When you think of products that can lead to chemical exposure, your first thought probably doesn’t involve the shoes on your feet. Yet, that’s apparently an issue for about 30,000 pairs of Dr. Martens’ vegan boots now being recalled. 

According to a notice posted with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, prolonged and direct contact with the textile used in the lining of the shoes’ tongue can expose the wearer to the chemical benzidine.

Benzidine is a chemical used to produce dyes for cloth, paper, and leather. However, it is no longer used commonly or produced in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that prolonged exposure to the chemical could possibly cause a skin allergy.

The recall involves Dr. Martens unisex Vegan 1460 eight eye boots sold in cherry red with black shoelaces in all sizes.

The boots — which were sold for $125 at Dr. Martens retail stores, Journeys, independent shoe stores, and online at Amazon, Shoebuy.com, and other retailers — have a chunky sole and a golden heel pull tab with “AirWair” printed on it.

“Made in Vietnam” and product code 14585 are printed on the tongue label with the batch code starting with “GV” and ending in Q, R or S.

What Should You Do?

Individuals who own the shoes are urged to stop wearing them immediately and contact Dr. Martens for a full refund or free replacement product.

Consumers can contact Dr. Martens at 800-460-3930 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, email at dmservice@drmartens.com, or online at http://www.drmartens.com and click on “Product Recall” for more information.

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