Heelys - Love Them, Hate Them?
Kids suddenly started gliding everywhere. I don't hang out much where kids do, so it took me awhile to realize that this was a huge trend in wearing Heelys - shoes with a removeable wheel in the heel. I was actually jealous as the kids seemed to do what I can do only in dreams - effortlessly glide around. Our Guide to Pediatrics has the scoop on Heelys - Staying Safe and Preventing Injury.Kids are burning fewer calories when they are heeling rather than walking, skipping, running. But if wearing Heelys makes them more likely to get out and move around, they are a net positive. With the childhood obesity epidemic, anything that makes physical activity on any level fun is a net positive. I host walking events and I don't mind at all if kids attend wearing Heelys, or even trailing along on a bike or tricycle - anything to make going along on a walk a little more fun for them.
But the downside is the risk of injury and the annoyance factor of kids zipping back and forth unpredictably. I think that means it's time to train them about Trail Manners - Rules for Polite Walking. If your kids or grandkids are heeling or begging for Heelys, read more:
- Heelys Review: Yes, they come in adult sizes, too!
- Heelys - Staying Safe and Preventing Injury.
- Top 5 Heelys Crash Injuries: Our Guide to First Aid considers them to be job security.
Comments
If you are in the line of wheeling… they can be dangerous!
As we made our way through Atlanta’s airport this weekend, my girlfriend, who walks with a cane, was knocked down by a child in Heelys. This is hardly the first time that’s happened; the disregard and rudeness of these children (and their absentee parents) is the main reason she won’t go to a shopping mall any longer. Heelys, like in-line skates, should not be permitted indoors.
Hate them. Sure it sounds like a great idea but there is no responsibility. It was bad enough when some kids would run around the store, now most of them are skating around the store. In places like Costco, where the aisles are wide and long? I’ve seen twirls too.
Send the kids to the park but get the wheels out of “normal” sneakers.
Do they make Heely’s for Adult’s???
and what about the tennis shoes that light up when you walk? do they make them for adults too?
As a manager at a retail Mall we are seeing an increase of kids using these inside our facility. Because we are concerned for their safety, we have prohibited their use inside our Mall.
A lot of people are saying that because of these shoes, it is puting them in danger. Such as going to the store and being ran into by somebody wearing these. But this is not the shoe causing this proplem. It’s just natural for a kid to be having fun and not paying attention. Any kid running with regular shoes has just as much potential running into somebody as a kid with Heelys. These shoes are really not as dangerous as people are playing them out to be. I’m saying this from experience from my childhood with them. In some cases, they were actually safer and easier then walking. Plus, they are easy to maneuver and very easy to stop; just put your toes down.