Sales have been brisk for Starbury shoes, the line of athletic footwear created by New York Knicks”™ guard and NBA All Star Stephon Marbury.
Likewise for Heelys, the wheel-encased shoes favored by the underteen and tween set, if our walks through the malls and shopping centers are any indication.
Marbury introduced his basketball shoe just before school started at the end of last summer. At $14.98, they are at the other end of the pricey athletic-shoe spectrum. Nike Men”™s Air Jordan XX2s will set you back about $180, which you can compare with a week”™s worth of groceries or a nice night out with a significant other. Marbury has expanded the line to include women”™s shoes, cross-trainers and skateboarder shoes. Need something more to complement your shoes? How about hoodies, T-shirts, jackets, pants and other accessories? All will be selling for $14.98 once they hit the market.
Heelys range in price from about $60 to $100. Not outrageous considering the hybrid shoe-skate takes a few more steps in the manufacturing process than a regular shoe.
Heelys recently released a study that found users of its “wheeled footwear” are better off safetywise than those taking part in bicycling, skateboarding, basketball, soccer and tennis.
While most of these self-serving studies are dubious, we don”™t doubt this study one bit.
However, what it failed to take into consideration is the safety of those who encounter these pint-sized hell-on-Heelys in retail and grocery stores, restaurants and other non-wheeling environs.
Puh-leeze, parents, reel in your wheeled darlings before they crash into someone or make someone misstep and twist an ankle. The smallfry certainly isn”™t going to ante up for a lawsuit ”“ it”™s going to come out of your pocket.
For those of us who used to skateboard and in-line skate, we all know what happens when your small wheels encounter rough surface or a bit of dirt ”“ road rash or worse.
That”™s why we now walk around with a small bag of sand in our pockets.
Â
Â
