Wheeled shoes can be harmless fun
I find it startling and a bit strange to see young children skating around stores these days. They are able to skate in what look like regular shoes, because the shoes have wheels in the heels. When a child suddenly starts to skate, they dart about quickly and I can’t tell where they are heading.
Now, they don’t realistically go terribly fast, and obviously don’t have to wear helmets. But how safe is this? They are “heeling,” because of a popular brand name for shoes with wheels in the heels. If yo do a little research, you find out that these wheel shoes are a big reason why kids end up in the emergency room these days.
The trend is actually very dangerous. Kids on wheels without helmets on just equates to potential for serious head injury.
Part of the problem is speed, but that’s not all there is to worry about. There’s also the problem of navigation. It’s hard to steer in these things, and if a child is heeling through a mall sooner or later they are going to run into something!
These wheeled shoes commonly result in broken bones and dislocated joints. When you start to fall, what do you do? You put your arm out to catch yourself. Wrist and lower arm breaks are very common with these. Elbow dislocations are also common and very dangerous, as are skull fractures.
My next statement might surprise you but I would ask you to stop and consider for a moment. Watch some children, especially younger children, who are wearing these shoes in a crowded setting. Think about this before you buy these shoes.
Kids don’t know to watch out for other people. That’s not a parenting issue, it is just the normal self-absorption of young kids.
The problem is, children in these shoes scoot and dart around other people. When they do this around those with mobility issues, or elderly people who don’t move quickly, it can spell disaster. You can have other people who, by virtue of being unable to move out of the way, can get hurt themselves and can constitute a hazard for the heeling child.
Wheeled shoes can be harmless fun. But, there are problems with these shoes as well. Do your research before you decide whether they are a toy you want for your own child.
