The inventor of Heelys, the popular shoes with wheels hidden in the bottom, has passed away at age 71.
As reported by the New York Times, Roger Adams tragically passed away from pancreatic cancer on March 24 of this year. He passed away at his home in Glenbrook, Nevada, on the shores of Lake Tahoe.
He explained in an interview that the inspiration behind Heelys was because of his parents. They owned roller-skating rinks in Tacoma, Washington. It was that effortless gliding on the ice that made him think of the idea: "a shoe that could roll on command just by shifting your body weight."
And that idea was something that really stuck with him- "[The idea] was like a flash... The hair stood up on the back of my neck." The original prototype for Heelys was just a rod through the sole of a shoe. But he got the knack of things eventually.
Adams started Heelys in 2000 with an investment from a venture capital firm, and from then on, the sky was the limit. At the company's peak, 7.6 million pairs of roller shoes were sold in a year.
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People Have Mourned the Heelys Inventor's Passing on Social Media
Tributes have poured in for the Heelys inventor on social media. Many people praised the revolutionary shoes concept and also expressed nostalgia for the invention.
In response to an announcement of his death on X, people came out in droves to mourn Adams. One commenter wrote, "may he ride on his heels for an eternity and beyond" with another writing, "Bro made something that's changed the world for real" and "Glide majestically sweet prince".
Others mentioned their nostalgia for Heelys. One commenter wrote, "Was always jealous of the kids sliding down the hallways between class." Also, someone noted that "This guy [almost] became the cause of a massive teenage revolution against adults."
Others noted how the shoes could cause injuries. "I gotta scrape my knee one more time to pay my respects," and "He's responsible for my twisted ankle when I was 11" were some of the many comments about just how dangerous they could be.
Rest in peace to an unexpected cultural icon.
