Inventor of Heelys, the rolling sneakers, dies at 71
Roger Adams, who turned a garage idea into Heelys—the sneakers with hidden wheels—died at 71 of pancreatic cancer in Glenbrook, Nevada. From a Tacoma roller rink family and a psychology background, he launched Heelys in 2000, and the brand surged to millions of pairs sold and a peak market value near $1 billion after a 2006 stock offering, before stepping away in 2009. The shoe sparked safety concerns and regulatory scrutiny, but remained a cultural touchstone and is still in business under new ownership.