Roger Adams, 71, the former psychologist who turned a beach‑side epiphany into a global footwear craze, died March 24 of pancreatic cancer at his Lake Tahoe home. He founded Heelys in 2000, a sneaker with a retractable wheel that let wearers glide on command. The product surged to 7.6 million pairs sold in 2008 after moving 697,000 pairs in 2004 and became a staple of early‑2000s playgrounds.

The venture‑backed start‑up attracted Capital Southwest’s seed money and went public in 2006, raising $135 million. That IPO briefly vaulted Heelys to a $1 billion market valuation before sales slipped and the share price tumbled later that year. Adams, who served as president and later R&D director, cashed out roughly $26 million in stock before the decline as investors chased the novelty.

Heelys sparked a cultural moment, appearing in Usher’s 2001 video and inspiring a brief fad that lingered in specialty skate shops. Safety groups, however, condemned the shoes after the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission linked them to one death and dozens of injuries, prompting bans in schools and malls. The brand endures under new owners, despite ongoing litigation concerns and issues, keeping Adams’s roller‑skate legacy alive.