateparks and smooth concrete, and soft wheels of 78a to 87a for cruising, rough roads and footpaths. Soft wheels roll over cracks and gravel that stop hard wheels dead, but they grip too much to slide.
What is the difference between 99a and 101a wheels?
101a is slightly harder, so it slides more easily and is marginally faster on smooth ground. 99a grips a little more and handles rough patches better. The difference is real but small, and 99a is the safer default for most Australian concrete.
Can you put soft wheels on a normal skateboard?
Yes, and it transforms a board for getting around. Fit 56mm or larger soft wheels and you can ride surfaces that would stop hard wheels. Check for wheel bite first, since larger wheels often need riser pads and longer hardware.
How long do skateboard wheels last?
Months rather than weeks for most riders. Replace them when they cone into a taper, develop flat spots from locked-up slides, or wear below roughly 48mm. Rotating them diagonally every four to six weeks meaningfully extends a set.
How much do skateboard wheels cost?
A set of four runs $55 to $85 in Australia. Spitfire Formula Four sits around $64 to $70 and is the benchmark most riders compare against. Larger soft cruising wheels tend to sit at the top of that range or slightly above.
Tell us where you ride
Come to 435A Bridge Road, Richmond and tell us what surfaces you are actually on. That answers the durometer question faster than any chart. Free shipping Australia wide on orders over $90. Call 03 9421 2293.
Keep reading: How to Choose Skateboard Trucks · How to Choose a Skateboard · Skateboard Maintenance Guide · Skateboard Problems and How to Fix Them · Longboards, Cruisers and Surf Skates
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