Durable luggage wheels - mystery or myth?

My mid-range Samsonite is pretty good and I've hauled them pretty much all over the world. This is not exactly the luggage I have but the wheels look similar.

I can’t help, sorry, but I remember a stand up comic doing a routine about them.

He said that considering how long we’ve had the wheel and the suitcase it’s amazing how long it took to put the two together. We put a man on the moon before we put a wheel on a suitcase.

I think I have that for myself. This is for RP and he will walk all over Manhattan or wherever dragging a suitcase. I'm kinda surprised luggage wheels don't come with replaceable tires.

also, buy as big a wheel as can be fit . I have a set of Leather bags from a Texas boot maker(My folks got it for me when I graduated college. A 3 set carry- on with another knapsack (all black supple leather. There is a wheeled softie leather and heavy black denim bag that came as part of the set which I still own but rarely use. My leather bags are now 48 years old . I have them cleaned and polished by a leather coat guy every 2 years or so and they look branspanking new. The wheels are big with spokes and hard rrubber (not molded plastic). Now I only use this when we take the RV. Its our meds, first aid, bathroom accessories and emergency chargers nd phone/etc stuff.

All the other roller bags had wheels too small and that made the unit kinda tippy .

after walking for an hour, a brand new Eagle Creek wheel went from



to



unlike previous trips, i was mindful of curbs and cracks in the sidewalk.

didn't matter...