Chez Chesler

Boy wearing 'heelies' hit, killed - The Boston Globe

[Sergeant Steven A. ] Brown said police will also investigate whether Carmichael's footgear was a factor. Known as heelies, the sneakers have wheels in the heel that allow wearers to glide when they want to. The sneakers have been banned by many school districts around the nation due to safety concerns.

And it was all over the television news this morning, various pediatricians noting how dangerous they are, although I see that by late today the Bridgewater Chieof of Police said they were not a factor. Did anybody think Heelies were supposed to protect you in the event you got hit by a car? My 9-year-old is into his second pair. (He wore down the heel of his front-foot shoe on the first pair.) They're expensive (no more than many sneakers) but well made. I've never seen anyone pick up any particular speed with them, nor build up speed like a traditional skater. Apparently it's fun, and it's different enough to bug the over-thirties (which I must be, several times over, to remember when that was too old to be trusted), but given that they're slower and less efficient than running, and not AFAIK suitable for acrobatics or inclines like boards or skates, I don't see them as any more than a passing fad.