CyrilPolyxena

Neecy

I agree that Crocs as ugly as hell and totally stupid, but what is that company supposed to say in response? I am sure tons of people get hurt on elevators wearing their shoes and not wearing their shoes. And I'm sure most people can handle wearing Crocs on the elevator. I don't know what they are expected to do, given the negligence of the wearer--create steel-toed Crocs? They already seem sturdier that foam flip-flops. I also think if they were to apologize to the family, it could be misconstrued as an admission of guilt and make them laible for the damages I don't think they are responsible for. Maybe it's just me.

fjordtjie

pigeonpenelope

FLConsumer

mzs

If you have ever handled a Croc, it would be apparent to you that there is nothing remotely "soft", "extremely flexible" or "spongy" about them. They have little give, and are regarded as comfortable only because they compress slightly when worn and do not pinch. If anything, they are leagues safer on escalators than shoes with laces.

Crocs have always been controversial because, first, they offend the fashion- conscious, and second, they are very popular among kids where one would expect it, and even among adults, with some fanatics numbered among them.

They have many imitators who, far as I know, use the same material, so I doubt this fear mongering is coming from them, since their shoes are as safe as Crocs. I would suspect, for instance, Merrill and like manufacturers who have watched in dismay as Crocs have eaten their lunch at a third of the price of their own creations.

I believe at least you should give a more ambiguous grade to this story. Based on what I know about Crocs, (I have no relationship with the company - just a satisfied customer), they deserve only as much blame as can be laid directly at their feet, which appears to be far less than this article would imply.

Thanks for your attention, and for your excellent and valuable work.

Casey with ten toes

casey451

rockergal

Viva La Volvo

AllePaetra

Comeaja

redkamel

redkamel

easygoingguy

BeFrugalNotCheap

BeFrugalNotCheap

There is a nice yellow sign near escalators, that shows that you have to stay away from sides.

Victo

But I suppose, common sense is too much to ask in US.

Victo

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.

Oshawapilot

Draconianspark

SaraAB87

pigeonpenelope

pigeonpenelope

Buran

magic8ball

Buran

magic8ball

rg

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.

SaraAB87

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.

Szin

IrisMR

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.

Elvisisdead

mannymix03

DeafLEGO

ceejeemcbeegee

ceejeemcbeegee

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."

Empire

ideagirl

Avi

scarletvirtue

steinwaytony

mmcnary

Michael Belisle

backed 100%

@John:

Not you, though. They look good on you.

Voyou_Charmant

UpsetPanda

theblackdog

babaki

Thorny

John

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...

cunnij98

Cheve

pestie

lilkeith7

speedwell

Stupid people shouldnt breed then expect corporations to pay to raise their equally stupid children.

jaydez

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.

UpsetPanda

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.

MadameX

2. They are just as incredibly comfortable as claimed.

3. They do not become stinky-- just the opposite. Honestly, for all shoes that are worn sockless, these have to be the least stinky of all.

4. They are an amazing product for certain occupations and for gardening.

5. If you cannot use an escalator, it is your own damn fault.

This story reminds me of that scene in "Bowling for Columbine" about the culture of fear in the US; "killer escalators". Blame it on Bin Laden, he must have designed Crocs!

bbbici

Crocs is correct to claim that it's an escalator problem.

ihateauditions

testsicles

Adult style shoe? Here are examples of what I'd consider an "adult style shoe":

1) Shoes with 6" stiletto heels
2) Shoes with switchblades in the soles

Here are examples of what I would NOT consider "adult style shoes":
1) No-heel, high-traction, easy to clean shoes in whimsical colors.

Guess which category Crocs fall under?

SuperJdynamite

cryrevolution

UpsetPanda

uhm... well if that were the case, how did the kid walk onto the escalator or anywhere at all?

royal72

CurbRunner

BlondeGrlz

Again, it's about pride (Crocs are uglier than flip flops, but just by a hair).

PotKettleBlack

PS- Crocs are really ugly. Have some pride people!

PotKettleBlack

The croc is made of a hard molded resin, which is pliable and rubbery, but resilient to puncture and tearing.

The croc wearer is standing on the escalator with the toe of their shoe pressed against the front step. Since the croc is designed to have great traction, particularly against hard surfaces, and the entire shoe is of uniform material, the toe is catching against the front step.

Near the top of the escalator, when the front step begins to descend into the escalator, instead of sliding, the toe of the croc is fed between the two steps, pulling the shoe, and the foot within, between the escalator steps.

Because crocs have the same pliable, rubber construction all the way to the front of the shoe, they would be particularly vulnerable to this sort of mishap.

@Hanke: I don't think they are any more likely to get caught in the comb plate, but once your shoe is fed between the steps, the plate shears off the front of the shoe, along with your toes.

ludwigk

Sorry, I thought the parents wanted the warning on the shoes... I agree, its not the fault of the escalator company.

SadSam

The situation has gotten so bad that they have signs on the Metro in Washnigton, DC with pictures of crocodiles that say "what do escalators and crocodiles have in common? They love to eat shoes..." There were some 200 cases of croc-related escalator repairs necessary last summer because of stupidity.

tedyc03

RothRandom

SadSam

alphafemale

I wear Crocs all the time, and my feet don't get sweaty and stink. My feet do stink after wearing a pair of expensive cap toe leather dress shoes, though.

John

elduque

Amelie

@inspiron:And of course dignity is related to whether or not you approve of someone's footwear.

Amelie

I'd set damages at $20. Tops.

$7Million is pure BS.

ironchef

i agree. the lawsuits should be against the parents for forcing their kids to wear these tacky shoes in the first place. crocs are to footwear what applebee's is to food.

yesteryear

harumph

Hanke

secretcurse

My Girlfriend wears them to work, because she is a veterinarian and is on her feet all the time. Supposedly they are confy, and easy to clean. Ugly yes, but practical in that situation. SHe's got the good sense to not wear them out anywhere else. Some (most) people don't have the good sense of how to dress. Sweatsuits are also not "going out" wear, and just because pants stretch to fit you, doesn't mean they look good.

unklegwar

And because Crocs are so popular with people in certain professions, like Mario Batali, because the extra-grippy bottoms helped deal with kitchen messes, why are people thinking all of a sudden that they need extra traction for a regular street?

Aside from the fact that they're the ugliest things and they do make your feet smell.

UpsetPanda

unklegwar

Kounji

you should have taken the fucking stairs dumbass!

then you prolly woulda tumbled down them too... so more logically, you could have done what i do with my child, "hey [insert your child's name], be careful now, watch out on the escalator, and hold onto my hand... get ready to get off and make sure you step over the ledge, so your feet don't get sucked under"... then you watch them and lift 'em over if they need help.

seriously, lol, how can they say anything, but "Escalator safety is an issue we take very seriously, and we are looking into this report"?... i can see it now, every box of shoes you buy from here on out, will have an escalator warning label... give me a fucking break.

royal72

Crocs have got to be the ugliest thing since jelly shoes.

jaydez

aliasofpunk

MDSasquatch

notsofresh

Well, DUH.

$7 Million because your kid skinned their toe? I know Band-Aids at the ER are expensive, but come on!

Gah, whatever happened to personal responsibility!?!

NotATool

You missed the point of the article. It's regardless of whose fault it is. The fact is that the company doesn't care and uses the same public statements as everyone else does.

riverstyxxx

full.tang.halo

emilymarion333

riverstyxxx

I agree with you there, I wish people had some dignity and would stop wearing those pieces of crap.

As for this escalator incident, I have no sympathy for those people.

inspiron

The sandals phase started back in the mid 90s after big companies found a market in selling flip-flops with a make over. Back then, one company called Tiva charged about 60 dollars a pair, and people bought them up. Other companies got involved, and you know the rest of the story from there.

riverstyxxx

Buran

stillkarenann

RIP MRHANDS

FearlessUser

Their shoes are completely safe... until you put them on your feet and step on an escalator.

Xerloq

Derp

slowinthefastlane

puyro