After working as a vendor at Home Depot I would have never thought I’d be signing up for a chance to wear those wicked wheeled shoes…but like any shiny toy I couldn’t resist the temptation. After all I don’t have kids, but my readers usually do, and Heely’s are the thing. So in the name of research I strapped them on and gave it a go.
Given my choice of colors I opted for a pretty black and pink pair of in the Wave style. They don’t come in a wide width, which I anticipated being an issue so I ordered a half size bigger than normal. Which seems to have done a decent job of fitting my wide foot, and yet not being too long. They don’t put undue pressure on the top of my foot, where I have a weird bony part sticking up…which is a common problem. Not a big fan of skater shoes, but these are cute and fun to wear.
Being willing to let go and risk a couple (dozen) falls is definitely something as an adult thats not quite comfortable. But I remember learning to roller skate with my Fisher-Price skates…and if I could do it then why not now? I sadly do lack the proper safety gear, but would suggest anyone of an age past adolescence at least borrow their kids knee and elbow pads before they start. Also remember that one good knock on a helmet and it should be replaced.
I live in a downtown area with lots of uneven blacktop and few concrete spaces, especially those still smooth enough to skate safely on (winter being harsh we use alot of salt which pits concrete surfaces) so I had to think outside the box to find a safe space to skate in. Luckily my kitchen has tile and my husband’s office kitchenette does as well. I could have brought them to my workplace, but then I’d have to let my coworkers laugh at me forever.
Pulling and pushing yourself along the counter is pretty hard, even without running your feet into each other and the counter. The alternative is to let go of the counter and fall straight onto your behind though, and that didn’t sound too appealing. I tried having my husband pull me, but that was kind of even scarier…since he was giggling the entire time about me being a weenie about using the wheels. After a bit of this I can say I felt a bit better about it, but my attempts to do it on my own didn’t go as well. I might progress enough to manage to go a couple feet without help, but I’m not so sure. Its hard to get your brain to regress to the point where you were as a kid. Back when you felt invincible and didn’t worry about things like hurting yourself and trying to work or walk the dog or paying for a cast if you break something without having health insurance….
…maybe I’ve just been too tired as of late with the new job and odd hours. I wanted to film me trying them out, but my attempts didn’t come out well, and I’ve yet to find a better space to retape them. I want to beat myself and get it down though. So watch for a video update in a week or so once I’ve made it through the other side of Black Friday….until then don’t let yourself stand in the way of purchasing these for the kids in your life who will undoubtedly love them. But don’t force them on your kid if they don’t want them or they haven’t tried to be a superhero a time or two.
For those of you inspired by my review, Heely’s is having a Black Friday sale! If you buy a pair of Heely’s between November 25 and 28th you can get a second pair for 50% off. You can also purchase a Nano and get a pair of shoes for 50% off. Either offer includes free ground shipping. I don’t know about you, but videos of the kids trying to learn to use their Heely’s will beat Uncle Bob knocking back the eggnog and burping any day…
*I received the lovely pair of Heely’s featured in the article in return for my candid and honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post, and receive no other kickbacks for posting it. All thoughts, mishaps and information not linked to directly from the Heely’s website is my own.
