At Junk, everything we do starts with one purpose: make it easier and faster for skaters to get exactly what they need. Skaters have asked for a simpler way to buy wheels—especially for mixing hardnesses, replacing single wheels, or assembling race-specific setups.
Today, that system is live. And to support it, we’re releasing something skaters have needed for a long time:

a clear, honest, athlete-tested guide to choosing the right wheel hardness.

1. A Simpler, Smarter Way to Buy Wheels on the Junk Website

Our wheel pages have been redesigned to give skaters complete control over their setup—all from one place.

You can now:

• Buy a single wheel

• Buy a full set of 8

• Choose Firm / XFirm / XXFirm directly on the product page

• Mix hardnesses in whatever quantities you need

• (Coming soon) Select different wheel sizes from the same page

No more navigating multiple listings.
No more confusion.
Just a clean, intuitive experience built for skaters.
Whether you need a replacement wheel, a mixed-hardness marathon setup, or a full set in one hardness, it can now be done instantly on a single page.
We’ll continue updating all wheel listings over the coming days and weeks.

2. The Official Junk Wheel Hardness Guide

Choosing the correct hardness is one of the most important—and misunderstood—parts of wheel selection.

Here’s the rule that simplifies everything:

Your weight determines your wheel hardness.

Not your speed.

Not your experience.

Not the distance you race.

The reason is how dual-urethane technology works.

3. How Dual-Urethane Technology Works

Junk wheels like Voodoo, Road Reaper, Killer Junk, and Black Magic use a two-layer urethane system:

• Inner Ring (63A): A high-rebound, super-responsive “SuperBall-style” urethane

• Outer Urethane: Harder, more durable, and engineered for speed

This combination gives skaters:

• A larger footprint for more grip

• Higher rebound for better energy return

• Vibration damping that saves your legs during long races

• Better stability and smoother cornering

But this performance only works if you can compress the inner ring.
If you’re too light for a very hard wheel, the technology never activates—and you go slower, not faster.

4. Choosing the Right Hardness for Your Weight

Here is the simplest guideline:

Lighter skaters → Softer Wheels (Firm)
Mid-weight skaters → Middle Hard Wheels (XFirm)
Heavier or very powerful skaters → Harder Wheels  (XXFirm)

Maximum speed comes from choosing the softest wheel your weight can fully activate.

5. How Coated Tracks Change Hardness Choice

Coated tracks (like Vesmaco) give more “bite” to the wheel which makes them grip better.
This means even lighter skaters may need to move up in hardness to maintain roll.

On coated tracks, many skaters run:

• XFirm

• XXFirm

• Or a mix, depending on heat, time of day, and surface condition

Track temperature and coating hardness can significantly affect wheel behavior, so hardness adjustments are normal.

6. Softer Wheels Wear Faster (and That’s Expected)

More grip creates more resistance, which leads to faster wear.
This is normal for softer wheels and not a defect.

Some skaters choose XXFirm wheels for longevity, but they often sacrifice free speed because they cannot properly compress the inner ring. Performance should always come before lifespan when choosing race wheels.

7. When to Choose Single-Urethane Wheels

Single-urethane wheels are ideal for skaters who:

• Skate urban terrain

• Do downhill or high-speed runs

• Power slides

• Use rough pavement

• Want to ride wheels down to the core

The Junk Voodoo Pro is a perfect example—built with the same high-grade urethane formula but designed for full-depth usage without inner-ring compression requirements.

8. Mixing Hardnesses: What’s Allowed

You can mix certain hardness combinations, but only within a one-step range.

Recommended:

• Firm + XFirm

• XFirm + XXFirm

Not recommended:

• Firm + XXFirm

  The gap is too large and creates instability, unpredictable handling, and a “floating” sensation. 

Keep hardness differences small to maintain control.

9. Mixing Different Junk Wheels

All Junk wheels (and all wheels manufactured at MPC) use the same molds, which means:

• Identical shapes

• Identical profiles

• Identical geometry

This allows you to safely mix:

• Road Reapers with Voodoos

• Killer Junk with Road Reaper

• Black Magic with Voodoo

We do not recommend mixing Junk wheels with wheels from other brands.
Different shapes and profiles will cause unpredictable handling.

10. How Elite Athletes Choose Their Hardness

A few real examples from Junk skaters:

• Chevi Guzmán (165 lbs): Firm or XFirm depending on track temperature and conditions

• Emanuelle Silva (185 lbs): Mostly XFirm; sometimes XXFirm

• Duccio Marsili: Uses Firm, XFirm, and XXFirm depending on the event

• Francisco Ramirez (147 lbs): Firm for his 24-hour record; Firm/XFirm mix for marathons

• Mafe Timms: XFirm + XXFirm Voodoo combination

• Geiny Pajaro: XFirm + XXFirm combination

These choices reflect the relationship between weight, power, track condition, and desired race characteristics.

11. A Better Buying Experience for Skaters

This new system brings skaters the most flexible and intuitive wheel-buying experience we’ve ever offered. You now have the freedom to:

• Build your setup from a single page

• Buy only the quantity you need

• Mix hardnesses without navigating multiple listings

• (Soon) Mix sizes as well

• Understand exactly which hardness is right for you

• Learn the science behind why wheels perform the way they do

This marks a major step forward in how skaters choose and purchase performance wheels.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right wheel hardness shouldn’t be confusing. Building a custom setup shouldn’t require multiple product pages.

This update—and this guide—give skaters clarity, control, and confidence. It’s designed to help you make smarter choices and get the absolute best performance from your wheels, whether you’re training, racing, or skating for pure joy.

This is only the beginning. More improvements are coming, and we’re excited to continue building tools that make the skating experience better for everyone.