I have been jam skating for 15 years, You are not going to find a better bearing than the Bones Swiss... Although I am not sure if these are better than the New Ceramic Bearing, because I have never skated in Ceramics...

i would go with the sheilds unless they are bent. if so clean them with rubbing alcohol after every use. run the shields on the ones that are not bent.:) i have these and the have not bent for me yet. i clean them before all my races and they spin very smooth. i recommend buying these they are great. when you clean them use rubbing alcohol or citrus bearing cleaner then use bones speed cream for best performance. :) highly recommended you will never be dissatisfied unless you dont clean them for like ever then they will heve a ticking noise in them

does anyone know if its ok to roll these without shields? they get bent and seem to slow the bearings down..

These set the standard. I went from Kwik Abec-9s to these and there was a world of difference in rollout and smoothness. A good smooth bearing really reduces fatigue. Good bearings don't make you faster (unless you skate at speeds above 300mph), but they reduce fatigue and help you skate comfortably longer.

i heard these were good and im goin 2 trie 2 jam skate and i think these r very durable