I was looking for a cost effective way to add some black wheels to my new custom skate build [thanks to Double Threat skates]. I thought I’d have a go at dying my roller skate wheels at home.
What’s great is that it only costs £8.50 for a bottle of dye so I thought why not, it will be much cheaper than buying a new set of black airwaves [and will save me some money, especially having just converted my hockey skate boots. It was about the aesthetic, as my current wheels didn't go with my new Bauers!
I really liked my radar energy wheels, but I wanted an all-black look for my Bauers as I felt that black would work better with the boots. I also couldn't afford another pair of wheels, and my radars were in great condition, so I just changed the colour!
These were the wheels that I already had [see image below👇].
What You’ll Need
Here’s exactly what you need to dye your roller skate wheels yourself.
✅ A Old Set of Roller Skate Wheels
✅ Rit DyeMore for Synthetic
✅ Large [Old] Cookin Pan
✅ Acetone
✅ Cotton Swab
✅ Rubber Gloves & An Apron
✅ Stainless Steel Pot for Dyeing
✅ Skate Bearing & T Tool
✅ Dish Soap
🚦 Time: 5 - 10 minutes [from start to finish]
How To Dye Your Roller Skate Wheels
Note that the colours are intended for cotton textiles. Since wheels are mostly nylon, the colour may end up looking slightly different.
✅ Take the wheels off of your skates and remove the bearings.
✅ Pre-wash wheels in soapy water.
✅ Remove any printed designs or logos using a cotton swab soaked in acetone [unless you don’t mind the print changing colour too].
✅ Cover the work area around your cooker with newspaper or something to protect against spills.
✅ Wear rubber gloves and an apron [to shield against staining and hot water splashes].
✅ You need to bring the dye to a simmer when dyeing nylon wheels [95ºC or more].
✅ Fill a stainless steel pot with enough water for the wheels to move freely, around 4 cups.
✅ Add 1 tsp of dish detergent to help promote level dyeing.
✅ Cover the pot and heat water on the stovetop to just below boiling [or around 95ºC].
✅ As the water starts to simmer, add 1/4 bottle of dye [shake it well first] and mix well. For darker colours, add 1/2 bottle of well-shaken dye.
✅ Gently add clean wheels to the dye mixture.
✅ Keep the temperature at a low simmer and stir continuously [until you achieve the colour that you’re after].
✅ Remove your wheels from the dye bath and rinse in cool water [until rinse water runs clear]
How It Went For Me
First I washed the wheels in a big cooking pot. You’ll need to use an old pot that you wouldn't use again for cooking!
Then I dyed them using Rit Dye More graphite, £8.99 from Amazon.
I 1/2 filled a large old pan of water to almost boiling point [with enough water to cover the wheels]. I shook in some dye and added a squirt of dish soap. I kept it on a low simmer while stirring. This took me just a few minutes.
Once the wheels turned the colour I wanted, I removed them from the pot and let them dry on a piece of old cloth. Mine cooled and dried within a few minutes [on a fairly cold day].
Once touch try, I re-attached them to my skates and waited for them to become hard again. They dried almost immediately.
How My Dyed Wheels Turned Out
This was the result [see image below👇].
So.... it was really bloody easy! It literally took 5 minutes in the pan for the wheels to dye. The advice was to use acetone to remove the printed branding letters, but I didn't have any so I didn't [as I wasn’t that fussed]!
I was a bit surprised to see that my transparent wheels had turned opaque! But again, I didn’t mind this. Also, because I didn’t remove the white lettering first, they turned purple in the black dye—but I'm still pretty happy with the finished look of them.
My sink did however become stained black, but bleach will shift it - so it’s fine. Also, the chemicals stink, so all windows open for good ventilation is a must!
Final Thoughts
I'm aware that in time my newly dyed wheels could fade and need redyeing, but a pot of dye is much cheaper than 8 new wheels...! I modify most of the clothes that I buy, and I love to buy things from vinted to change up, either by dyeing them, or using my sewing machine [as they often don't fit how I want them to, or they need a little something extra]!
Despite my all-black skates, I really like to dye my clothes using neon colours (I'm an 80s kid!)!! I just dyed a cashmere jumper neon green and it's beautiful...
Anyone can revamp their skates - just dye your roller skate wheels - it’s really easy to do!
Melissa Higgins
Roller skating since July 2024
Find Melissa on Instagram
Are you thinking of having a go at dyeing your skate wheels? Have you already dyed your wheel using a different method? Let us know in the comments below.
