“Square wheels?! What’s the point?” Is usually the first impression longboard riders and skaters get when they see a pair of shark wheels. So, what is the point? Is there any benefit to them? This writer’s put a few hundred miles on a pair of Shark Wheels, pushing them to the limit on- and off-road — ’til he snapped his longboard in half jumping off a gravel hill.
Shark Wheels FAQ
Pictured: Shark Fluorescent Orange, 72mm / 78a
Let’s go over some frequent questions riders have about Shark Wheels. Then I’ll give you my personal, honest opinion on their pros and cons, and what they’re best for.
Q: So, what are Shark Wheels? Are they really square?
A: Shark Wheels are longboard and skateboard wheels that may look square, but they are, in fact, still round. They’re designed with a “sine wave” tread pattern that, when viewed from an angle, make them appear square.
Q: What’s the point of the wheel’s design?
A: Shark Wheels are designed to do three things: Promote increased grip, reduce friction and rolling resistance, and improve a board’s ability to ride over debris and rough terrain — all by providing a smaller contact patch with the ground.
Q: Why might these be better than regular wheels?
Normally, grip and rolling resistance are at odds with each other: To improve grip, most longboard and skate wheels have to be made larger, and softer. But this means you have to push harder. You also lose top speed, and you lose sliding ability when you’re longboarding.
By creating a wheel with a smaller contact patch with more grip, Shark Wheels are meant to overcome this compromise, providing both better control and easier pushing and top speed, while also allowing for sliding on longboards.
Q: Where did these not-really-square wheels come from?
A: David Patrick, the founder of Shark Wheel, first brought fame to these wheels on the TV show Shark Tank. Shark Wheels became a huge success in the skate world, and eventually received government grants for agricultural wheel design.
Shark Wheels are designed and made in California. They’re now also used on US Military Deployment Bags, and Samsonite travel bags.
Q: Are there other benefits to these wheels?
A: Shark Wheel (the company) claims to have performed various comparative tests on their wheels. According to their studies, their wheels last 10% longer than standard round wheels of the same diameter and hardness. They also claim their wheels reduce bearing wear, and produce greater rebound.
I touch on some of these claims in my on-the-ground review below.
Q: Are Shark Wheels hard or soft?
A: Shark Wheels all measure 78a on the Shore A durometer scale. This is on the softer side for skate wheels, and a common hardness for longboard wheels.
Not sure what these hardness ratings means? You can read more about longboard wheel hardness here.
Q: What riding style are Shark Wheels best for?
A: On my longboard, I found Shark Wheels work best for cruising and free-riding — particularly on rough terrain, like bike trails and backroads.
For skating, the same holds true: These wheels work best for street skating sidewalks and urban areas (I’d stick with smaller diameter, harder wheels for vert/transition skating).
But how well do they really work? Here’s my unbiased review.
Shark Wheels: Longboarding Review
I pushed this poor longboard (and the wheels) to the breaking point. Literally.
NOTE: I paid out-of-pocket for this electric longboard and the wheels. This review isn’t sponsored — it’s just an honest, personal opinion.
I rode around the streets and dirt trails of Utah on a pair of these wheels — and, well, you can see for yourself that I put these wheels (and the board they rode on) through the ringer. Total distance was just shy of 400 miles over the course of 10 months.
The Setup
Before testing the Sharks, I was rolling on a pair of 4President wheels from Orangatang, bolted to a Tynee Board with belt motors. The Orangatangs measure 70mm in diameter at 77a hardness. They offered good traction for carving, slalom runs down my local hills, and general urban riding. Slides were predictable and, overall, easy to manage.
The Shark Wheels made for longboards measure 78a hardness with a 72mm diameter. Since both wheel sets were nearly identical in size and hardness, I felt this would make for a good comparison between standard round wheels, and the Shark wheels’ design and tread.
First Impressions: Lots of Grip
You can tell how much the tread pattern compresses and widens under load, given the wear marks.
I found Shark wheels offer noticeably more grip than a wheel with a comparable hardness rating (like the 4Presidents). Although very subtle, I imagined I could almost feel the wheel lips “squish” under my weight, with the tread compressing every so slightly into the pavement.
That impression held true once I started riding at speed along my local cycling trails. The Sharks definitely bite well, and afford more traction than a typical round wheel. As I slowly dialed up speed, I could feel the Sharks offering a bit more composure and confidence rolling through tight corners.
The wheels were particularly helpful riding an electric board. Regular longboard riders aren’t pushing a throttle through turns, nor dealing with the torque of rear motors. The Sharks definitely excel, here, compensating for the extra grip an electric longboard typically requires.
Still Slide-able, But More Sudden Breaks
Shark Wheels do, indeed, slide — but the break will feel a little more abrupt. If you’re learning to slide on your longboard, I’d recommend standard wheels, as they offer a more gradual transition into a slide.
That said, the Sharks offer good control once you’ve set them free. I also noticed they’re more forgiving when you’re sliding on imperfect pavement. The blacktops in my area are pockmarked and always littered with debris, but the Sharks offered a generally smoother slide on this terrain, pushing aside small pebbles that might otherwise break a slide.
Great for Rough Pavement
Speaking of potholes and debris, I found the Shark Wheels shone the brightest when just riding around town, cruising streets, and bombing potholed hills. Some internet trolls and general “haters” seem to poke fun at Shark Wheels. Even I went into this unsure whether the wheels were truly beneficial.
And, well, yeah — they are. They absolutely perform better than a standard wheel when you’re rolling across pavement cracks, tar snakes, pebbles, and general road grime. I didn’t experience any of that annoying pop-and-skip I usually suffer with round wheels on rough roads.
The tread does, indeed, catch and expel small rocks, rolling over them with relative ease. I didn’t once deal with any wheel catching on something and sliding or grinding. It was also generally easier to push through rough patches without losing speed, and the tread seems to deform a bit under load, offering some damping and cushion.
One of The Best Hybrid A/T Wheels?
In spite of many hard strikes against larger rocks, no wheels suffered any chunking or cuts.
I had the most fun with these Shark Wheels off-road — as evidenced by the fact I rode atop mountain bike trails with small jumps until I snapped my board in half. These wheels are phenomenally fun in the dirt, sand, and sticks.
In fact, I’d argue these wheels are one of the best options for anyone looking for a non-pneumatic, hybrid longboard wheel that genuinely performs great off- and on-road. Nearly all other wheels advertised as hybrid or “A/T” wheels are really only good at one of the two, with many getting the job done using a super soft rubber tread that simply cannot carve, push, or slide like a typical wheel.
Sliding through sandy gravel on these wheels is an absolute blast. Perfect balance of grip and give.
For comparison, I’ve ridden about 85 miles on a pair of rubber tread-encased Cloud Wheels — also advertised as a good hybrid longboard wheel for dirt and street. And, well, let’s just say they are not something you’d want if you’re splitting your time 50/50 between off-road, and carving at high speeds on pavement.
With Sharks, I found them performing well above average in both situations.
What Are Shark Wheels Not Good At?
Besides the fact I wouldn’t rely on these wheels for dedicated trick riding or frequent sliding on pavement (though on gravel and dirt, definitely), I can’t speak to some of the claims made about these wheels. They did not, for example, afford any noticeably greater top speed compared to standard wheels.
Although they did handle rough terrain and pushed through debris more easily, there’s nothing I noticed that would make these wheels objectively faster than a round wheel, on any terrain.
No real damage was observed after ~380 miles on pavement and backwoods trails.
I also can’t speak to their overall longevity. Although Shark Wheel claims these rollers will last 15% longer than round wheels, I couldn’t differentiate any noticeably less wear on the tread or lips compared to my Orangatangs. I can say, though, that they withstood some serious off-road abuse better than I anticipated.
Who Are These Wheels For?
If you’re looking for a wheel that’s dedicated to a certain riding style, like ultra-high speed downhill riding, or super tight slalom runs, you’ll want to look for a more specialized wheel.
But if you’re looking for a comfortable, easy-to-push wheel that dampens well and glides over sidewalk garbage and urban terrain, Shark Wheels are a great choice.
Finally, if you’re looking for a genuinely excellent, truly hybrid A/T longboard wheel that can carve through rough trails, neglected roads, and city streets all the same (especially on a belt-driven electric board), Shark Wheels may actually be one of the best options on the market.
I’d even recommend them for beginner longboard riders, who might appreciate the extra grip and ability to overcome debris without wiping out.
Want a pair? Grab ’em here.