Mozi Esmé: Review: Heelys

-by Esmé, age 4.

These are my new super duper Heelys. See that wheel on the bottom? Those wheels work GREAT on the carpet. I’m not sure what we’re doing out here on the concrete. Without kneepads and elbow pads and helmet? Scaaarrrry…

Oh – you want pictures? OK…

Now, let’s get to the REAL business at hand – cheerleading! Good thing those shoelaces match my pompoms. Give me an H! Give me an E! E-L-Y-S! Wahoo!

Synopsis:

Heelys Hx2 has two removable wheels in each shoe, making it ideal for younger kids and beginners. Not only is it easier to maintain balance, but the Hx2 also does not require as much leg strength to lift up your toes to skate. When you get the hang of skating, convert the Hx2 into a normal pair of Heelys by removing the front wheel. Pull out both wheels, and the Hx2 becomes a normal pair of street shoes.

Heelys are the original shoes with wheels in the heels that allow the user to transition from a walk to a roll by shifting weight to the heel. Users can also transform Heelys into street shoes by removing the wheels.

Exclusively for Heelys footwear, Nano is the first ever inline footboard. Nano provides a stable platform for your front foot, keeping your free boot free to build momentum, carve sharp turns and perform a wide variety of tricks. It combines the speed of a skateboard with the stealth and maneuverability of Heelys to create a whole new skate experience.

Recommended Age: Whatever! Heelys has got the kid in you covered, no matter how ancient your age. (You probably wanna wait til your kids are walking and can fit into elbow/knee pads and follow basic safety rules – sizes start about 12C Youth depending on product.)

Price: Varies by product; ~$47 and up. Esmé reviewed the Wave shoes, which retail for $60; some are cheaper, some are more.

For More Info/To Purchase:

What Esmé Liked:

The shoelaces. It’s all about fashion for this little girl… They have scads of PINK options in their Fall/Winter 2011 collection that princesses will enjoy.
Walking on her toes. She’s a pro at using her toes now.
Carpet friction. She was nervous on regular flooring/concrete – and so was Mom! We need to find an area where she can practice hanging on to the walls. I guess you could say these are all the fun - and risk - as regular skates/blades. If you’re a beginner, check out the Hx2 model for an easier start.

What Mom Liked:

Videos. Don’t have a clue what you’re doing? There are videos on Heelys’ site to teach you the ropes, including how-tos on “Heeling.”
Easy wheel installation. I admit it – I had no clue how to pop those wheels in when I opened the Heelys’ box for the first time. Once I figured it out, it was a piece of cake.
Durability. The pair we reviewed were made of synthetic leather and look like they should last a while. Not recommended, but they did just fine on the walk through our lawn to get to concrete. We got a size large for Esmé, but they fit snugly top-to-bottom so she can wear them now with no problem and still fit her (hopefully) a year from now.
Fun. As mentioned, these are all the fun – and risk – as standard skates.
Sizes. I seriously need to get my own pair. Talk about a fun way to incorporate exercise in your day.

Thanks to Heelys for providing the shoes for review and to Business2Blogger for coordinating the review. We are not being paid for this review, and all opinions are our own…