Safety Issues With Crocs

Crocs are a type of foam footwear that first hit the market in 2002. Since their release, a steady stream of complaints alleging dangerous repercussions with wearing the shoe have been made. The majority of these concerns revolve around wearing Crocs on escalators; the nature of the shoe's foam is alleged to make it easy to get your toes caught and mangled.

Features

• The main selling point of Crocs has to do with the patented resin foam they are made from. It is a combination of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and polyolefin elastomer. The foam fits to the wearer's feet to provide support and flexibility, with a strong gripping surface. They were originally marketed towards those who spent long hours on their feet, or outside in areas where foot-support was paramount. They have since become extremely popular with children.

  It is this very flexibility, however, that is supposedly the reason they get snagged and pulled under escalators.

History

• More than shoes, crocs and other foam footwear can get caught in escalators.

  Cases of people getting their toes caught on escalators have been around for many years; annually there are some 10,000 escalator-related accidents. These are usually associated with footwear of some kind: flip-flops, sandals or even the lack of footwear altogether. The shoe or foot gets caught beneath the "teeth" of the escalator's top or bottom. The consequence can range from mild to horrific; cases of people losing skin and toes have been filed.

  In the last few years, some of these reports have gotten product-specific, singling Crocs out as a culprit.

Effects

• A scientific study of the potential link between Crocs and escalator accidents has yet to be done. However, there does appear to be a significant rise in reported accidents in global regions, including Washington and Japan. Children have been injured on escalators in malls, subways and airports, and a number of these facilities have begun posting warning signs to advise pedestrians who wear Crocs or similar footwear to use elevators.

Company Reaction

• Crocs Inc. has asserted that the danger is not related to their product, but rather to escalator use in general. In several statements to media outlets, the company has stated that their product is "completely safe" and that escalators can pose risks to riders. They have encouraged a greater awareness of safety guidelines concerning escalator use.

  According to ABC News, 245 million people ride escalators every day. The number of escalator-related accidents, with or without Crocs, is extremely small.

Dangerous in Hospitals?

• Plastic and foam footwear can produce static electricity.

  The vast majority of claims against Crocs have to do with escalators. However, a number of hospitals have raised an altogether different complaint. According to hospitals in Sweden and Germany, plastic footwear such as Crocs has the potential to build up static electricity that interferes with medical equipment. Subsequently, Crocs have been banned for hospital staff, as it is claimed that the footwear can endanger patient treatment.