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Heelys (formerly known as Heeling Sports Limited) is an American brand of
roller shoe
Roller shoes are shoes that have wheels protruding slightly from the heel, allowing the wearer to alternate between walking and rolling.
There are a number of tricks that can be done with them, including pop wheelies and spins.
These shoes comm ...
(marketed by
Heelys, Inc.
Heelys, Inc., formerly known as Heeling Sports Limited, is the company which currently owns the Heelys, Soap, and Axis (unofficially defunct) brands. Heelys' headquarters is, and for and its entire history has been, located in Carrollton, Texas ...
) that have usually one or more removable
wheel
A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axle Bearing (mechanical), bearing. The wheel is one of the key components of the wheel and axle which is one of the Simple machine, six simple machines. Wheels, in conjunction wi ...
s embedded in each
sole, similar to
inline skates
Inline skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, ha ...
, allowing the wearer to walk, run, or, by shifting their weight to their heels, roll. Braking can be achieved by lowering the back of the foot so that sole contacts the ground.
Roger Adams patented Heelys in 1999. The headquarters are located in
Carrollton, Texas
Carrollton is a city in Dallas, Denton, and Collin counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 census, its population was 133,434, making it the 23rd-most populous city in Texas.
History
The area was first settled by Jared Ford i ...
.
Injuries
The journal of the
American Academy of Pediatrics
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is an American professional association of pediatricians, headquartered in Itasca, Illinois. It maintains its Department of Federal Affairs office in Washington, D.C.
Background
The Academy was founded ...
published a study
of injuries resulting from the use of Heelys (and Street Gliders, a similar product that is strapped onto regular shoes). The study counted only significant injuries that required assessment by an orthopedic surgeon, ignoring minor injuries that were treated solely in the emergency department. The 10-week study (conducted during summer school holiday), found:
* An injury rate of approximately 51 injuries per 100,000 children (for injuries requiring orthopedic attention; the rate for less-serious injuries is unknown, but presumably much higher). For comparison, in 1997 in the United States, nonfatal dog bites required 151 emergency department visits per 100,000 people in the population (including adults).
* 34% of the injuries were suffered by children using Heelys (or Street Gliders) for the very first time. 70% had used the products five or fewer times.
* The injuries comprised 8% of the workload for the pediatric orthopedic department.
* 12% of the injured children were familiar with the instructions for use of the products.
Protective equipment
The manufacturer says, "We highly recommend
he use of protective gearwhen the wheels are in the shoes." Most users do not wear protective gear because the shoes are worn for everyday use
(unlike more specialized sporting equipment such as
inline skates
Inline skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, ha ...
).
Tricks
Advanced Heelys users can perform tricks such as spins, backwards skating and skating on one foot.
There are four categories of tricks used in heeling: ground tricks, grinding tricks, stalling tricks and vert tricks.
* Ground tricks – the main category of tricks used in heeling.
* Grinds – these tricks can only be performed if the model has a nylon pad in the shoe, it involves jumping on a surface, landing on the nylon pad and sliding across the surface.
* Stalls – generally involves jumping onto a raised object and pausing before jumping off and heeling once more. The only named stall is the "McFrick", which is executed by planting one foot, raising the other, and sticking up your middle finger.
* Vert – any type of tricks performed on a
vert ramp
A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in extreme sports such as vert skating, vert skateboarding and vert BMX.
Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane (known as the flat-bottom) to a vertical section on top.
...
.
* Flips - usually performed on a trampoline or off a high surface that has a soft surface under. Jump up and tuck just as a normal flip (try landing on wheels after feet).
See also
*
Inline skates
Inline skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates typically have two to five wheels arranged in a single line. Some, especially those for recreation, ha ...
*
Roller shoe
Roller shoes are shoes that have wheels protruding slightly from the heel, allowing the wearer to alternate between walking and rolling.
There are a number of tricks that can be done with them, including pop wheelies and spins.
These shoes comm ...
*
Roller skates
Roller skates, are shoes or bindings that fit onto shoes that are worn to enable the wearer to roll along on wheels. The first roller skate was an inline skate design, effectively an ice skate with wheels replacing the blade. Later the "quad ska ...
*
Skateboard
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. They are usually made of a specially designed 7-8 ply maple plywood deck and polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
The skateboarde ...
References
External links
Official site of Heelys, Inc.Official site of Heelys for UK & Europe{{footwear
Shoe companies of the United States
Athletic shoe brands
Shoe brands
Sports footwear
Companies based in Carrollton, Texas
2000s fashion
2000s fads and trends
Products introduced in 2000