PSA: Crocs aren't just ugly, they're dangerous
By Ryan Block 
posted September 10th 2007 1:12AM
posted September 10th 2007 1:12AM
Crocs, not unlike Uggs before them, are prime candidates for footware we'd just as well have everyone put back in the closet, especially now that the Japanese National Institute of Technology and Evaluation has apparently issued a public warning regarding the safety of wearing the offensively ugly plastic shoes on escalators. Supposedly some forty people in Japan have been injured wearing the shoes on escalators, including a five year old girl who is said to have lost lost three toenails and suffered a broken toe when her ugly ass shoes got caught in the escalator. Please, Crocs, think of the children -- and everyone else's greater sense of aesthetics.[Via FarEastGizmos]
I work at a Children's Hospital, and we've had two kids whose feet have been critically injured as a result of wearing these shoes. They got caught in the escalators and I'm sure you can imagine as to what happened their feet.
Oh my goodness... i wish this is announced in my country's news...Singapore.
everybody is crazy about crocs...
if only ugly things could get banned.... *dreamz*
This is great, a bunch of nerds talking about fashion. Take your black Transformers T-shirt off and then talk to someone about what to wear and not to wear. Dorks.
A nerd complaining about nerds complaining about fashion. The irony is so thick, it's getting hard for me to breathe.
Incidently, t-shirts with logos of retro kids shows from the 80s like Transformers are actually relatively cool at the moment in London. French Connection recently released a line of t-shirts for the Transformers.
I wore a Thundercats t-shirt at a trendy bar on the weekend =]
One of my friends bought a pair of Crocs when we were in the US in the summer, he doesn't dare wear them outside the house over here.
The only solution seems to be steel-toed Crocs, ideal for that "really chilled out job-site foreman that dresses like Jimmy Buffet."
This hsit is wack! Ever since I first came across ths ugly thing in a magazine I could tell they were devil's. Now who's the lunatic?
The "hole" argument isn't the problem. If you look on Crocs.com, you'll see several "professional" styles.
They have their place, but I agree on the street isn't it. (Unless you're in scrubs)
I agree that these shoes are fugly, but isn't the real problem here the design of the escalators (see how I pulled this back to gadget talk)?
yeah, i'll stop wearing my crocs when everybody else stops wearing flip-flops (in the winter no less). cover up those nasty toes people, we don't need to see 'em.
of course, engadget talking about fashion sense is like cosmo doing an article on linux
i heard Steve Jobs has a pair of crocs too
I revolted against crocs until I wore them. Very comfy. The regular ones get to hot for my feet (and I agree they are ugly).
I really only like the sandals (the new ones).. Check them out.
http://islandsurf.cachefly.net/crete_multi_LG.jpg
-B
They're coming out with regular shoes with the Crocs soles. I can't wait!
I think some people are just so stupid that they don't know how to ride an escalator. Those people deserve to loose some toenails or toes even!
My son's crocs were chewed up on an escalator at Chicago O'Hare airport. He cut 2 toes and the shoe was ripped in half. Needless to say, he's frightened by escalators now.
please explain how your son's crocs where caught in the escalator. I really don't get it. Was he not picking up his feet?
His right foot was apparently too close to the edge of the escalator and he started screaming halfway down as the monster began to eat his toes. It was a very traumatic experience for him.
I think the idea is that, because they have so much more malleable and sticky soles than normal shoes, the shoes catch on the nonmoving part at the gap, then deform and start to get pulled in.
James,
Sorry to hear that. I'm sure was a traumatic experience for you also. Do you think they should be forbidden if they are really prone to problems with escalators? All the kids in my neighborhood are using them, and I wonder if i should go around telling all the parents.... Kids seem to love those... Are you still going to allow your kids to use them?
In my opinion, the following shoes need to be destroyed forever:
Sandals
Flip-Flops
Uggs
Crocs
Anything that shows a man's toes in public.
Heelies
...And all knock-offs of the above.
Here in my little college town, I appear to be the ONLY person who wears shoes that cover my feet. Everyone else is wearing sandals or flip-flops. Luckily, it seems like Crocs have died out around here except with the dumpy spinsters and lesbians who are shunning Birkenstocks for some reason.
Guys-- I don't want to see your feet! Nobody does.
Girls-- Flip-flops make you look like an white-trash wannabe. You might as well wear a burlap sack, too.
Kids-- If you zip by me in the mall in your heelies One More Time, I *will* trip your punk ass.
What I don't get about Croc's is this: It's a friggin' blog of molded mushy plastic, made in China. It can't cost more than a dollar to make a pair of the damn things, yet they retail in the states for $40. Forty bucks! WTF? They should sell for no more than $9.96 at Wal-Mart.
what the hell uggs are hot!!! crocs are fricken ugly and putting mickey mouse pins wont help they gave me blistersss hideous crocs suck
I hate to say, but I must say... "I hate this shoes. It's ugly and should only be used to go to the bathroom"
Dude! that's rude! How can we Croc stockholders deal with this kind of negative publicity?? ;-)
Let's face it world - Everything is "dangerous" to stupid people. Doubt you me? Head over to YouTube.
Man, this makes me think back to mallrats.
"Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some bastard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator."
For how comfortable they are they sure are ugly beasts. Don't any at the moment but can't say i haven't thought about buying some.
Tney're damn comfortable and great as boat/cottage shoes, I love mine but I avoid wearing them in the city where I may encounter other people.
Those aren't ugly shoes.
As an Aussie, I can't help but be minorly offended by the people who think uggs are uggly. Yes, some are, and some stupid fashion-tarts make them oh-so-easy to dislike but what is more awesome than having that fuzziness envelope your cold toes on those frigid winter days?
Real Australian made Ugg boots are brilliant. Cheap foreign knock-offs are the cause of this hate.
Following an incident I sent to Croccs (below, along with their response). No action has been taken!:
- Without Prejudice -
INCIDENT INVOLVING CROCS SHOES - 2ND SEPTEMBER 2006
You should be aware of an incident that happened on Saturday 2nd of September at Gatwick Airport, England.
Our 4 year old son was wearing Crocs supervised (standing to my right and holding my hand) on an escalator within the airport.
Before the top of the escalator his right foot caught on the side of the escalator. Thankfully I was able to pull his foot free in an instant.
As a consequence he suffered a severe cut through his big toe (which bled profusely) and crushing injury. He was treated at the scene by on site para-medic and taken by ambulance to East Surrey hospital.
He fortunately has not lost his toes and is recovering well. Not surprisingly he has been terribly troubled and traumatised by the incident as have the rest of our family.
This was a very unfortunate incident which I have no doubt whatsoever is part attributable to the Crocs shoes. Thankfully my quick reaction reduced the severity of the injury.
In the interim we feel it appropriate that you issue a warning to wearers of the shoes with regard to the high risk to minors of such an incident.
Please urgently confirm receipt of this mail and that you will take immediate action.
Thank you.
_________________________
We are sorry to hear about your escalator incident. We take customer feedback very seriously. We will forward your response to our engineering department for review so that they can try and determine the cause of your accident. Any additional information related to the incident will be helpful- ie- the type of escalator, where your son was standing, what he was doing while riding the escalator, etc.
Unfortunately, escalator accidents can be caused by numerous factors including inadequate maintenance and improper use. In addition, as you know, accidents can be caused by hands, feet and shoes being caught in an escalator. In fact, most safety recommendations related to escalators advise that children’s shoes can be pulled into an escalator if their feet are near the sides of the moving walkway. Currently, Crocs, Inc. subscribes to general escalator safety guidelines which recommend the following:
Be aware that loose shoe laces, drawstrings, scarves, and mittens can get trapped in escalators.
Always hold children's hands on escalators and do not permit children to sit or play on the steps.
Do not bring children onto escalators in strollers, walkers, or carts.
Always face forward and hold the handrail.
Avoid the edges of steps where entrapment can occur.
Learn where the emergency shutoff buttons are in case you need to stop the escalator.
In addition, as a soft soled shoe, Crocs is taking additional action by advising its consumers to exercise caution on escalators and other moving walkways via a hangtag that will be attached to each shoe. We believe that this “Crocs Cares” effort will assist in educating consumers and helping to prevent escalator injuries. These hangtags are due out by the end of the year.
I hope that this information helps. Please forward on any additional information you may have related to your son’s incident. In the meant time, we will be happy to replace the torn shoe with a new pair. Please give us your son’s size and color preference and we will get these shipped as soon as possible. Feel free to contact us with additional questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Here's a link:
http://philmusic.com/main/content/view/150/1/
With some photo's too. Looks like they really are a bit unsafe. Especially for kids.
..wow, what a bullshit "article". I think this is all false hype by short sellers trying to get the stock to go down.
Enjoy being haters. I'm laughing all the way to the bank, and in very comfy shoes, and crocs has tons of hot new styles.
Enjoy!
How much did the short-sellers pay you or your publication to post bullshite false statements about crocs?
What a phucking moron. You squander your rep for a few dollars?
Idiot.
The escalator stories are totally false. Crocs are so popular that there are bound to be accidents IN GENERAL, but there is ABSOLUTELY no statistical evidence or data showing a relationship between crocs and escalator injuries.
Escalators are dangerous - PERIOD.
Flip flops are just as likely (if not more) to be a problem on an escalator.
There are 10,000 or so escalator accidents per year in the US - of which something like 4 have involved shoes LIKE or made by crocs. This DOES NOT justify a ban, or concern, or the absolutely undue focus on Crocs - per se.
There are 75+ styles of croc - either being sold or to be sold in the next year.
Go ahead, hate the shoes, but this BS about accidents is fully unfounded, wrong, misleading, and constitutes libel against crocs.
Crocs are, hands down, simply the most comfortable shoes. If you don't like 'em, don't wear 'em. I don't particularly like seeing slacker teens in baggy pants, but that doesn't mean we should BAN baggy pants.
Sheesh, the things you idiots waste your time on....get a life.