All I Got is Floyd

Every time one of my suitcase starts to go wonky it’s usually the wheels stop spinning or are otherwise somehow damaged. I’ve often thought to myself why doesn’t someone make these things with skateboard wheels? Well, at long last, Floyd to the rescue. This isn’t a coincidence, the skateboard wheel look is intentional, and they lean into it heavily in the marketing.

Inspired by the Californian subculture of the 70s, created for the mobile lifestyle of today. You’ll immediately recognize the DNA of Floyd Travel Cases by their eight distinctive skateboard wheels made of 85 duro polyurethane. They’re available in a wide range of colors and are easily exchangeable. And thanks to the two ABEC-7 ball bearings per wheel, your Floyd glides quietly and smoothly in all directions.

Yep they lean into the skateboard wheels hard. Almost like it’s the most important feature of the luggage, which is amusing because these start at $795 a piece… no typo. They even go so far as label the wheel with the durometer and the radius.

Cases come standard with the translucent “Floyd Red” wheels, and you can order replacements in other colors for $75 a set. With 8 wheels in a set that’s almost legitimate skateboard wheel pricing considering they come with ABEC-7 bearings. These are not standard skateboard-sized wheels however. The axle appears to be smaller and they are dramatically thinner than any skateboard wheel since the steel wheel days. The colors have cool names like “Knievel Blue” and “Kickin’ Orange”, although they missed a key opportunity to go with “Alligator Green” instead of Racing Green.

This photo really got to me. It’s like it was made specifically for my 10 year old self. This version of the Floyd wheel reminiscent of the legendary Cadillac wheels is not actually available on the web site.

Here’s some more random imagery from the site. The stickers on the right are used as a product preview but the groovy guy on the skateboard wasn’t actually in the set they were selling.

These things defiantly look cool though, just not $800 cool.

Floyd is based out of Germany, and if you believe the web site, they should be regular visitors at Skate and Annoy.

At the same time, two teenagers from Munich yearned for the Californian lifestyle as they tore through the village streets of their hoods on skateboards and devoured American skate magazines.  Bernd Georgi and Horst Kern never make it to Venice during the golden years of skateboarding culture, but their careers in the fashion industry take them as far as South Africa and Hongkong. In 1996, they established their own company, producing high-quality accessories and luggage for renowned brands worldwide.

After more than 20 years of expertise in luggage production, Floyd has taken the two entrepreneurs back to their roots. Drawing inspiration from their youthful dreams, Bernd Georgi and Horst Kern’s brand and offbeat travel cases pay tribute to the free-spirited, bohemian 70s and the exuberant design language that defined Venice Beach during that era. Floyd brings back a touch of the zeitgeist to the modern traveler – the “mojo” to design stylish travel cases they dreamed of since their teenager years.

The concept is cool, but it’s probably out of the price range of most of those who would appreciate it for what it is and not just as a status symbol. Are they in fact any studier than your average moderately priced luggage? It’s hard to tell. They don’t show axle assembly which is where the weak points would manifest. Luggage rolling failure usually occurs at the truck level and not the wheels. The warranty is 2 years but doesn’t apply to cosmetic damage or damage caused by baggage handling machines so…. Lost in all the skateboard talk is the fact that these cases don’t have zippers, and are instead more like a trunk made with an aluminum frame. Guess that’s worth a couple hundred extra.

It’s a sharp product for sure though. Bernd and Horst, you know where to send the review case. Keep Rolling!