Wheeled sneakers are sports shoes that have a wheel attached to the heel. In English they are called heelys . They have wheels or only one wheel in the heel part. Children use the wheel to move for short distances supported only by the wheel.
They are not a shoe for every day. They are a toy. They should not be used for more than 1-2 hours a week. It is known that many Infant and Primary children sometimes go to school with this type of shoe. This makes them wear them for 5 to 8 hours a day.
What’s wrong with the shoe?
1. It is as if the child were walking in heels. This is the most serious. There are models that are up to 5 cm high. If we are barefoot, 75% of our weight is in the heel. The remaining 25% is supported by the ball of the foot. If we put on a 4 cm heel we have more weight on the ball of the foot. This happens to children with roller shoes. If they use this “footwear” it can give them growth problems, pain in the sole of the foot or shorten the muscles of the back of the leg and that is why the heel hurts. It can also bring flat feet or back problems.
2. Shoes with training wheels usually weigh twice as much as a normal shoe. The child has to make a greater effort to be able to walk.
3. The shoe with wheels is more rigid. It limits the normal movement of the foot bones. Therefore, the nerves of our feet are not well informed of the different situations that occur in everyday life: steps, ascents, descents, soft ground, hard ground, etc. It can lead to the child’s heel bones developing less and ultimately the child having a narrow heel with future problems.
4. The training wheel itself makes the child unstable. Reduces the foot support area. It only rests on the heel.
What are the problems?
1. THE FALLS. When they fall they can have fractures of the wrist, elbow, forearm, ankle, nasal septum, etc.
2. OBESITY . If the child slides on the training wheels he does not have to make the physical effort necessary to walk. He becomes more sedentary.
3. MALFORMATIONS IN THE FOOT. Children need to walk and run with proper footwear in order to keep their feet healthy and properly developed. Good footwear facilitates a correct distribution of body weight on the foot.
4. BACK PAINS . We have already explained that there is a poor distribution of body weight at foot level. This can also affect the hips and lower back. This is why your back can hurt.
What you must not forget…
The roller shoes are a toy. Do not use them as usual footwear.
We already know that some 4.5 million sneakers have been sold in the world. They are most used in children around 9 years old.
Experts warn us that trainers with training wheels can cause changes in the way you walk. And this is so even if the wheel is not being used to move.
