What are HEELIES or HEELYS ?
Heelies are shoes that allow the rider to immediately transition from walking and running to rolling just by transitioning their stance. Heelies are relatively new and were introduced in 2000.
Heelies shoes are high quality street shoe that have a single removable wheel in the heel of each shoe. The wheels have a very low profile and can be kept in place while walking or running. The rider assumes a stance balanced on their heels to begin rolling. To stop, the rider simply puts the front of their shoes down or uses the heel to brake.
Learning to "heel" takes a little practice, but generally speaking, it's about as easy to learn as skateboarding. The most important thing is maintaining a balanced stance. Once this can be done, it's difficult to fall under normal circumstances. However, as with all riding devices, appropriate safety gear should be worn.
The shoes are made to last. The outside of the shoes are made of double or triple stitched materials, designed to handle the wear and tear of daily use. The soles of the shoes are made of an ultra-durable rubber that is more resistant to wear than usual street shoes. Newer models include a heel that is extra thick, to last through all the braking.
As far as comfort goes, Heelys are designed to be comfortable enough to wear all day long, all week long. Heelys are not stiff like the wheeled shoes you find in toy stores. Heelys flex like regular shoes. Don't worry about excessive pressure on the heel since the wheel is held in place by a large bracketing system that distributes the pressure across the back of the foot. Heelys also have extra-thick cushioning and even incorporates gel or sorbothane insoles to give you a soft walk and a smooth ride.
The wheels are designed for performance. The most technical and tested part of the shoes are the wheels. Heelys use custom wheels designed for long, smooth rides. The treads are made of a unique urethane that is durable enough to resist wear, yet flexible enough to absorb some of the shock from the road. Heelys use high-performance micro-bearings to provide a long, smooth ride. The bearings are shielded to reduce the maintenance requirements, and reinforced to handle extreme jumps and tricks. The wheels can be easily removed if you are not going to be rolling for a while, and are small enough to fit in a pocket.
Freedom is the ability to roll where you never could roll before. Freedom is a wheel in your sole...