Stay on your toes while rolling on your heels

Heelys are hot. 

For kids, the sneakers with wheels in the heels are must-have items, no matter their price, ranging between $59 and $99. 

For investors, Heelys has been an attractive stock since its initial public offering two months ago. It launched at $21 a share, jumping to $32.60 the first day of trading. Today, it is selling around $37. 

But for some local school and government officials as well as shopping mall managers, Heelys are more like a hot potato. Anecdotal reports of broken bones and run-ins with cars have raised a lot of safety concerns, prompting some malls and schools to ban them. One hilly town in England, Yeovil, just banned them altogether; anyone wearing anything that has wheels and can be attached to the feet (that also means skateboards and roller skates) risks being arrested and prosecuted. The maximum potential fine is £500 pounds ($975). 

Based on data submitted so far to the Consumer Product Safety Commission from participating emergency rooms, Heelys — or other sneaker/skates — don’t seem to account for a large number of hospital-treated injuries in the U.S. Records suggest that hospitals treat several hundred related injuries each year. However that number will undoubtedly increase as the popularity of Heelys grows. The 7-year-old company sold 3.9 million pairs for the first nine months of 2006; that’s more than five times the 697,000 pairs sold in 2004. 

Heelys is well aware of the risk, including several different warnings in its shoes and on its Web site. On its Web site, for example, visitors have to read and accept a warning before they can watch any of the videos demonstrating the shoes. “We always recommend that anyone who attempts to use Heelys in any capacity should always wear full protective gear, including: helmets, wrist, elbow, and knee pads … Never use Heelys in an unsafe manner, and never without full protective gear,” the warning says.  The videos, however, feature users who aren’t wearing such safety equipment. Heelys said that's because the video features highly-trained professionals.

To address the risk, Heelys hired Heiden Associates, an economic and product safety consulting firm, to do a study. And according to that study of injuries, based on data from the CPSC and National Sporting Goods Association, Heelys says wheeled shoes have a lower injury rate than nearly all other popular sports. The study estimates that the rate of injuries from wheeled shoes was 33 per 100,000 participants from 2001-2005. That compares to an injury rate of 2,184 for basketball players, 945 for skateboarding, and 358 for inline skating. The study doesn't compare wheeled shoe injury rates with just plain walking, (which we assume many youngsters would be doing if their sneakers didn't have wheels) but Heiden Associates says CPSC emergency room injury data shows that there were almost 19,000 injuries for 7-15 year olds in 2003 associated with shoes and other footwear. 

Still, it pays to be safe not only for your children's sake but for the people around them who stand to get pushed over, should your kids lose control when skating by.

Based just on Heelys videos, it's clear that using sneakers with wheels requires a different technique — even talent — than walking. And in turn, as Heelys and safety officials urge, use protective gear and be attentive to surrounding traffic and other pedestrians, including those who don’t have wheels on their feet. In other words, don't be a heel.

Comments

[Rebecca]

I've had my heelys for over a month and love them!!
Although someone at my fav place to skate (Super market) has told me off and said im not allowed skating.
But i've even worn mine in school and my teachers think they're great!
My 2 best friends have heelys aswell and we love wearing them .... It took me 3 days to skate on my own and i've only fallen over once! (so far)

[Pam]

I hate those things! I cannot tell you how many times a little kid wearing heelies has went wizzing by me almost crashing into me or others around me. The parents of these kids don't seem to care or notice that those skates are not appropriate for all public places especially shopping malls or other indoor places like grocery stores. There is a reason people are not allowed to skateboard, roller skate or inline skate indoors and those should be no different.

[victoria]

I love heelys ever since I got my own heelys I could not stay off of them!!

[David A]

I've become interested in Heelys lately, and when I read some of the posts here my confidence in their safety has faltered. The article and posts have made me concerned about stretched and snapped tendons in the ankles, as well as how good the wheels are for the bridges of our feet. Surely there are lasting effects?

[JM]

I only have good things to say about Heely's. I'm 36 use them daily for work, in a large warehouse (smooth floors) and am always on the move. It makes getting around so much easier and adds a bit of enjoyment actually.
I have become quite a fan, and actually just bought my wife a pair tonight. (How I stumpled onto this site)
I hope she will enjoy as much as I do.

[carol]

I remember my mother telling me that when I was a baby, she would lay me down in the back of our station wagon when we had to go somewhere. I also remember iceskating with no helmet or pads. I roller skated too. I rode my bike all my life without a helmet. (I could go on about outdoor activities) Many of us did survive. I don't want my kids to be "scared to death" to do activities. Helmets and pads ARE safer. Soon our children will be padded everywhere. I don't really know the answer. My son, age 6, does have Heelys. He loves them.

[Beth]

They are so enoying even if the government did make laws about it knowbody would listen to them so i think they should just ban them altogether!

[chrystal gregory]

Our 9,year old son begged for these crazy unsafe skate type shoes,I really didn't check on these until after we had an accident he's fine but,i'm wondering if the makers of heelys would be willing to refund our costs of this product,we'd send them right to them.These should have a disclaimer,adults only...&... Be safe,find out all info. I really thouht they'd be like skates.

[Lorin Thwaits]

Wow, lots of people are spooked about these shoes. But I love them. I'm 37, and have been heeling for the last 4 years. It's phenomenal in airports when you've only got a few minutes to try to make a connecting flight. And most parking lots as well. Granted that it takes some patience while you're learning to "get the hang of it", but after becoming proficient I find it to be an excellent timesaver.

While it appears that you can easily glide along, it ends up being moderate exercise. You can really only safely go maybe 50% faster than walking on most sidewalks due to all the cracks. In Wal-Mart or Costco where there's a nice surface you can get up to about twice walking speed in a safe manner. I walk 100% in the busy sections at the front of the store or aisle intersections, and heel in the empty aisles to make my way to the back of the store. (Seems like everything you really want is always in the back of the store, right?) It really is totally safe. I've never run into anyone or anything in public. You can stop on a dime by putting both feet down.

The #1 question I get asked when I'm heeling: "wow, where did you find a pair in your size?" They're available on eBay, at Mervyn's, Sports Authority, and Big 5. Remember that there's a significant learning curve involved here, and you'll build up ankle muscles you never knew you had. But after you're practiced up, it's an excellent way to get around.

With something that's currently this popular with the youth, and has the potential to make the everyday commute easier, there's a good possiblity that it won't die out like the hoola-hoop. After all, this is the second time they've become popular this decade. I expect that in another ten years some of these heely-proficient youth will still use the shoes to get around.

[Jason McNew]

I must agree with several others and add even more. I am 36 years old and my daughter is 9. We both got our Heelys for Christmas 2006 and by May 2007, I developed tendonitis in my ankle and possibly a heel spur from using the shoes a couple times a week. Coming from an active person who still enjoys bmx and skateboarding, these shoes are definitely not good for our children's feet, legs, and backs as they require altered stances and postures. For more evidence of this, do a search on Heelys Foot Problems.

[Allan Anderson]

I read on preteenagerstoday.com about a study done by the American Chiropractic Association that stated concern about the altered gait required when walking in Heelys while the wheels are installed. I see kids wear these shoes all the time as their regular shoes and it does not look like a natural way to walk at all. No to mention seeing a kid in a crowded place such as a mall or airport zig-zagging through the crowd.

[Martha Wells]

My ex-husband purchased these for our 10 year old on April 29th. Less than 24 hours later she was in the emergency room with a broken tibia!! Thank goodness she was wearing a helmet!! Website doesn't say anything about breaking a leg.

[Fay H]

I got Heelys April 14! I am not good at them at ALL! I am amazing at roller blades though! I can't get it through my head that BOTH of my feet MUST stay on the GROUND at all TIMES. (or al least when I want to roll!)

Fayzee

[holly]

my son has begged for heely's...problem = the kids are using them on our neighborhood streets (not sidewalks) and i have yet to see anyone with a helmet or protective gear/this is a bad idea. Also, why would a parent think it is "ok" to let the kids use them in airports or dept stores

[jeffery jonchy]

i love heelys ,but my mom says not to use them ,but i wear helmet pads and many other gears. i dont know waht to do ?

[DH]

Are there any warnings related to the long-term impacts of the "different technique" required? Are there any issues with prolonged flexion/extension of ankle/leg muscles? It seems unnatural.

[J Foss]

I wonder if in a few years we're going to see kids with strange problems with the fronts of their ankles from using Heelys or other similar products; something along the lines of carpal tunnel syndrome that seemed to appear after people began using computers more and more.