Spitfire has been shaping skateboarding culture since 1987, born from the gritty streets of San Francisco and built on a reputation for durability, speed and raw street credibility.
As part of Deluxe Distribution, Spitfire quickly became the wheel that serious skaters trusted, thanks to a commitment to urethane innovation and a team stacked with some of the best riders in the world.
The iconic Bighead logo became a universal symbol for skaters who demanded performance, longevity and style. Over the decades, Spitfire continued to evolve its formulas, shapes and technologies, eventually releasing benchmark lines like Formula Four that set new industry standards.
The Spitfire Sapphires represent a fresh chapter in this legacy, offering a cruiser-friendly wheel built with true Spitfire performance DNA. Unlike typical soft wheels that prioritize comfort at the expense of speed or durability, the Sapphires deliver a balanced ride by fusing two different durometers into a single construction.
The outer surface is a smooth-rolling 90 durometer clear urethane that softens street vibration and glides easily over rough pavement, while the inner core uses a hardened 101 durometer Formula Four material engineered for long-term speed, stability and flatspot resistance. This dual-duro design allows the wheel to feel plush underfoot while still maintaining the fast, controlled roll Spitfire is known for.
The Sapphires come in a range of sizes and colours, giving skaters the ability to tune their setup to match their terrain and style. The lineup includes 53mm in green, 54mm in orange, 56mm in blue and 58mm in purple, all using the Radial shape for a balanced profile that grips when needed but still breaks loose for playful carving. Smaller sizes suit tighter cruiser builds or hybrid street setups, while the larger diameters offer maximum roll for longer pushes, campus cruising or navigating Vancouver’s unpredictable sidewalks.
A major talking point is how Sapphires stack up against wheels like Powell’s Dragon Formula, which has dominated the “one wheel does everything” conversation. Sapphires rival Dragons because they approach versatility from a different angle. Dragons are known for being hard-duro wheels that ride soft; Sapphires are soft-duro wheels that ride fast. The clear 90A outer layer soaks up cracks and chatter in a way Dragons can’t replicate, while the Formula Four core keeps them rolling fast and true. You get cruiser comfort without sacrificing the feel of real skateboard urethane, bridging the gap between transportation wheels and true skate performance. For riders who want something smoother than park wheels but quicker and more responsive than traditional soft cruisers, Sapphires land perfectly in the middle.
The Sapphire line has also generated excitement through a handful of notable collaborations that expand its visual identity. Limited editions created with brands like Grimple Stix and Sci-Fi Fantasy showcase unique translucent colourways and graphic treatments while preserving every bit of the underlying Sapphire technology. These collabs appeal to collectors, style-focused riders and anyone who appreciates when high-performance gear gets the custom treatment. For a shop with a strong collector base, these Sapphire variations add depth and exclusivity to an already compelling wheel line.
In the end, the Spitfire Sapphires feel like the natural evolution of cruiser wheels from a brand that refuses to make anything mediocre. They bring comfort without sluggishness, speed without harshness and durability without compromise. For skaters cruising Kitsilano side streets, rolling across campuses or building hybrid setups that mix street sensibility with smoother rides, the Sapphires deliver a unique blend of feel and function. They embody Spitfire’s long-standing commitment to innovation while opening the door to a new kind of cruiser experience built on real skate performance.
