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is there any reason why they rarely do radials/radial slims smaller than 55mm? wanna try these out but worried about size, unless if that’s the purpose of the shape?
A couple of online retailers still carry Radial Slims 99a in 52/54mm if you do some digging. But like I mentioned above, probably streamlining the catalog to keep raw materials for the most popular shapes. Most of the recent pro / 1-off wheels have been Classics (Mason Silva, Louie Lopez, Yuto, Burnside).
I definitely think they are having issues, as someone else either said on here or to me something about getting whatever wheels you want sooner rather than later cause when that shortage hits, things are going to be a struggle for anything but the basics.
Seems about right, as per the article you read too.
As far as sizes and all the different shapes and all that, there are still more often than not some around, even more just coming in via the local distro, but they are snapped up very quickly so if you don't know which shop got the specific ones you are after and they don't put them up on ebay or whatever, you would never know that they were even around this year.
I follow way too many shop accounts and see so many different shapes, sizes and consistent drops of new stock, so it is almost surprising some times how much comes and is sold quickly or already on order for the usual locals at any given place. With that, I thought it would be too over the top to post every new drop of Formula Four wheels on here, but as per many people who check in here, if you are after something specific in a given country, someone might be able to point you in the right direction too.
When it comes to different shapes, I know this is a broad statement, but if there were only two types of wheel available - Classics and Conical Full wheels - the majority of skateboarders could still skate either well enough. Not saying they would particularly like them, but they could skate them.
From having at least one of each shape new or used (as well as all the wheels that have come and gone over the years), often multiples of the different sizes of each shape, there really were so so so so many different options it was almost too much, so it would make sense they scale things back if they are having material shortages.