A vehicle wheel assembly and a method of making the wheel assembly. In one embodiment, a wheel assembly may include a rim, a hoop member, and a resilient member. The hoop member may be disposed around the rim and spaced apart from the rim. The resilient member may be disposed around the hoop member, and portions of the resilient member may protrude through openings in the hoop member toward the rim. A tying member may tie each protruding portion to the rim, and the tying members may remain in tension while the wheel assembly is unloaded. In other embodiments, the wheel assembly may also include a second hoop member, or a traction layer, or both.