Do people really think roller-shoes don’t come with risks? Let’s see, we’ll put a wheel inside of kids’ shoes and no one will get hurt! Have you seen the warning from The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons? They’re recommending helmets, wrist protectors and knee and elbow pads for kids who wear wheeled shoes. Heely’s is one of the most popular makers of these shoes. It’s become such a big market that it recently landed atop BusinessWeek’s annual list of fastest growing companies.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports from September 2005 through December 2006, one person died and at least 64 others were hurt because of the roller-shoes.
Want to get these shoes for your children? Listen to nine-year-old Noah Woelfel’s story. The Maryland child tripped and fell, breaking several fingers and wrist bones in his right hand last year.
Of course, you’ll find a safety warning on the shoebox warning children should use wear protective gear. But do kids and parents actually follow that advice? Kids aren’t going to willingly wear all of that garb while going to the mall or school. Many of those places are actually banning heeleys.
My thought, we all did a lot of crazy and unsafe things when we were kids and survived. Sure, we have a couple of scars and even some crooked fingers because of it but again, we survived. Let kids be kids, most parents know the implied threat of injury when they purchase these shoes. If you buy them, just be prepared for a potential trip to the emergency room.
Not only are they dangerous. They are annoying as hell. I’d like to be able to walk around the mall with Amara with *out* being run down by some kid on Heelys not being watched by their parent… Bitter.
amara’s mom – actually when i was in target the other day, two little girls zipped by me and almost hit me in the process.