I’m not a fan of the wheeled shoe. Maybe I’m prejudiced because I was almost run over by a kid on Heelys, in of all places, the library. When he whizzed by me I wasn’t exactly sure what the heck was going on. A few days later I had another encounter at the mall. I was still confused. Initially I thought the kids were on roller skates. A few days later while talking to another parent I found out about the whole Heelys revolution. Shortly after that conversation Tyler somehow found out about them and decided he wanted to get a pair. I quickly vetoed his request.
After my initial introduction to the Heelys it seemed like everywhere I turned some kid was rolling around on a pair. I don’t think they should be allowed in a public place but apparently it does not seem to be an issue for some establishments.
Although I wouldn’t purchase a pair, if you are a parent who’s considering buying a pair, pediatricians are issuing a warning. Dr. Gregory Sonnen, a pediatrician at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas reports that he and his colleagues are seeing at least one or two broken bones a month because of these wheeled shoes. “The problem with the wheeled shoes is that parents are buying them as casual footwear,” he said.
Many pediatricians are recommending that these shoes are treated like a skateboard or rollerblades and not as everyday shoe wear. “When your child is wearing their wheeled-shoes they should also wear their safety equipment as well. If we look at them as a piece of sporting good equipment I think people will be safer. However, if we look at them as a casual shoe as most people do, I think we’re going to continue to see a lot of injuries from accidents on wheeled shoes,” explains Dr. Sonnen.
Sonnen also reports that most injuries are to the wrist and elbow but pediatricians and some parents are most concerned about the potential for head injuries. When wearing wheeled shoes, make sure your kids always wear helmets. Finally, parents should keep in mind that most injuries occur during the first week while kids are learning to wear them so parents should especially make sure they are well-protected during this time.
See also:
Nine Ways to Prevent Sports Injuries
Preventing Unintentional Childhood Injuries