Push Scooters
Part of the urban fashion trend of alternative transportation, push scooters or kick scooters are simple platforms on wheels that you push forward with one foot. Usually made of aluminum and with the possibility to fold, push scooters are made not only for children, but for teens and adults alike. Push scooters can have more than two wheels and the aluminum is replaced by plastic in some designs.
The late 90s was the dawn of the push scooters craze, when a folding version of the traditional kick scooter was designed by the Swiss, Wim Ouboter. A few years later, mass production of folding aluminum push scooters was started by Razor in the US, Europe and Japan. The most famous producers of push scooters at present include Micro and Razor, but these companies mainly target children and young adults interested in the urban trend of informal traveling.
When designed for adult usage, push scooters have special incorporated features and use more special and durable materials. Thus, all models are equipped with hand brakes, and they have larger wheels and bigger-sized decks. The size of the standing adult is the relevant criterion for the mass production of larger push scooters, and so far, these feet-powered vehicles have registered very encouraging sales. It looks really cool to to travel around town and avoid heavy traffic with a nice sleek kick scooter.
Folding push scooters don't make the only category available, there are models that do not fold but have other features for different utility needs. Some such items move faster than the folding version and some are even created for off road purposes. Kickbike, Sidewalker and Diggler are among the most famous producers of larger street push scooters. Some of the companies also share a production history of other road and sports items.
A new category of push scooters entered the market in 2006, when a company called Nextsport started the production of a four-wheel scooter they named Fuzion. This kind of push scooters are larger and heavier than the Micro and Razor products, but they come with a spinning handlebar and higher stability. Free-stylers will often use this kind of push scooters, and the practice of stunts and acrobatic performance are rather common in freestyle communities.