Best Skateboard Wheels for Street Skating

Over 70 percent of all skateboarding souls would rather skate outside a skatepark. They’d rather street skate. As an ardent street skater, you certainly need the best skateboard wheels for street skating you can comfortably shell out for. Related article Best Longboard wheels for sliding.

Now, different skateboard wheels help you do different things. A wheel that’s great for ollies may not be the best for cruising. And the best wheels for cruising may suck at street skating. In this post, I hope to connect you with the best wheels in your range for street skating.

Also Read: Best Skateboards Ever

*Affiliate Links Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.

No time to devour this meaty post? No worries. I’ll straight up tell you what I believe are the best skateboard wheels for skating streets: The Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels are unbeatable in pretty much all relevant aspects. Diameter, wheel hardness, looks, wheel shape, longevity, price, you name it, these wheels check all the boxes. Small wonder lots of skateboarding souls out there can’t stop vouching for them. Best of all, they’re available on Amazon. Check them out below.

5 Best Skateboard Wheels for Street Skating

Below is a list of the finest wheels for skating street. And if you want to check my top 3 picks, view the comparison table below.

1. Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels (Best Overall)
2. Spitfire Formula Four 101A (Conical Full) 53mm (Also Good, but works better in parks)
3. Ricta Clouds 92A (56 mm) Street Skating Wheels (Great for Cruising, Most Versatile)
4. Spitfire Formula Four 99A/52mm Classics (Best for Tranny)
5. Blue Mini-Logo A-cut 101A/52 mm (Best Value Pick)

Top 3 Street Skateboard Wheels Comparison Table

Street Skating Wheel Reviews

Let’s dive in and see what we get with each option.

1.Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels Review

Why are Bones the most popular skateboard wheels on the planet? It’s because they give skateboarders enough of everything they need from a skateboard wheel. Versatility, shape, durability, speed, performance, price — it’s hard to think of an aspect Bones don’t get right.

Whether you’re a beginner skateboarder or a seasoned skater, you’ll love Bones STF street wheels. And if you’re anything like most park rats, you’ll love the Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels.

But first things first: let’s talk about the brand behind this awesomeness and the wheels it makes. Bones is an American brand that produces its wheels in California. If you like supporting local companies (and you probably should), buy Bones.

Here’s why you should support U.S.-based skateboard wheel manufacturers and other companies. According to CNBC, the U.S. in 2019 saw the lowest unemployment rate since December 1969 (3.5%).

Here’s more recent data (August 2022): U.S. unemployment rate fell to 3.5% in August, which is where it was pre-pandemic. Could this be because more Americans are buying American goods? So, join the movement if you’ve not already.

Bones wheels come in different durometers, wheel sizes (wheel diameter), and shapes (5 different wheel shapes). The manufacturer has classified the wheels into 3 broad categories to help skaters easily pick the most suitable product each time.

Bones wheels can be STF, SPF, or ATF. SPF means Skatepark Formula while STF means Street Tech Formula. ATF stands for All Terrain Formula.

Unlike most wheel companies, Bones doesn’t express wheel hardness or softness using the durometer A scale. Instead, this skate brand uses the Durometer B scale.

As explained in this article, types of skateboard wheels, there’s a difference of 20 between the A Scale and B scale. A durometer 104A wheel is precisely the same as a durometer 84B wheel as far as hardness/softness.

Bones doesn’t express its wheel hardness or softness levels using the Shore Durometer A scale. Instead, the company favors the Durometer B scale. When it comes to skateboard wheels, roller skate wheels, rollerblade wheels, and longboard wheels, skate brands rely on Shore Durometer A scale and Shore Durometer B scale to describe how hard a wheel really is.

For your information, there’s such a thing as Shore Durometer D scale, but skate gear companies don’t use this scale when manufacturing wheels. This hardness metric is used for rating extremely hard rubber and urethane products, not regular skate wheels. Learn more about skate wheel durometer from someone who actually knows, Bones.

And if you want to familiarize yourself with the different wheel shapes and contact patch widths Bones skateboard wheels are available in, here’s a useful resource.

All Bones wheels are great, and skaters all over the world love them. But when it comes to skating drainage ditches, park benches, stair sets, and rails, pick Bones STF.

Some people use Bones SPF for street skating, But I’m not sure that’s a very good idea. Bones SPF are terrific for tranny, but if the streets are super rough and crusty, you won’t like them much. The good thing with STF is they do both street and transition skating really well.

Hardness-wise, Bones wheels range between 83B and 84B, and this equates to 103A and 104A respectively. Evidently, Bones are among the hardest wheels on the planet. Maybe that explains their unbeatable flatspot resistance.

I’ve used Bones for years now (and Spitfires), and I’ve never seen them flat spot. Like ever. And does it surprise anyone that Bones wheels rate really well when it comes to sliding?

As a beginner in street skating, you want wheels in the 96-99A according to Ware House Skateboards. And the Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels fit the bill perfectly in this respect.

The Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels are slightly softer than their sibling, the Bones STF 84B. They’re built for the rigors of street riding, and they have a super good rebound. Plus, they enable you to do incredibly good powerslides. 
Whether you’re a beginner skating found street features, skating parks, pools, skating ramps, or other smooth skating surfaces these retro Bones wheels, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better performer.

One more thing: these wheels last. And last. And last. I can’t think of many options that offer better value for money. What if I told you that pretty much 80 percent of Bones wheel sales come from Bones STF? Yes, that’s how popular they are.

Before we get to the next skateboard wheel for street recommendation, here’s a brief comparison between Bones and Spitfire wheels.

Bones vs Spitfire

What’s better for street skating, Bones or Spitfire?

Well, it’s hard to say. I prefer Spitfire Formula Four (Conical), but that’s down to personal preference.  It’s little to do with actual performance. Everyone chooses whether they’ll be a Bones or Spitfire dude or girl.

If you’re a beginner and have fallen in love with Bones, go with the V4 shape. It’s relatively wide and provides a relatively wide riding surface. And if you’re a pro/technical skater, go with the V3 shape as these wheels have less friction and you’ll slide much easier.

For skatepark use ONLY, you’d be better off with Bones SPF as they’re harder.

Now, these wheels (STF Retro 99A) vibrate you a little too much when the riding surface is too rough. But it’s not like you’ll be skating in the worst places all the time. So, that shouldn’t be much of a bummer.

IMHO, the Bones STF Retros 99A V4 Wide Skateboard Wheels are the best wheels for street skating on the market today. They work great for beginner skateboarders as well as for more experienced skaters. And they last. Plus they don’t cost loads. [Mercy, skatingmagic.com]

2. Spitfire Formula Four 101A (Conical Full) 53mm) Review

You’ve likely asked: Are Spitfire skateboard wheels good for street skating? Yes, they are. That’s why their popularity continues to soar among the skateboarding community.

Spitfire skateboard wheels are available in 7 different shapes. The shapes are conicals, conical fulls, classics, radials, radial slims, tablets, and lock-ins. I’ve skated on classics, radials, and conicals, but I like conicals best. That said, all spitfire wheels are awesome. And tbh I don’t think there’s any significant difference between them.

The Spitfire Formula Four wheels (101A, 53 mm, conical shape) don’t bulge outward. As you already know, wheels that bulge outward look kind of weird.

Made from long-lasting urethane, these wheels last ages. I don’t know of anyone who replaced these wheels because they stopped rolling or got misshapen. Skaters replace them when they wear too much and they’ve lost about 10 or more mm in diameter. Plus, these wheels never, ever flat spot. That’s the reason I voted them as the most long-lasting street skateboard wheels.
So, what are these conical-shaped Spitfire Formula Four wheels good for? Powersliding, that’s what. When you’re bombing hills, you can count on the proven performance (by many skaters) of these wheels throughout the downhill roll.

These wheels are small, hard, and easy to control. It’s hard to imagine of skateboarding tricks you can’t handle with these.  That’s why I highly recommend them.

If you’re looking for an awesome Bones STFs alternative, buy these Spitfire 101A/53 mm Conical Fulls. You’ll love them.

If you’re into technical street skating and powersliding, there aren’t many options more suitable than these 101A Spitfire wheels. And when it comes to skating ledges, you won’t find a finer bet. If you’re looking for street skateboarding wheels that are affordable, hard and durable, and easy to control, go for these conical Spitfires.

Conicals are super cool these days. They’re fast becoming the norm pretty much everywhere you look. Remember to have that Spitfire sticker somewhere on the board so you can make Bones fans feel clueless and flat-out uncool lol.

Spitfire Formula Four Conical Full 53 mm 101A is a terrific set of hard wheels for street skating. In the previous section, I said Bones STFs are the sickest street skateboarding wheels. But I said that because I need to help you settle on a specific option rather than dilly-dally ad infinitum.

Actually, these Spitfires are my fave street wheels. Trust me, you really won’t be missing out on anything if you bought them instead of Bones STFs.

3. Ricta Clouds 92A (56 mm) Review

You probably have heard a few nice things about Ricta Clouds skateboard wheels. But are they any good for street skating?

Well, I’m not sure Ricta Clouds are the best wheels for street skating ever made. And in all honesty, not that many people street skate these wheels. Almost everyone I know thinks Ricta Clouds are best suited for cruising. But there’s no accounting for taste, you know.

I’ve skated these Ricta Clouds 92A, 56 mm wheels. They’re smooth and moderately hard, and I could do pretty much every trick on these. However, I must admit doing shuv-it had the wheels sticking nearly every time.

As for ollieing, skating ditches, metal ramps, and craggy streets, these wheels are good enough. They feature a classic shape, which means they’re narrow enough for pulling off various street skating tricks.

Still, I won’t say they’re the best street skating wheels I’ve tested. Size 52-53 mm wheels are usually the best for tricks, and these 56 mm guys feel a tad high. In pretty much all cases, you need to carve out wheel wells or use a deck that comes with wheel wells. If you don’t do this, don’t cuss at me when wheel bite causes you to suddenly eat crap.

Since they’re not very hard, they won’t vibe you all that much when you’re rolling over rough asphalt. Unlike the rest of the wheels presented here, these ones come with a good core so you can roll as fast as you like.

And the outside is soft enough so you can easily do tricks on rough surfaces. Some dude hubby is friends with skates these Ricta wheels. And he says he experiences no vibrations when cruising over crusty East Coast asphalt.

Powersliding? Well, they slide satisfactorily well. But powerslides wear them out pretty quickly. The good thing is you have lots of control with these wheels. 

For the price, you’re getting a reasonable amount of value with these wheels. They’re good enough for street skating, good for bombing hills, and awesome for cruising. Let’s just say they’re highly versatile wheels that demonstrate a decent performance level.

4.Spitfire Formula Four 99A/51mm Classics Review

Here’s another set of Spitfire wheels I think you should look at, the Red Swirls Spitfire Formula Four Classics. These are relatively small (51 mm) and quite hard (99A) skateboard wheels. And they’re amazing when it comes to street skateboarding.

If you’ve skated Spitfire Lock-ins, you most likely noted you couldn’t do technical skating that well. But with these 51mm wheels, you’ll love skating tech even more.  With these wheels’ Classic shape, you’re going to roll around much better than you ever have done on any 51 mm wheels. That’s the Spitfire difference.

As long as you’re not riding rough asphalt the whole time, the ride you get from these wheels is pretty smooth. But on extremely rough surfaces, Conicals and Lock-ins Spitfire wheels typically deliver a noticeably better experience.

If you ride transition a lot of the time, you need wheels that grip walls on pipes and pools well. What if you’re looking to boost your confidence and stability for dropping on the 15″ half-pipe at your local skate park? In either situation, there’s no smarter option than these 51mm guys.

Additionally, these Spitfire wheels hold up quite well…no flat-stopping at all, and they last a long, long time. Of course, that depends on how frequently one’s out riding their skateboard.

If you skate ledges a lot, there’s one little fact you MUST know. Spitfire Classics don’t slide all that well on ledges. But that applies to most 99A wheels anyways. My advice: remember to carry some wax before you leave the house. You’re gonna need it once you arrive at your secret skating spot.

As noted above, these 99A 51mm Spitfires aren’t your best friend when it comes to skating super crusty asphalt. Conical and lock-ins are much better for surfaces that rough. Still, these are great street skating skateboard wheels that deserve a look.

5. Blue Mini-Logo A-cut 101A/52 mm Review (Best Value Pick, Great for When It’s Wet)

If you don’t want to shell out tons of cash for skateboard wheels yet want to ride on good enough ones, buy these wheels. The Mini-Logo A-Cut wheels are small (52 mm), very hard (101A), and make for super smooth rolls.

Well, I’ve never skated these wheels. However, I spent hours reading about the product and asking lots of good questions on various online skate communities. Thank you Redditors and Quorans. I never saw a kinder bunch of outdoorsy folks. 

I ended up with what I think is an informed opinion about these wheels. I learned that these Mini-Logo wheels are good enough.

But you won’t adore them if you like sliding around the whole time. Actually, if you slide too much on these wheels, they’ll likely flat spot. They’re just not built for that sort of thing.

These guys are for people who don’t skate all that much but aren’t couch potatoes either. So, if you’re looking for a set to breeze down hills the entire time, buy something else. No one enjoys bombing hills on 52mm wheels of any kind, after all.

But if you’re looking for something on which to learn new skateboarding tricks as a beginner, pick these wheels. These guys from Mini Logo have a conical shape, and this spec makes controlling them a bit easier.

How so? The conical shape means a wider riding surface/contact patch. I’m not saying these are meant for beginners only. I’m just saying these guys let you start skating pretty cheaply while giving you stability and control.

Ok, these are $25ish wheels at the time of writing). And as you might expect, they may not be nearly as good as Spitfires or Bones. But they’re good enough for skating that schoolyard you’ve been easing yourself into at night. Or that private parking lot you’ve been sneaking into every other weekend even though you know you shouldn’t.

For the price, you’re getting tons of value with this option. In fact, you’re only forking over half the price you’d pay for Spitfires or Bones.

If you slide too much on these wheels, they’ll likely flatspot. They just aren’t built for that sort of abuse. 

Here’s one more thing: these cheap-yet-decent skateboard street skating wheels feature tiny treads on the riding surface. Well, treads aren’t like a session-transforming feature, but beginners may see slight benefits when pushing from standstill. These treads add friction, which might help stabilize the ride a tad.

And if you’re looking for a set of affordable rain skateboard wheels, these might be a worthy choice.

Also Read: Skateboarding in the rain

You probably can delay flat-spotting by not power sliding excessively on these wheels. At that price, I believe you’re getting way more value than your money’s actual worth. Buy these Mini-Logos and refine your skills as you wait to buy really sick wheels such as Spitfires or Bones.

How to Choose the Best Wheels for Street Skating

When choosing skateboard wheels for street skating, keep the following 3 critical things in mind: wheel size, durometer, and shape.

You may also want to pay attention to factors such as brand and price. Now, let’s jump right in and see how these aspects might influence your skateboard wheel selection process.

1. Wheel Size

Small-sized skateboard wheels are better for street skating versus larger wheels. I’m talking about 51 mm to 54 mm wheels for most skaters.

Wheels in this size range give you all the leverage you need to do the hardest tricks in street skating. They’re fast, too, because they’re typically pretty hard.

Larger wheels (56+ mm) work best with larger boards. And larger boards aren’t the best option for doing street skating tricks. So, choose smaller wheels and use them on a standard skateboard.

If you have cruising and bombing hills on the cards, then 56mm+ wheels would serve you most suitability.

2. Durometer

Smaller wheels are typically harder than larger ones. Actually, the smallest wheels are normally the hardest ones.

For street skating, you almost always want to pick durometer 96-99A wheels if you’re just starting. But if you’ve been skating for a while, you may want to pick harder wheels in the 101-103A duro. Some of the best street skating wheels I’ve skated were durometer 103A.

Some skaters say hard wheels aren’t the best option for street skating. And yes, soft wheels let you land tricks better and do almost everything else better. However, they’re slow, and they suck at powersliding. And powersliding happens to be a major component of street skating. In the end, though, it’s a matter of personal preference.

When deciding on durometer, let your skating style and where you’ll mostly skate guide you. For skating on rough asphalt and cruising, get options that aren’t rock-hard. But for skating parks and mostly smooth surfaces, get harder wheels.

3. Contact Patch and Shape

Contact patch is that area of a wheel that stays in contact with the ground/surface. Wider wheels deliver more stability, balance, and grip. But they’re not particularly great for tricks, especially overly technical ones. For the toughest tricks where precision matters a lot, go for narrower wheels. If you’re a beginner, wider wheels are best, but pros typically favor narrower wheel sets.

Skateboard wheel shape is another critical consideration. In terms of wheel shape, there’s classics, radials, conicals, and conical full among others. Most pro street skaters choose classics as they’re narrow and slide insanely well.

However, some skaters like their wheels a little wider than classic. That’s why they may go for conicals. Conicals are wider and offer a little more grip and stability. But conical fulls may be too wide for some skaters even though they’re still street skatable.

I’ve noticed conicals demonstrate superior performance when doing ledges and rails. Again, everyone must keep experimenting until they find their perfect shape. I’d say start with conicals if you’re a beginner.

4. Brand and Price

Bones and Spitfire are the best-known brands in the skating world. But I’m not saying you should always choose them. But skaters have been testing wheels from these companies for years, and they’ve time and time again decided they’re the best bets.

You, too, will likely end up in one of these two camps. But let nothing prevent you from experimenting with lesser-known brands. Who knows, maybe your best wheel will come from a company no one’s heard of.

If you’re looking for the first-ever wheelset, I’d say stick with the cheapest wheels you can get. I recommend Mini-Logo wheels. Then, as you grow into a better skateboarder, switch over to Spitfires or Bones wheels.

I mean, spending $20-$25 on wheels as a beginner isn’t a bad idea at all. But experienced skaters have no issue shelling out for pricier wheels in most cases. You too will get there…soon, hopefully.

Best skateboard wheels for street skating: Conclusion

Without hesitation, I’ll say that Bones STF Retros 99A V4 are the best skateboard wheels for street skating. They’re hard, smooth, fast, and super easy to control. Additionally, they’re made by a great U.S.-based company. And, you’ll skate them forever.

These wheels don’t flat spot no matter how frequently you bomb hills or powerslide on them. And while they may vibrate a bit on rough/crusty asphalt, they roll over most surfaces pretty nicely.

However, they’re not like the cheapest set of wheels out there. Still, buying these Bones STFs won’t break the bank. You can get these great-for-sliding-and-street-skating wheels on Amazon, Bones official website, your local skate shop, and a few other places online. Because you’ve gotta skate. Or die tryin’!