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Susan Schwartz

Schools across the territory have banned the latest teen craze - roller sneakers - amid safety fears and concerns they force wearers to walk with a 'Frankenstein-like gait'.

Physiotherapists warned against the damage caused by Heelys, which are trainer shoes with a detachable wheel in the heel.

In a recent Hong Kong International School newsletter, Upper Primary principal Bruce Kelsh asked parents not to allow their children to bring the shoes to school for safety reasons.

'These shoes are quite heavy, not very flexible, and create a Frankenstein-like gait for those wearing them,' he wrote.

He was also concerned about students falling over.

English Schools Foundation human resources director John Tustin said they were a safety hazard, especially near steps.

'We will not permit them in the school and would advise parents against them,' Mr Tustin said.

'It's another passing fad and an expensive one at that.'

Retailing at $798 or $898, Heelys were invented by Texan Roger Adams.

Hong Kong company Amazing Marketing Limited began supplying Heelys to shops in October last year, when only four stores stocked the range, and already the number of outlets has increased to 29.

Amazing Marketing assistant manager Cherry Wu insisted the shoes were safe. 'It is easy to stop heeling by just putting your foot down and provided they wear helmets and protective pads there shouldn't be a problem,' Ms Wu said.

Promotional material from the company says that heeling is a 'good aerobic exercise that boosts cardiovascular fitness and works the lateral muscles in the legs'.

An Education Department spokeswoman said many schools had banned the shoes but the decision was made on an individual basis and not dictated by the government.

Matilda Hospital physiotherapy manager Terence Chau Kam-ho said roller sneakers forced wearers to keep their toes up while their heels were on the ground, which could cause traction injuries. 'Young people have bad flexibility because the rate of muscle growth is slower than bone,' Mr Chau said.

'This means that tension creates extra stress on the calf muscle and can lead to Sever's disease, which is a traction injury at the back of the heel caused by an inflammation between the bones.

'In addition, when you lift the toes up you are not using the proper place for weight bearing, which increases the tension point of the heels - it is not a normal gait pattern and you can lose balance easily.'

Hong Kong Polytechnic University rehabilitation sciences Professor Christina Hui-Chan said teenagers were susceptible to problems if they continued to move their natural body alignment while wearing the shoes.

'[Roller sneakers] are such a new thing that nothing has really been proven yet but theoretically the body's centre of mass should be between your arch,' she said.

A Consumer Council spokesman said it was studying the safety aspects of the shoes but had not received any complaints.

'People have to take precautions - wear safety gear such as helmets and knee protectors and avoid pedestrian areas or vehicles, much like in-line skating or scooters, where they also need to have skills to keep their balance,' the spokesman said.



Schools try to put brakes on roller-sneaker craze