Roller Shoes

I've been noticing Roller Shoes a lot lately. No matter how many times I see these things I am still just as amazed as the first time: Kid walking along, quite normally; kid gliding on his or her heel for a short distance; kid walking normally again. Did I just see that? Why aren't these things bigger than Cabbage Patch Kids? My seemingly bottomless amazement cannot be unique, surely. Without exageration I say to you: Roller Shoes should dominate popular culture. They should figure prominently (and decisively) in Hardy Boy plots and in the season finale of The O.C. At election time we should have six o'clock footage of politicians clumsily (but good naturedly) fumbling around on Roller Shoes. I am surprised that more has not been written about Roller Shoes, especially on The Internet. Roller Shoes are futuristic, The Internet is futuristic, so it's a natural fit. Googling almost exclusively turns up E-Commerce site product descriptions. I could find only a few non-commercial mentions:

• Kenny of http://www.kennysia.com really hates roller shoes (item number 3 in the list): "I HATE THEM! There's nothing more annoying than to have to walk across a hall, and them [sic] have some kid glide past you like a ghost! ..." I THINK IT'S AWESOME.
• bungston at halfbakery suggests that Nurses use Roller Shoes to ease and expedite their duties. I think everyone should wear Roller Shoes.
• cce blog opinion: "So cool!"
• Geek Gadgets at kidscom.com asks "What can be cooler than shoes that flip out into roller blades?" The answer: maybe a jet-pack, or a pet dinosaur, but not much else.

The Authorities (mainly schools) have quickly stepped in and banned Roller Shoes: one, two, three, four [PDF]. And if you want to go see the Colorado Avalanche play, leave your Roller Shoes at home. The Pepsi Center Security Policy expressly forbids them, in the same list as it prohibits weapons, outside alcohol, and dead or live animals.