Students zooming to class on shoes with wheels aren’t a rarity in Red River Valley schools.
But “Heelys” – the must-have sneaker of the moment for many elementary-age students – are becoming a headache for school administrators.
Safety concerns posed by the fashionable foot apparel have prompted some school districts to put a foot down, developing policies about when children can use the wheels on the shoes.
Ellen Hopkins Elementary School in Moorhead asked students not to use the shoes until classes are dismissed and buses have left for the day, said Principal Mary Jo Schmid.
The shoes, sneakers that contain wheel sockets allowing children to roll down hallways and the playground, are a growing commodity on the tween scene, Schmid said.
She said the school instituted the “no Heelys” rule after complaints of injuries stemming from children rolling over other students in hallways.
The school’s Web site states, “Heelys, the shoes with wheels, are not to be used at school as they are hard on the floor and create safety concerns. The shoes can be worn but the wheels are not to be used, recess included.”
Ellen Hopkins isn’t the only school to give Heelys the boot.