Heelys is a brand of roller shoes

Roller shoes

Roller shoes have wheels slightly protruding. With some brands the wearer can alternate between walking and rolling fairly easily. The shoes are usually available in the children's shoe section of department stores or online from sporting goods websites....

 (marketed by Heelys, Inc.

Heelys, Inc.

Heelys, Inc. , formerly known as Heeling Sports Limited, is the company which currently owns the Heelys, Soap, and Axis brands...

) that have one or more wheel

Wheel

A wheel is a device that allows heavy objects to be moved easily through rotating on an axle through its center, facilitating movement or transportation while supporting a load, or performing labor in machines. Common examples found in transport applications. A wheel, together with an axle,...

s embedded in each sole, similar to inline skates

Inline skates

In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...

. Thus, the wearer can 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. Generally, "Heeling" is a form of skating, and as such may not be allowed in some places, including school

School

A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...

s, some amusement park

Amusement park

thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...

s, stores

Retailing

Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...

 and zoo

Zoo

A zoological garden, zoological park, menagerie, or zoo is a facility in which animals are confined within enclosures, displayed to the public, and in which they may also be bred....

s. In February 2007, Yeovil Town Council

Yeovil

Yeovil is a town and civil parish in south Somerset, England. The parish had a population of 27,949 at the 2001 census, although the wider urban area had a population of 42,140...

 were the first English council to ban their use.

Roger Adams patented Heelys in late 2000.

Injuries

The journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics

American Academy of Pediatrics

The American Academy of Pediatrics is the major professional association of pediatricians in the United States. The AAP was founded in 1930 by 35 pediatricians to address pediatric healthcare standards. It currently has 60,000 members in primary care and sub-specialist areas...

 published a study of injuries resulting from the use of Heelys (and Street Gliders, a similar product that is strapped on to 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 the United States, nonfatal dog bites required 151 emergency department visits per 100,000 population (including adults).
• Injuries ranged from dislocations to displaced arm fractures (including one patient with this injury in both arms).
• 38% of the injuries requiring hospital admission and general anesthesia to manipulate fractured bones.
• 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

Although the manufacturer says, "While protective gear is not required, we highly recommend its use when the wheels are in the shoes," most users do not wear such gear, largely because these shoes are worn for everyday use (unlike more specialized sporting equipment such as inline skates

Inline skates

In-line skates are a type of roller skate used for inline skating. Unlike quad skates, which have two front and two rear wheels, inline skates have two, three, four, or five wheels arranged in a single line...

).

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: flatland 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 on to a raised object and pausing before jumping off and heeling once more.

• Vert - any type of tricks performed on a vert ramp
  Vert ramp
  A vert ramp is a form of half-pipe used in "extreme sports" such as skateboarding.Another form of half-pipe is the mini ramp.Vert ramps are so named because they transition from a horizontal plane to a vertical wall....
  
  .