If you are fairly new to skateboarding, you likely got started on a pre-built complete, or had a skate shop put together a board for you based on their recommendations and your budget. There is nothing wrong with this approach, especially for beginners. However, one of the favorite things about skateboarding is the ability to customize your board to express yourself or to be better catered to your skateboarding style. This article is intended to suggest some options for new skaters looking to make some of their first customizations to their skateboarding gear as well as for experienced skaters that want to try something new.
1. Non Abrasive Grip Tape
Non abrasive grip tape- when it comes to picking grip tape out, there is a very wide array of brands, colors, and grit levels to choose from. Grip tape is an important part of your skateboard because it helps keep you on your board when doing turns, ollies, and other tricks both simple and advanced.
As you progress as a skater, you will likely start to notice that your shoes are starting to get worn out in the soles and becoming smooth or even developing holes. If you are doing ollies or flip tricks, the same can be said about the outside of the shoes by your toes as well. This is because traditional sand paper style grip tape wears down the leather, suede, canvas, or rubber of your skate shoes resulting in the need for replacement.
Non-abrasive rubber grip tape can offer plenty of grip with much less wear and tear on your footwear than traditional grip tape. This can extend the lifetime of your shoe by weeks or months.
2. Insoles for Your Skate Shoes
Even though your footwear isn’t necessarily part of your skateboard setup, having the right shoes can make a huge difference in your skateboarding experience. The same can be said about the insoles in those shoes as well. Skateboarding shoes are designed to give you a comfortable ride, with an appropriate amount of grip and support.
Another important factor in skateboarding footwear is something called “board feel”. As the name implies it’s your ability to have a feel for the edges and concave of your board. This helps you put your feet in the right places for different maneuvers. This is part of the reason that most skate shoes are totally flat on the bottom. Many skate shoes come with pretty good standard insoles, but there are some companies that offer customizable insoles that can actually mold to the shape of your foot. There are various degrees of padding for impact support as well.
If you plan on taking some impact with your skateboarding, especially jumping down stairs, you will want to invest in some quality insoles to act as personal shock absorbers and prevent painful injuries like heel bruises that can limit your ability to keep skating.
3. Aftermarket Bushings for Your Trucks
For those of you who do not know, bushings are the round urethane parts of your skateboard’s trucks that allow the board to turn gradually based on the amount of pressure you put on the heel or toe side of your board. Many beginners will just use the ones that come stock with your trucks. This will almost always be good enough to learn how to lean to turn and help you do pretty much anything you want to on a skateboard. However, they make bushings that are softer, harder, or differently shaped in order to better suit individual needs.
Bushings, like skateboard wheels, are made of urethane and are measured on a hardness scale called the “durometer”. A lower number durometer means the bushings are a bit softer and squishier, allowing for easier turning, but less overall durability. Harder bushings are more stable and durable, but less responsive when turning. If you are a larger skater that likes tighter trucks, or if you are going down hills and going fast often, then you might want to try out some harder bushings. If you are a lighter skater and you really like surfing the concrete with responsive turning and carving, some softer bushings might be right up your alley!
Most people don’t give their bushings a second thought, but if you know what you want and what you’re after, you can customize your bushings to get the best results for your style. Bushings are fairly inexpensive and simple to replace, so try a wide variety out and see what you like best.
4. Premium Bearings
For those new to the scene, the wheels are what make your skateboard roll, but it's the bearings that truly bring that movement to life. Seasoned skaters and pros know how crucial bearings are to their ride, but there’s still a lot of confusion about what makes a bearing good—and why.
From the moment you step on a skateboard, you'll hear the term "ABEC" tossed around like it's the be-all and end-all of bearing quality. ABEC 5, ABEC 7, ABEC 9... and even ABEC 11—though, spoiler alert, there’s no such thing as ABEC 11. ABEC, which stands for "Annular Bearing Engineering Committee," refers to a set of standards measuring the exterior tolerance and geometric dimensioning of bearings.
But just because a bearing claims to be ABEC 7, 9, or even 11 (if it did exist) doesn’t necessarily mean it actually meets those standards. Often, it's just marketing hype. As the saying goes, "Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear."
So, do ABEC tolerances really matter to skaters? Yes and no. No, because your bearings sit inside polyurethane wheels, which absorb any minor imperfections in the bearing's outer diameter. But yes, because the outer dimensions of your bearing is what’s used to produce your raceway with precision—the surface your steel or ceramic balls roll on. And let’s be real: when it comes to peak performance, top speeds, and a smooth ride, your raceway’s precision is everything.
Eenox bearings are crafted in Switzerland with precision and quality that you’ll feel every time you cruise. Whether it’s for your skateboard or a space rover, each bearing made by WIB (the parent company of Eenox) is produced with the same meticulous attention to detail. This means your bearings won’t just help you perform at your best—but they’ll be consistent every time you put them on your wheel. No matter your style or skill level, skateboarding is way more fun when you're pushing less and cruising more.
5. Shaped boards
The most basic shape of a skateboard deck is called a “popsicle” deck. It is generally between 7” and 9” wide and between 28” and 32” in length. Popsicle decks have a nose and a tail that curve upward to help riders do tricks that pop into the air. Even though this is the most common deck, it doesn’t mean that it is the best for every individual.
In fact, many pros who skate popsicle decks, have specific preferences when it comes to the shape of the nose or tail, or the degree of concave the board has. Some pros have even made entirely custom shapes to suit their own preferences. You do not need to be a pro to have the benefit that a shaped board can offer. Whether it is a twin tail, egg, cruiser, or whatever funky shape you find out there, a new shape is a great way to experiment with skateboarding and see what you like.
With your deck usually being your most expensive component of your skateboard, do a little bit of research into what shapes are used for different types of skateboarding. If you go to a local skate shop to purchase your new deck, you should be able to stand on the new deck and have your specific questions answered by the staff.
Bret Herman and Eenox Engineering
About The Author
Brent Herman loves skateboarding and has been a skateboarder for over 20 years. Brent is a skateboarding instructor and writer from the Midwest United States with experience competing in and judging skateboarding contests for all ages.
