On the box of the Double Durometer’s, OJ says they have reinvented the skate wheel. But with a bit of investigation you will find out that combining hard and soft urethane inside wheels is not an entirely new invention in skateboarding. But we wanted to see if they really had innovated a new formula that turned these types of hybrid urethane wheels around for a new generation.
We were surprised after a few weeks of skating them to discover they have definitely broke the mould on these. But you must be wondering, as we were, what are they like to skate?
Read our Double Duro review and watch our west test, alongside some of OJ’s sick promo edits, below to find out if they are worth checking out for yourself.
(1) – Spec: ‘What makes OJ’s Double Durometer Wheels different?’
OJ Double Durometer Wheels, dubbed the “Double Duro”, due to their harder outer urethane and softer inner urethane, put a spin on the classic skate wheel, so we were hyped to skate them to see what they are like.
By inserting the cushioning of the 95a inner durometer from OJ’s Nomad range and wrapping them on the outside with the 101a outer from their Elite series, the Double Duro aim to keep your wheels barking on every surface you ride and slide on, while also absorbing vibrations on rough surfaces.
So the Double Duro are just as hard as any traditional street skate wheel, while in theory and practice providing a cruiser wheel-like cushiness that makes rolling over rugged surfaces more comfortable.
(2.) – Shape: Conical
Due to their asymmetrical conical shape you’re going to want to skate these with the graphic facing outward. This not only gives you more hanger space for your trucks to grind, it will make your wheels and bearings last longer and give you more stability on your board and less scabby knees in the long run.
By putting your wheels graphic side in, you’re actually placing more stress on your bearings.
Bearings are designed to deal with stress from their centre so they are more likely to break from side to side stress. So that’s something not to just to bear in mind with these but with all conical wheels.
(3.) – Colorways and Sizes: Orange and Red ‘Prototypes’ & Black/Gold and White ‘Double Dice Reaper Hand
The Double Duro’s flaming orange and yellow ‘prototype’ screen printed graphic makes them stand out. But they also are available in a more toned down and subtle white and black colorway version with an accompanying mini double dice and bone white skeletal reaper handed themed design.
We skated them in 54mm but they come in a range of sizes, including 53mm and 56mm going up to a max size of 58mm.
(4.) – Out of the Box: ‘Takes a Few Hours’
Double Duro Wheels are springy.
You need to take some time to break them in and get a few tricks and Powerslides down before you start filming clips in these. They take a few hours to get used to but after that they’re good to go.
(5.) – Skateability: Slideablity
The Double Duro are really grippy. They react sharply on all surfaces and you can roll with a lot of speed and control and get rad Powerslides out of these. Also due to the conical design they are lighter than most of the other 54mm wheels we’ve skated. So not only do you get an easier flip out of your board, you can get more pop with the same level of stability.
(6.) – Skateability: Streets
The softened cushion of the inner 95a feels dope on smoother surfaces and when it is pushed on rough surfaces you get a noticeable extra layer of vibration absorption that kept us rolling at speed where a lot of other wheels would struggle.
(7.) – Skateability: Parks
If you are usually rolling on softer wheels there is a bit of an adjustment to make with these. You can gain and maintain a lot of speed but once you start carving around, you really feel how they offer an enhanced level of control to both traditional hard and soft wheels.
(8.) – Price: UK and US
UK: £75
US: $57
Double Duro’s are relatively pricey but for all the right reasons. Due to the blend they offer a more well-rounded experience. We would recommend them to anyone who wants to skate in wheels that can handle any type of terrain.
(9.) – Rating: 7/10
The Double Duro’s get a 7/10, as they are some of the tightest wheels out there, offering a unique feel and performance. Although they are a hard and a soft wheel, overall they roll much further into the hard wheel category but if you need a bit more cushion for your pushing then they are beyond ideal.
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