Popular Heelys don’t have to be dangerous

Part of the fun of being a kid is wearing things that leave adults scratching their heads.

Heelys, a brand of shoes that with a flip of a toe become skates, are one of those things.

Just ask Clayton Nobles, 8, of Carlisle, Pa.

While Clayton thinks “it’s cool to grind on pipes and stuff,” his mom, Heather Marks, said the first few times her son wore wheeled shoes, she nearly had a heart attack.

The shoes, which look like skateboard shoes, boots or sneakers, have a wheel roughly the size of a skateboard wheel in each heel. The wheels can be lowered or raised at will, allowing wearers to skate or walk.

Marks said she’s grown accustomed to seeing her son and his friends gliding around, toes pointed upward, knees locked.

“It helps him exercise,” she said. “He’s not sitting playing video games. And I like them better than his skateboard. He’s never gotten hurt with Heelys, but he tore up his leg on his skateboard.”

The medical center in Clayton’s town recently brought in professional Heely-wearing stunters to teach kids how to glide safely.

Dr. Elise Nelsen, who practices podiatry and sports medicine, said the shoes, if used improperly, can lead to sprains, strains and fractures. Wheeled shoes should be laced tight, with the laces tucked inside, and safety equipment should be worn at all times, she said.

“You should treat them as if you had roller skates or Rollerblades on,” Nelsen said.

That was the same advice Joe Edison, a member of the Heelys team, offered the crowd of mostly 8- to 12-year-old boys gathered to watch him perform.

In addition to his brown bootlike Heelys, he wore a full set of pads and a helmet.

“There’s Heely etiquette,” Edison said. “Don’t do it in an area where it’s crowded because you need to make wide turns.”

A number of public places, including grocery stores and malls, have banned their use inside. Many schools prohibit students from wearing wheeled shoes.

Danny Heckendorn of Newville, Pa., said he saw a kid hustled out of a Wal-Mart because he wouldn’t stop skating around the store.

His two sons, Danny Jr., 12, and Branden, 10, aren’t allowed to own a pair, he said. Mom’s orders.

Dad, for his part, said the shoes are “a cool idea.”

“I think if they use sense with them, they’re OK,” he said.