Strollerderby

Faster Heelys! Kill! Kill!

Posted by Melissa Summers

Doctors have come out with shocking news: shoes with wheels are not the most stable way to walk. Around the world medical professionals are reporting broken arms, legs and cracked skulls because of these Heelys "The shoes that roll." Shoes that roll you right into the emergency room.

I'm being melodramatic, like my local television news, but is anyone really surprised that walking with a wheel on the bottom of your shoe is not exactly stable? A report from Dublin, Ireland says over a 10 week period last summer 67 children were treated for injuries after a mishap with Heelys. In the United States, in a 15 month period, one death and 64 "Roller Shoe" accidents were reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Same story in Singapore which reports 37 injuries at a hospital over a 7 month period in 2004.

Best quote: "As these shoes are sold in department stores, parents buying them may develop a false sense of security — that they are like any other shoe," said Dr. James Beaty, academy president and a pediatric orthopedic surgeon in Memphis."

They're just regular shoes.....until they crack your head open.

Doctors are now recommending children wear protective gear when wearing Heelys. Since kids wear these shoes all day, I'm finding this suggestion pretty comical. My daughter would sell both her kidneys for a pair of Heelys. I've continually said no because she can't even master the art of the flip flop, I'm not about to put a wheel on her shoe. Even if she agrees to wear protective gear 12 hours a day.

 


+ DIGG + STUMBLE

Comments

 

Mom2Two said:

I detest these shoes.  I can't go anywhere without practicaly getting run over by a kid in Heelies, and one knocked my toddler down.  It would have been worse if it were a senior with fragile bones.  I was happy to see that a lot of stores are banning them!

June 5, 2007 8:54 AM
 

RachelZ said:

Yes, what genius invented these?  Almost every store I go into has signs everywhere banning them but then you see kids rolling around the joint anyway.  

I am always, ALWAYS tempted to push - er, accidentally nudge - them into the canned peas display.  But I catch myself because I know that those kids wouldn't have those stupid shoes if their idiot parents didn't buy them.

GO AWAY, Heelys.

June 5, 2007 9:03 AM
 

BabyCakies said:

The idea sounded like fun to me...at first.  But with almost everything, a child should be taught when things are appropriate and when to be more careful.  While waiting for dinner at a carryout place, my friend and I were repeatedly run into by a 8-ish year old girl.  Ten minutes later, Mom finally yelled at her to stop and pay attention to the people around her.  She didn't stop, and we left and had a lovely judgmental conversation about how we are going to be such better mothers.

I hope.

June 5, 2007 10:11 AM
 

nancyt said:

I am so printing that article and giving it to my daughter, who has wanted them for about 3 years.

RachelZ--lol! Now I'm not going to be able to see a Heely's kid without thinking of that. Hope I don't end up on the 6 0'clock news...

June 5, 2007 10:48 AM
 

Andrea said:

I'm an ER nurse at a major Pediatric Hospital, let me tell you, we see Heely's injuries all the time!  On a sad note, we had a kid who rolled down his driveway and into the street, where he cracked his head and didn't get up in time before a car came....  My daughter (5 months) is obviously waaaay too young for these, but she won't be getting any.

The thing that gets to me is that we make kids wear helmets for rollerblading, but not for shoes with wheels.  What's the difference?

June 5, 2007 11:18 AM
 

K said:

<i>parents buying them may develop a false sense of security — that they are like any other shoe</i>

In general I don't pity dumb people. I really don't pity dumb parents. I do pity the kids. Unfortunately, as we have all seen time and time again, there is no law against being dumb, even a dumb parent.

June 5, 2007 12:33 PM
 

Roc said:

Heelys are safer than bikes, inline skates, skateboards, basketball, etc.  DO YOUR HOMEWORK moron!!

June 6, 2007 12:41 AM
 

RachelZ said:

Whatever, Roc.  I don't see kids biking, skating, or playing basketball in Target, but I DO see those idiotic Heelys and if one of those bastard kids ever runs over my baby, I'll beat them into a bloody pulp with said Heelys.

June 6, 2007 8:16 AM
 

Joe said:

The fact is Heelys are two things. A shoe, and a skate shoe. There is a time and place for walking and a time and place to life up your toes and Heel away. The wheels are removable and when entering places that are crowded should be removed. Who is this up to? The PARENTS! Denying a kid an action sport to keep them active but letting your fat kids sit on the couch eating smores and playing video games is bonkers. Be safe, Heel safe and have fun.

June 6, 2007 9:50 AM
 

Melissa Summers said:

But can't kids just use roller blades or skates if they want to skate?

June 6, 2007 9:59 AM
 

Joe said:

Of course they CAN

But come on, kids just want to have fun. Theres no need to sit down, take off your shoes, put on skates lace em up take em off put on sneakers and then lace them up. You walk, you lift up your toes and you roll. Its kinda cool if you ask me. Give it a try! :)

All I'm saying is chill out. Kids will be kids. Life without risk IS death. And rolling on your heels is not THAT much of a risk.

June 6, 2007 10:03 AM
 

bryce mednick said:

screw you people

June 14, 2007 8:45 PM

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