“Heeling” Threatens Child Safety

June 2007

Parents – if your child likes to wear Heelys, other roller shoes, or strap-on wheels, beware of the dangerous results. The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has issued new safety recommendations for “heeling,” the practice of using wheeled sneakers. The medical organization advises all parents that heeling requires wearing a helmet along with wrist, knee, and elbow pads to ensure adequate safety.

In the space of 15 months, the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission recorded 64 injuries related to heeling, as well as one death. The worldwide phenomenon of heeling has seen similarly hazardous numbers from other countries such as Ireland and Singapore.

The seemingly plain sneakers are named after the pop-out wheels contained in their heels, used by wearers to glide instead of walk. In newly emerging studies, results find that most injuries occur when children lean backwards to shift their weight, and fall to the ground. Currently, heeling is banned in many schools and shopping malls across the country.