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| Having a wheel of a time | Having a wheel of a time |
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| By Claire Heald BBC News They're trainers that leave adults slack-jawed as children shoot past on the pavement. Heelys - shoes with built-in wheels - were a summer holiday hit and look set to be a Christmas must-have. | By Claire Heald BBC News They're trainers that leave adults slack-jawed as children shoot past on the pavement. Heelys - shoes with built-in wheels - were a summer holiday hit and look set to be a Christmas must-have. |
| Across the shiny floors of shopping centres or the flat tarmac of playgrounds, children nonchalantly whiz along at speed. | Across the shiny floors of shopping centres or the flat tarmac of playgrounds, children nonchalantly whiz along at speed. |
| One foot in front of the other, they go gliding past without the merest hint of a flexing muscle; their shoes seemingly lifted off the ground on a wafer-thin cushion of air. | One foot in front of the other, they go gliding past without the merest hint of a flexing muscle; their shoes seemingly lifted off the ground on a wafer-thin cushion of air. |
| Observing adults invariably are left rubbing their eyes in bemusement. Roller skates are one thing, but how can one slide so effortlessly on an ordinary pair of trainers? | Observing adults invariably are left rubbing their eyes in bemusement. Roller skates are one thing, but how can one slide so effortlessly on an ordinary pair of trainers? |
| Sneaky: the wheels are almost hiddenHeelys, shoes with small wheels in the heel, were the hit toy of the summer holidays. The very idea might sound precarious, but when did the thought of a grazed knee deter a thrill-seeking child? | Sneaky: the wheels are almost hiddenHeelys, shoes with small wheels in the heel, were the hit toy of the summer holidays. The very idea might sound precarious, but when did the thought of a grazed knee deter a thrill-seeking child? |
| Any adult slipping on a pair of these shoes can't help but be guarded. | Any adult slipping on a pair of these shoes can't help but be guarded. |
| How do kids heel? A four-step guide | |
| The technique and balance take a while to master. | The technique and balance take a while to master. |
| For starters, try sliding a foot into a Heely, and it suddenly darts out across the floor. | For starters, try sliding a foot into a Heely, and it suddenly darts out across the floor. |
| Stand up, and there is a bit of a wobble. While the shoes are fairly heavy and broad, aiding balance, there's no avoiding the two wheels sticking out of either heel.I gingerly attempt a few steps and slowly it becomes apparent my feet are not about to fly out from underneath me. Even stairs become navigable. | Stand up, and there is a bit of a wobble. While the shoes are fairly heavy and broad, aiding balance, there's no avoiding the two wheels sticking out of either heel.I gingerly attempt a few steps and slowly it becomes apparent my feet are not about to fly out from underneath me. Even stairs become navigable. |
| Practised "heelers" such as Rebecca Henehan, say it's then just a short learning curve to gliding along at 10mph, letting the wheels do the work. | Practised "heelers" such as Rebecca Henehan, say it's then just a short learning curve to gliding along at 10mph, letting the wheels do the work. |
| Watch Rebecca heel | Watch Rebecca heel |
| However, preferring to keep my ankles out of plaster cast, I'm willing just to take 11-year-old Rebecca's word for this. She says the attraction to Heelys comes in their speed, freedom and the shock value to passers-by. | However, preferring to keep my ankles out of plaster cast, I'm willing just to take 11-year-old Rebecca's word for this. She says the attraction to Heelys comes in their speed, freedom and the shock value to passers-by. |
| "Shops with shiny floors and the airport are amazing," she says. "It feels like you are ice-skating in a big rink, you can go on one wheel, or backwards. | "Shops with shiny floors and the airport are amazing," she says. "It feels like you are ice-skating in a big rink, you can go on one wheel, or backwards. |
| "I like them because lots of people stare at me or ask what's in the bottom, some think I'm floating. They take off their glasses as if they think they're seeing things. | "I like them because lots of people stare at me or ask what's in the bottom, some think I'm floating. They take off their glasses as if they think they're seeing things. |
| How does she do it? Each shoe has one, or a pair of wheels in the back. Lift the toes and the wheels engage to slide. To stop, the heeler drags the back of the heel down, like a stopper on a roller-skate, or at higher speed, runs forward out of the slide. | How does she do it? Each shoe has one, or a pair of wheels in the back. Lift the toes and the wheels engage to slide. To stop, the heeler drags the back of the heel down, like a stopper on a roller-skate, or at higher speed, runs forward out of the slide. |
| Christmas list demand | Christmas list demand |
| Thanks to advertising on children's TV and playground peer pressure, Heelys will be high on Christmas wish-lists this year. | Thanks to advertising on children's TV and playground peer pressure, Heelys will be high on Christmas wish-lists this year. |
| Sales in the UK have increased more than a thousand-fold since 2004. This year, an estimated 250,000 will be sold. In the US, where, surprise, surprise, Heelys were invented, they notched up sales figures of $28.5m for the first six months of 2006. | Sales in the UK have increased more than a thousand-fold since 2004. This year, an estimated 250,000 will be sold. In the US, where, surprise, surprise, Heelys were invented, they notched up sales figures of $28.5m for the first six months of 2006. |
| All the guys in the studio use Heelys 'cause they're big kids London office-workerKeira McMinn | All the guys in the studio use Heelys 'cause they're big kids London office-workerKeira McMinn |
| Heelys Dealers, the British importer of this patented footwear, has struggled to keep up with rising demand. Over the summer, shops sold out of all but the smallest and largest sizes, despite the hefty price tag - £55 - £100. | Heelys Dealers, the British importer of this patented footwear, has struggled to keep up with rising demand. Over the summer, shops sold out of all but the smallest and largest sizes, despite the hefty price tag - £55 - £100. |
| "As soon as one influential child in the playground gets a pair, all the children want to get a pair," says director Charles Allen. | "As soon as one influential child in the playground gets a pair, all the children want to get a pair," says director Charles Allen. |
| The company is constantly fighting its patent against cheap Chinese versions in Asia. | The company is constantly fighting its patent against cheap Chinese versions in Asia. |
| Wheels of ire | |
| And, as with the mini-scooter craze of the late '90s, Heelys have even won a following with big kids, who perhaps should know better. | And, as with the mini-scooter craze of the late '90s, Heelys have even won a following with big kids, who perhaps should know better. |
| "We've got one of those big warehouses so all the guys in the studio use Heelys," says Keira McMinn, of Bright PR. "It's 'cause they're big kids." | "We've got one of those big warehouses so all the guys in the studio use Heelys," says Keira McMinn, of Bright PR. "It's 'cause they're big kids." |
| Not everyone's a fan though. Complaints from frazzled, elderly shoppers have already prompted some supermarkets to ban children seeking the shiniest of floors to practise on. | Not everyone's a fan though. Complaints from frazzled, elderly shoppers have already prompted some supermarkets to ban children seeking the shiniest of floors to practise on. |
| Schools too are sending out "no Heelys" notes to parents. And, inevitably, perhaps, doctors have warned there's a risk of injury if you travel in them faster than running speed. They even say the shoe's structure could have an impact on young bones and tendons. | Schools too are sending out "no Heelys" notes to parents. And, inevitably, perhaps, doctors have warned there's a risk of injury if you travel in them faster than running speed. They even say the shoe's structure could have an impact on young bones and tendons. |
| Heeling may take the fearlessness of the young, or the recklessness of the old to master, but the appeal of being able to wheel at a moment's notice may bring out the child in all of us. | |
| HOW TO HEEL 1. Heelys have one wheel in the heel, or two for beginners2. To start: lift toes to tilt foot back and engage the wheelsKick off, and put one foot behind the other to glide about3. Balance and technique can take a while to perfect4. To stop: drag the heel down or run forward out of the slide | HOW TO HEEL 1. Heelys have one wheel in the heel, or two for beginners2. To start: lift toes to tilt foot back and engage the wheelsKick off, and put one foot behind the other to glide about3. Balance and technique can take a while to perfect4. To stop: drag the heel down or run forward out of the slide |
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Add your comments on this story, using the form below. | Add your comments on this story, using the form below. |