…97a kinda makes more sense though if you think about it if the lack of slide isnt bothering me. it would have a bit more grip which is kinda the entire point of F4s - A hard Wheel that Grips. Easy Sliders are a soft wheel that slides.
This is kinda where the reformulated F4 97s slot in for me.
A bit more grip & rebound than the 99s, but much closer to the harder/skreet wheel feel than the “bouncier” pebble stomping, crust chomping 93s.
They def do process rough ground with a good deal more aplomb than their harder siblings, though.
Noticeably so.
The comparative “sluggishness” of the previous formulation seems to have been dialed out of the mix, for the most part as well; I didn’t notice any appreciable difference in speed at the spots I tested them on. Dare I say, this is based on nothing more than an impression, but they felt
faster than the 99s down the same stretch of freshly paved asphalt.
Finally, the slide.
The earlier iteration of this duro seemed to lack the same ease of release when breaking into a slide, and could feel sticker than the 99s on grinds & such.
These new 97s release & slide with the same ease their 93 duro counterparts do: that is to say, the slide is great!
I’m only one session in on this set, so it’s way too early for me to remark on wear/durability.
Once again, I find these wheels are filling a function I wasn’t looking for, per se (a softer wheel; I love the 99s) but much like the 93s, I think these are going to stick around beyond the life of their current set up.
My present thinking is: if they perform in speed & slide as well as the 99s & they eat up a little more crust & vibration than the 99s, why the heck not?!?
I def think they managed to strike a balance between the 99 & 93 duros that will appeal to a pretty wide range of skaters.
TLDR: the new 97s are good.