97a is close to the no man's land of wheel durometer. Potentially too soft to slide really well and feel fast on smooth terrain and also too hard to bounce over shitty terrain. However, 97a speed wheels were the gold standard for wheels in the mid to late 80s as far as I could tell, so there is potential. I'm sure some people will find these too slow and some people will find them too grippy. Its going to be a compromise wheel but for me, in cold wet weather its fun to have a slightly softer wheel to get motivated to just blast around rough streets, grip in slippery indoor parking lots and damp skateparks. I currently use the Classic formula (wears out quick) or the Bones 99a STF for the same reasons. If these are anything like those two wheels with good durability, I'll be stoked.