PRESS RELEASES
Heelys® Gets an Extreme School Makeover
Wheeled Footwear Company Taps Top Designers for Edgiest Back-to-School Line in Company History
DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dallas-based Heelys, Inc. (NASDAQ: HLYS) researched the latest trends and commissioned leading freelance designers Jim McGrath and Eli Haarlander, formerly of Quiksilver and Disney, to create a revolutionized line of apparel to go along with the popular Heelys skate shoes for the 2007 back-to-school season. The line, comprised of tees, hoodies, caps and backpacks, includes strong design elements like graffiti-style logos, metallic treatments and distressed screen-printing. Coupled with the upcoming launch of Heelys’ non-wheeled shoe, “The Gamer” that embraces the popularity of video games, Heelys’ new back-to-school lines deliver the variety that consumers demand.
“The market is widely diversifying for teens and tweens,” said Heelys, Inc. Vice President of Marketing Jim Peliotes. “Retailers are creating inventive ways to grab their attention. Our product design and development experts have proven experience doing just that. With these cutting-edge designs, added to the newest Heelys styles, the Heelys brand will reach more consumers than ever before.”
Heelys empowered McGrath and Haarlander to make this year’s back-to-school line more edgy among today’s young shoppers to maintain visibility amid recent trends in the teen and pre-teen market. Those include:
* “Crest,” a Heelys logo in gel ink with heraldic background for both boys and girls
* Skater-specific designs such as classic fit long-sleeved shirts, “Kobayashi” and “Propulsion”
* More feminine, design-intensive shirts like “Blossom” and “Paisley”
* Boys and girls backpacks made with exclusive ‘wheel pocket’ for wheel storage during school hours
* Hoodies with distressed screen printing and frayed-edge finishes
* And shirts with trendier, fresh approaches to the brand like “Wings” and “Rapids”
Peliotes cites a recent survey that says families with school age children are expected to spend approximately $563 on back-to-school merchandise this year, up 6.9 percent from last year’s average of $527. Footwear will also see a higher-than-average sales increase, rising more than 10 percent from last year. With more independent young adults in the market, parents have noticed their children are chipping in more for clothing and other apparel, with each pre-teen spending an average of $15.38 and teens spending $31.19 of their own money. 1
“Jim and Eli have given our new line of apparel a fresh approach and cool look,” said Heelys, Inc. Vice President of Design and Development Bob Byrne. “Kids are buying what they want now and we always want to remain on top of their wish list for back-to-school gear. I believe we’ve succeeded with our new line.”
About Heelys, Inc.
(NASDAQ: HLYS) Heelys, Inc. designs, markets and distributes innovative, action sports-inspired products under the HEELYS® brand targeted to the youth market. The Company’s primary product, HEELYS-wheeled footwear, is the patented dual-purpose footwear that incorporates a stealth, removable wheel in the heel. HEELYS-wheeled footwear allows the user to seamlessly transition from walking or running to skating by shifting weight to the heel. Users can transform HEELYS-wheeled footwear into street footwear by removing the wheel. HEELYS-wheeled footwear provides users with a unique combination of fun and style that differentiates it from other footwear and wheeled sports products.
For more information visit: www.heelys.com.
1 National Retail Federation’s 2007 Consumer Intentions and Actions Back-to-School survey
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