Injuries Blamed On Trendy Wheeled Sneakers

(AP)  Trendy wheeled sneakers that let kids zip down sidewalks, across playgrounds and through mall crowds could also send them rolling into emergency rooms on a stretcher, say doctors who blame a rash of injuries on the international craze.

It's called "heeling," named after Heelys, the most popular brand. They're sold in 70 countries and are so hot that their Carrollton, Texas, maker, Heelys Inc., recently landed atop BusinessWeek's annual list of fastest-growing companies.

But doctors from Ireland to Singapore have reported treating broken wrists, arms and ankles, dislocated elbows and even cracked skulls in children injured while wearing roller shoes.

Over a 10-week period last summer, 67 children were treated for injuries from Heelys or strap-on wheels called Street Gliders at Temple Street Children's University Hospital in Dublin, Ireland, according to a report in the June edition of Pediatrics.

From September 2005 through December 2006, one death and at least 64 roller-shoe injuries were reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, a spokesman said last week.

And doctors in Singapore reported last year that 37 children had been treated for similar injuries at a hospital there during a seven-month period in 2004. None were wearing protective gear.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, based in Rosemont, Illinois, this week is issuing new safety advice that recommends helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes.

"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.

Heelys and their knockoffs look like gym shoes, but with wheel sockets in each heel. They can be used for walking, but the wheels pop out when users shift their weight to their heels.

Balancing on the wheels can be tricky, especially for novices. In the Irish study, most injuries were in new users and occurred when kids fell backward while trying to transfer their body weight.

Dr. Leon Benson of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare in Evanston, Illinois, recalled treating a 9-year-old girl who'd had her Heelys for just a week when she fell and broke both wrists.

Nine-year-old Noah Woelfel of Davidsonville, Maryland, wasn't a novice but still tripped and fell, breaking several fingers and wrist bones in his right hand last year.

"All it took was a tiny piece of gravel in the driveway that went up in the wheel and stopped him cold," said his mother, Nancy. "He required surgery and pins, and he was six weeks without using his hand, right at the beginning of school."

She threw the removable wheels away and said other parents should know about the risks.

Dr. Dominic Catanese, a foot specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, said balancing on heels can strain feet and Achilles tendons. He has treated several Heelys-related ankle injuries and won't let his 7-year-old daughter have the shoes.

"She wants them. Not happening. Just like I took away her trampoline" after reading about trampoline injuries. "It went right to Goodwill," Catanese said.

Heelys in April said a study it commissioned shows that their shoes have a safer injury rate than skateboarding, inline skating and even swimming.

The shoes are sold with safety information including a recommendation to wear protective gear.

The company says it has shipped more than 10 million pairs since their introduction in 2000. Heelys reported first-quarter income of $8.5 million, five times higher than last year.

Still, some walkers find heelers who zip in and out of crowds a nuisance, and many schools and shopping malls have banned them.

Kelly Ford, 14, used to cruise down the halls of her Chicago grammar school in Heelys — a practice that led teachers to confiscate some kids' wheels.

Now a high school freshman, Ford has outgrown her Heelys. She said kids who wear them won't pay much attention to safety warnings.

"I don't think any kid is going to want to wear a helmet to school," Ford said.

She thinks Heelys are being unfairly targeted.

"It's just like, let your kid have fun. I think they're fine," Ford said.

[storeclerk]

As a grocery store worker, I have a different perspective than many of the parents who see nothing wrong with their kids wearing wheeled shoes in stores. The issue of the safety of these shoes is not just about whether your kids can stay on their feet and avoid crashing into customers. It's their unpredictability. When these kids suddenly and unexpectedly shoot across the floor, it creates a dangerous situation. How would you like them shooting across your kitchen floor while you're cooking dinner? At least you have the advantage of knowing your kids have the shoes.

[apdepetris]

My almost 7 yr. old daughter has a pair of Heelys. We got them for her last year for her birthday. She loves them. We had her practice on our hardwood floor in the living room holding onto the sofa until she got good at it. Now she can skate around with no problems and has even taught several other kids in the neighborhood how to use theirs. She loves to wear them at the mall and the supermarket. I always remind her to be careful of other people and would certainly make her apologize if she did ever run into anyone (which she never has).

My husband and I also purchase Heelys for ourselves. If anyone thinks these things are not exercise then they are wrong. We wore them to a skating rink for a kids birthday party my daughter was invited to, and let me tell you my legs were sore the next day from Heelying around the rink (and I work out regularly).

I think they are great and aren't any more dangerous than any other wheeled toy - skateboard, bike, or roller skates - and I see plenty of kids on all those items without any protective gear. Like anything else, you need to learn how to do it and not go full on until you've practiced. And kids that slam into people and don't apologize; well that the parents' fault for not teaching their child properly and the same thing would happen if they were running around in regular sneakers.

[j_flood]

We have a corner shop here in Ireland. Kids come in with the heelys, inlines and skateboards. For liability reasons we don't allow them in the shop. I was surprised to read the excerpt about the number of accidents seen in the Irish hospital. We haven't seen any reports in the Irish media. Glad to see we're on the right track banning them in our shop. I've never seen a child wearing protective equipment with heelys.

[mkbjon]

All it took was one episode of "Scarred" on MTV to dissuade my children from most wheeled thingies. To see the injuries that result from not wearing protective gear and crazy stunts is a great educator. I still cringe when thinking about some of the things I've seen.

[jolsonbear]

Here's a simple solution for those of us annoyed by kids in stores with wheels on their heels. Please note that this only works in stores with shopping carts.
Get behind one of them and "accidentally" run into thier ankels with your shopping cart. I tried it in Walmart the other day and bagged three of them....it was liberating.

[toolmangler-2009]

As a young man I was a Semi-Pro Rollerskater. Not good enough to compete at the top level but still good enough to wow the girls. I still have my skates and can still get around on the rink very nicely, thank you. My current age has slowed me somewhat and the risk of a bad break of my legs or back is enough to make me cautious but not to make me quit and I still ride my motorcycle also. You parents who have given your kids, wheelies without teaching them how to be careful and responsible are asking for a bad injury to your progeny. Please use common sense and realize that young people generally do not have common sense till they survive something that could kill or injure them. Kids, have fun but 'strive to stay alive'.

[michellem99-2009]

I hate skateboards.I have not heard of the fancy foot wear that is a fad. I can hear skate boards. I tell em be careful.They can spill easy as the side walks are not level.I as a blind person do say sorry if I bump into a person. I feel it don't help if one tell em where to go as rudeness is not the answer.It is my business to use manners and care about the next person and not me. That fat person as one postee said, maybe a person who can't walk but would like to. Mary -61 get a book on manners please. The issue here is bad parenting. I don't like brats. Some adults are brats as well. I am 52.

[toolmangler-2009]

The best way to prevent injuries from this type device is a liberal coat of 'super-glue' on the bearings.

[sjw1253]

I believe that I saw Charla wearing these (on The Amazing Race) a few times. I recall seeing Myrna pulling her along - especially in the airport...

Pretty nifty. My mind would live to see me do this too - but being 53 and disabled - I know it is totally unrealistic for me...

[mary-61]

Well as far as being run over by kids on Heeley's that is first of all the parents fault for not controlling their kids. But I can definitely say that I have been hit more than once by an elderly person or just a fat lazy person in the wheel chairs that stores provide. Should we ban them too. One old guy even used that as a chance to grab my rear.
I can't believe how filthy mouthed some of you people are on here. If 'ms38654ob' came up to me in the store talking as he is on here I'd turn him in for his foul language. And if he spoke to my child like that there would be another offense.
The issue of the Heeley's is as 'lorint' said. there is a learning curve, and a parent that buys his/her child anything with wheels should realize that. But a kid can get hurt just as easily walking along in regular shoes. Trust me I know kids will be kids and they goof around. You as a parent have to be a responsible person and teach your kids how and when to use them. My kids have Heeleys and we haven't had a problem because my kids are respectful and they're athletic to begin with. They know there are dangers with any sport. If you outlaw Heeley's then outlaw the electric scooters such as the neibhbor kids ride in and out of traffic with out looking, and the wheelchairs in the stores, and the golf carts people use to get around and that young children drive with little or no training. Adults have stopped being responsible for raising RESPONSIBLE children. That is the issue.