One minute they are walking by, just some kids on their way to hanging out at the park. The next thing you know, they glide before your very eyes, as if supernaturally moving on a smooth wave. No, wait … they’re walking again.
This recent optical illusion of sorts has been turning the heads of many in Snohomish County who are unaware of what might well be the coolest new footwear trend to hit the Northwest since Birkenstocks.
Heelys, sneakers with a removable hidden wheel in each heel, allow “heelers” to walk and then glide, as if by magic.
“It’s a shoe that allows you to walk and run then lift your toe to transition you to skating,” said Mike Staffaroni, chief executive and president of Heely’s parent company in Dallas.
Heelys took off when they were introduced in 2000.
“We are just starting to crack through up in the Northwest,” Staffaroni said.
The super-smooth sneakers were invented by Tacoma’s Roger Adams, who got the idea after watching kids in California glide by on rollerblades and skateboards.
Adams had been a “skate brat,” even making the Guinness Book of Records at nine months old. He was the youngest person ever to skate.
Years later, when Adams was going through a divorce and was bankrupt, he figured there must be something new he could dream up. He began working on an idea that became Heelys.
“There are parts of the country, like the Northwest, that are discovering it for the first time,” Staffaroni said. “We’re spreading the word coast to coast.”
The shoes were first introduced in Southern California and Florida. From there they have been selling in stores and outlets throughout the United States and around the world, with representatives in 60 countries.
“Through the mid-part of this year we had shipped about 5 million pairs since we began,” Staffaroni said.
The shoes are for kids to size 13, and adults going up to a size 12. The sneakers are popular with celebrities such as singer Usher and basketball star Shaquille O’Neal – whose custom Heelys are a size 22.
People are always asking Forrest Anton-Erik about his Heelys. His mother, Aliina Anton-Erik of Everett, says that folks check them out, especially if her son is out shopping with her.
“He can zip around and pick things up,” Anton-Erik said. “I tell him ‘Go get pop,’ and he’ll come back with pop.”
Staffaroni says that kids feel a certain sense of accomplishment when they learn to glide on their Heelys. There are several tricks and turns to get the hang of once people have mastered the walk-and-glide routine.
Forrest knows all about those moves. The 7-year-old second-grade student at Jackson Elementary School has become a Heelys pro since getting his shoes at Christmas.
“I’m learning how to spin,” Forrest said.
But when Forrest goes to school he must walk, not spin or glide.
According to Mary Waggoner, Everett Public Schools spokeswoman, Heelys are not allowed in school. Roller skates, skateboards, bicycles and Heelys can be a danger in crowded school hallways, she said.
Students can do what Forrest will if he wears the sneakers to school: put the plug in it. That way, Heelys are regular sneakers.
The Heelys company does give out information that warns people about how to safely use the product.
“It is a wheel,” Staffaroni said. “A lot of people think you can put it on and fly across the room. We do advise protective gear.”
Forrest first wore his shoes at home and practiced gliding on the wood floors. He had some shin discomfort but that passed. He got the basic glide down by putting one foot in front of the other and pointing his toe upward.
“I think they are a great toy,” Anton-Erik said. “They keep them physically active and that’s good up against a handheld toy. I like that he’s getting exercise.”
The wheels in Forrest’s shoes are wearing out but that’s not a problem. Sounding like a confident grown-up, ready to buy another vehicle, he knows what to do.
“That’s OK,” Forrest said. “I can order new wheels.”
Christina Harper is a local freelance writer. She can be reached at harper@heraldnet.com.
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