Back in September we wrote about the hazards of wearing the popular “Croc” clogs on escalators, a combination that may have produced more than a few injuries all around the world. We heard about at least one case where the child’s toes were ripped off when the shoe was sucked down into the escalator.
Now a family from Westchester has filed a lawsuit that claims that their child was “severely and permanently” injured in November 2007, when her Croc got caught in a escalator at JFK airport.
From the NY Daily News:
“The skin was peeled off her toe,” lawyer Andrew Laskin said. “It’s a pretty horrifying injury. And it’s also horrible for a parent to witness your child injured in this way and suffering.”
Crocs has so far chosen not to put a warning label on the shoes. Here’s what they told one foreign news agency that did a report about Crocs:
“Crocs shoes are completely safe. The popularity of our shoes has helped draw attention to a long-existing issue that we think is very important–escalator safety”
Today, little has changed. Croc’s says they’re taking escalator safety seriously:
“Escalator safety is an issue we take very seriously, and we are looking into this report.”
The Daily News asked the CPSC how many of Croc-related foot manglings they were aware of, but that agency “could not immediately say” how many reports it had.
Suit: Crocs shoe led to 3-year-old girl’s toe accident on JFK escalator [Daily News]
Can Crocs Be Dangerous To Your Child? [City News]
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After spending a lot of time in several hospitals when my dad was ill over the summer, I realized that 90% of the nurses and surgeons were wearing Crocs. It was then that I decided to buy a pair.
Yes, I admit their ugly and seldom wear them out of the house, but they’re super comfy. I wear them for working around the house or in the yard (and yeah, occasionally to the grocery store).
My husband even bought me a pair of faux-fur lined ones for Christmas and I love them. More comfy than any slippers I’ve ever owned.
As for the escalators? My mom taught me to pick up my feet when I was just a kid. Parents always wanna blame somebody else these days.
@bbbici: I would think that if your feet don’t smell to begin with, flip flops are the least smelly.
Also, it’s not the fact that Crocs come in different colors or styles,…it’s that Crocs, to pretty much the majority of people posting on this thread, are just really, really ugly. Doesn’t matter how much you dress it up with leather (men’s shoes) or turn it into a flip flop, there are better looking alternatives.
Maybe the kid just needs new parents. When I was kid my mom told me not to put my toes under the stair above mine on the escalator… guess what! I still have 10 toes today becasue my mom is intelligent.
Stupid people shouldnt breed then expect corporations to pay to raise their equally stupid children.
I wear Crocs because my feet swell and the shoes are really comfortable and cool. Ugly? OK, well, they are not strappy sandals with satin bows, but they’re OK and they come in a billion colors. Feet stink? Jesus, people, I wear these shoes because they are washable. So are your feet. Hint, hint.
If you think crocs are stupid look at
Croc Mammoths
If you wear Crocs, you deserve every bad thing that happens to you. That is all.
Companies are not to blame for the stupidity of people, come on dudes, there was a thing called common sense, try to bring it back! btw, what if the kid wasn’t wearing ANY shoes, probably the injury would be worse, please people, maybe i’ll run into a bank’s glass door, tear it to pieces and get horrible cuts all over my body, and i will sue the bank for keeping it’s doors “too clean” ….jesus grow up
i offer, yet again, another smart and witty comment just to have it disappear in the bowels of consumerist.com, never to be seen again….oh well, this is therapeutic for me.
Your feet stink when you don’t wash them; not because you wear crocs…how many others (just in the comments alone) have had a toe injury or near miss with sandals, open toe shoes, heels, etc. on an elevator? This is not a crocs problem…
@pestie:
Winner of idiot troll comment of the day. Thanks. Now we can all go home.
Don’t you have to prove negligence in this kind of case? When many things can get stuck in escalators (clothing, even other types of shoes, straps/bags, etc) I don’t see how Crocs could be singled out as negligent. People just need to be more careful!
if you read the article, it says the kid is 3 years old, yet was wearing a child size 9 croc. when in fact, crocs do make shoes as small as toddler size 4. maybe this contributed to the shoe getting stuck. i dont think this is croc fault. i think escalators need to be revamped. is it really necessary for them to have 100 sharp metal teeth at the top and bottom?
@stillkarenann: Say, would you like a chocolate covered pretzel?
@babaki: What is the typical shoe size of a 3 year old? Anyone know? I don’t have kids.
@pestie:
backed 100%
@John:
Not you, though. They look good on you.
From now on “my kids” will wear steel-toed boots with buckles (laces can get caught too, you know). The shin-guard will also prevent needless injury, and the spikes can be used for self defense. Total protection.
Ha! I told my wife that more than 3 people saw Mallrats…
All the more reason to keep fucking moving on the escalator.
@belisle: That’s awesome. Definitely better than the Doc Martens I was going to have permanently attached to “my kids” feet – those don’t offer the shin guards or self-defense spikes!
came for the Mallrats quotes…now can leave happy
@jaydez: and jellies were butt effin’ ugly
@Buran: Crocs has deeper pockets and/or more visibility due to being the latest fad.
I’m the first to blame the corporation when they’re actually culpable in some way, but there’s a warning sign right there on the escalator in big bold red letters about the danger posed by riding the escalator wearing sandals or with untied shoelaces. It’s been on every escalator I’ve stepped onto for as far back as I can remember, so at least 25 years. You’d think these kids’ parents might have read it once. It shouldn’t be a company’s responsibility to put labels on their products that say, “WARNING: Ignoring clearly marked warning signs and doing dangerous things while using this product may be dangerous.”
I agree, there is a “kid mangled by an escalator” story every year. ANY show can get stuck in an escalator. There needs to be some sort of fail-safe or monitor that can tell when something is jammed and shuts down the stairs.
@ceejeemcbeegee: show = shoe.
Its the FRACKING PARENT’S FAULT!!! Croc should turn it around and sue the parents for being such a dumbass!
@riverstyxxx:
What do you want them to say? “OH GOD IT WASNT OUR FAULT AT ALL BUT BOY ARE WE SORRY FOR THAT”? Then the scumbag lawyer would figure out some loophole where they were admitting guilt. The first thing you learn at any retail job is to apologize for the incident but in no way ever say that it is your fault because Amerika has become a sue happy nation of obese people who can’t make their own money and instead sue and make money off of other peoples innocent mistakes
@zouxou: Granddad, is that you? I thought you died? I’m still wearing my sturdy shoes just like you told me, granddad. Just kidding, but I think the term you’re looking for is quality with support. Not the modern equivalent of “jellies”.
They’re horrid, and should be burned or chewed up for running tracks, but never worn.
As a parent, we go the cheap route on stuff like clothes, but never shoes. Cheap shoes will fark your kid’s feet up.
…I don’t understand HOW it could’ve happened. How is it that the crocs are more dangerous than your average running shoe with laces?
Escalator Safety? …..It’s a fucking escalator. It doesn’t take much brain power or physical ability to figure it out. When at the bottom, you step onto the perfectly rectangular step, then walk up it like you would stairs, or if you want to be lazy, joyride on it. Then. when you get to the top…you step off. It’s surprising simple.
And unless this was an Itchy & Scratchy cartoon escalator with Razor Blades at the top, I’m not even sure how this is even possible.
@zouxou:
If there weren’t crocs then parents would just place their children in cheap 1$ flip flops which are even WORSE for their feet and make them even more prone to injury. Hope you have lots of money to be able to afford those podiatrist bills 10-20 years down the road! Worse yet they would likely jump on the bandwagon that it is necessary to put your kid in a pair of high heeled flip flops or sandals at age 5.
They need to outlaw those dang things! They are hideous. The thought of bare feet in plastic shoes makes hot water come up the back of my throat!
@John: Please record one vote for “yes, Crocs are uglier than all of those.”
@Empire: I have never seen/noticed (might just be not paying attention to them) escalator warning signs, but isn’t it common sense to keep toes away from the step joints? Works for me.
@UpsetPanda: child/toddler size 9 is not unusual for a 3yo.
@mannymix03: Actually, there has been at least one study that shows that you’re less likely to sue if you apologize sincerely and admit you goofed. They’re bringing the lawsuits on themselves.
wow…I like how the lawyer indicated that peeling some skin off of her toe was severely and permantently injured…Not that I want any kid to be in pain, but seriously…you don’t watch your child getting off an escalator, so you sue the footwear company, of the shoes that were (seemingly from the article) too big for her? When she learns to ride a bike, are you going to sue the city or the bike company when she falls and skins her knee? Live and learn. Seriously.
i simply don’t understand crocs. i especially don’t get folks who wear crocs with socks in the rain.
also, where is the logic in suing the company that makes crocs? i’m sure flip flops are more dangerous and old navy is still in business. why not just sue the elevator company for making a product that can be dangerous to feet if not used properly?
I have also noticed that the escalator warning signs have gotten larger here after the first incident. If you have kids wearing crocs why not just take the elevator?
This thread needs some relevant material, which also could be a bit NSFW depending on your company language filters.
[www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net]
This happened to me…30 years ago. I vividly remember getting my shoe (yes, SHOE) stuck in an escalator as a kid. I don’t remember actually getting injured because it was a shoe and not a sandal, but it got stuck none the less.
As such, I’d place the blame on the escalators. Wearing Crocs instead of shoes just makes the damage more severe since there’s not much except a bit of foam between your tootsies and the giant metal behemoth.
Escalators have yellow lines and signs for a reason. A good parent teaches his kid to stay away from borders, or an accident can happen. For example, a shoe lace can suck person’s feet inside escalator, too.
But I suppose, common sense is too much to ask in US.
@Buran: Aha, in USA. No other civilized country wastes resources on this type of complaints. ANY SHOE and escalators can create an accident. It’s just Crocs is a known brand. It’s easier to sue than a Chinese Walmart running-shoes. And I’m certain that if you compile ALL accidents on escalators, Crocs will be just a little fraction.
There is a nice yellow sign near escalators, that shows that you have to stay away from sides.
@Buran:
No, you could have sued the sandal company, the building you were in where the accident took place, the owners of the land on which it was built, the county, the city, and the state. Think of all the money you would have had! It’s the American dream to win a huge lawsuit. Hell, it’s right up there with winning the lotto or owning your own house with an H3 in the driveway with a full tank of gas. lol. Me being the klutz that I am I would’ve had more money than Daddy Warbucks what with all the pratfalls I’ve taken over the years. I just get up and limp away.
Another thing, what if the kid was barefoot? Can God be sued for designing the kids foot? Or would the escalator company be culpable for not putting “no barefoot or croc covered feet” signs up? I feel bad for the kid. Not only for the mangled toe but for the fact that they are being groomed to be the next gen of irresponsible and greedy border line sociopathic rubes that are already overrunning our nation.
Got to be smarter than the shoe. They trick you sometimes!
I usually remember to step off the elevator when I get to the top, that way my feet dont run into anythinh. I dont do it cause its safer, I do it because I dont want to stumble on a little ramp that the step goes into. Do people seriously wait until the last second? or try and slideup the little ramp? I dont think I even hit it when I was kid.
so in summary, I meant to ask how is it even possible to get sucked into the escalator unless you just wait to to hit solid ground every time.
Wow. I should by a pair and stuff my leg in a furnace. Bet I could make some money off that.
Okay all you litigious whiners out there – and you know who you are! I would like to be part of the positive solution, thank you very much.
Hey Crocs! When’s your line of steel-toe clogs coming out?
I don’t know why people wear those things anyway. ycuk.