Knockoffs of Heelys are shredded

Seventy-six hundred soles were lost on Friday.

Industrial shredders chewed up 3,800 pairs of shoes, the end of a patent infringement case brought by Dallas-based company Heelys, known for creating shoes with wheels in the heels. Heelys recently won a lawsuit against Orem-based Sidekix LLC for producing knockoff versions of the shoe, prompting Friday's destruction.

Heelys, which holds 80 patents for the shoes, was informed of the counterfeit shoes by its first retailer, Ossine Shoes & Gifts of West Jordan, and decided to take action. Several of Ossine's customers informed the owners that they could buy the shoes in Orem for a cheaper price.

Authentic Heelys retail between $59 and $99 per pair. Heelys purchased a couple of fake pairs and sent them to attorneys who then filed the lawsuit.

"We have a concern for safety and a concern for retailers," said Andrew Reinholz, a sales representative and spokesman for Heelys.

Heelys administrators decided to go after Sidekix not only because of the breach in patent laws but also for the safety reasons, Reinholz said. Heelys believes the shoes marketed and sold by the Orem company were not durable. Reinholz cited the socket and screws in which the wheels sit as the main safety hazard. The Heelys shoe secures the wheel with bearings and a bracket, while the other shoes had only screws. The knock-off shoes failed to allow the wheel to come out while the Heelys wheel can be removed, allowing Heelys to be used like regular shoes.

Heelys come with warning labels that urge owners to wear protective gear — helmets and wrist and knee pads, for example — when using the wheels.

The company is pursuing other companies selling the much cheaper non-authentic Heelys shoe, but none of those stores are in Utah, Reinholz said.

The concept for Heelys was developed by Roger Adams in 1998, and the first pairs came into the market in December 2000. More than 12 million pairs have been sold since 2001.

Reinholz said watching the shoes shredded was "kinda personal." He started working for the company when it began and promised retailers they wouldn't have competition from other companies because of Heelys' patents.

"It's a special thing to show (our retailers) that we're following up on our promise," he said.

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E-mail: csmith@desnews.com