Testing The Heelys!

As a pair of sneakers, the Heelys are comfortable enough to wear. Granted, I don't usually wear sneakers but they are really comfortable.

You won't really notice the presence of the wheel as there is enough padding between the inner sole and the wheel bay. Incidentally, the inner sole is replaceable so you can buy a new one once it gets worn out or if you just want a better one.

There is just one little thing you need to remember during your first moments with your Heelys.. NEVER LEAD WITH YOUR HEEL!

When I walk with normal shoes, I always land heel first. That's part of the natural gait for everyone. So, when I wore my Heelys for the first time, I felt like I had to either land toe first or feet flat. My wife says I look funny walking like that. I don't know... Isn't this how women walk when they are wearing heels?

Anyway, the reason I put the warning in BOLD letters is that if you do land heels first, more often than not, it'll be the wheel that hits the ground. The moment your weight shifts to that foot, the wheel will cause your shoe to slip out from under you!

I had that happen to me a few times during my first week of wearing these shoes but not anymore! Once you are used to your Heelys, you should be walking and running as usual... Well.. not quite like normal shoes but you will be less aware that you have a wheel in your shoe.

The reason why you can stand firm with a pair of Heelys on a sloped surface is that the rest of the shoe is gripping the surface and thus keeping the shoe from moving. But if there is ever a situation where you should loose contact with the rest of the shoe (i.e. if you step into a HOLE and the WHEEL is the only thing touching the ground), your foot WILL slip! So, you need to be careful of where you plant your foot.

Luckily, part of the heel behind the wheel is designed so that if you arched your feet too much, it'll catch hold of the surface. It will also serve as a braking mechanism when you're heeling. But I find that it also serves as a fail-safe mechanism that stops you from doing a split accidentally.

The wheels do not have any sort of suspension system so you will feel bumps on the surfaces you roll over. Rolling over freshly tarred roads actually makes your feet feel like they are on a massager.