The smiling crocodile seems to be a foreshadowing of what is about to occur. It’s ready to pounce. A boy named Rory McDermott, five in age, with soft messy hair, holds his mother’s hand patiently as they step onto the escalator together. Suddenly, he begins to wail and scream in agony. His mother’s eyes widen in shock as she tugs hard on Rory and pulls him up. “Help! Call an ambulance!” she shouts, and everyone turns to face the commotion. Rory remains screaming, unable to pull his foot out of the shoe, pain outlining his face as his foot continues to bleed. He stays stuck to the escalator for ten minutes until he was pulled off by several also riding the escalator. No one understood the cause of the incident at first. The answer: the classic blue styled Crocs that Rory McDermott was wearing.

Crocs is one of the most successful footwear companies in the world, with people of all ages from all areas sporting the shoes. The company has sold over 300 million pairs since 2002 in more than 90 countries around the world. However, because of Crocs’ popularity, people don’t realize the great danger of them, especially for children, and more mishaps have been taking place. The company has been involved in a series of lawsuits concerning the safety of their shoes. However, since as early as 2006, Crocs has done very little to resolve the problem. In addition to escalator accident, Crocs have been linked to danger on playgrounds as well as in hospitals. The accidents associated with Crocs often involve a bloody toe, but the most common reported occurrence is children getting their Crocs caught on the escalators.

Rory McDermott was not the only one who had experienced this issue. The problem is universal; the 2012 Injury Prevention medical journal reported that in just Japan, 40 injuries came about between the span of May and August. The shoes, made of soft, synthetic resin, get trapped at the bottom and top comb plates of the escalators and get sucked into the space between the moving steps and the side of the escalators. The child is often unable to get his or her foot off the escalator because the escalator will begin to “eat” the shoe. However, it is ironic that the main marketing point of Crocs, the promised “no-skid,” is the reason for the shoes getting caught. It is the no-slip material that makes the Crocs grab when encountering the wall on the moving stairs, rather than sliding like most shoes. Many do not see the great harm that the escalator accidents can result in, but it has been proven that injuries involving getting caught in an escalator are generally more serious than falls.

Another safety issue involves Crocs and playgrounds. Crocs often lead to injuries on slides. Again, the material of the Crocs, which ensures the “no-skid” factor, is the large cause of the accident. The resin grabs the metal slide, resisting against it, and the Crocs seem to be glued to it with the child’s feet still within them. The high traction of the shoe causes children to stop gliding down when the Crocs grip the side, but the momentum already generated makes the child topple over the edge or in some cases, causes the child’s leg to jerk back sideways.
Crocs are worn everywhere, including in hospitals. Nurses often choose them because of comfort, but hospitals are banning Crocs due to the open holes at the top which raise the risk of injuries and because reports show that Crocs generate an extreme amount of static electricity. Blekinge Hospital in southern Sweden spoke of how the Crocs were to blame in three incidents when respirators and other medical equipments malfunctioned. Bjorn Lofqvist, a hospital spokesman, explained that with so many staff members wearing the shoes, “a cloud of lightning” could be created with the static electricity. The shoes are able to generate high electrical potentials that build up because they isolate the wearer from the floor. This may lead to a large spark when a great discharge happens. Hospitals in Norway and Sweden have already banned the shoes, while others have only discouraged employees from wearing them.

Some believe the problems with escalators, slides, or hospitals are not the fault of Crocs. Crocs claim their shoes are “completely safe” and blame customers’ misbehavior with them as the causes of the accidents. When speaking of escalators, the company said the incidents occur due to badly-maintained escalators and “the popularity of the shoes has drawn attention to the ‘long-existing issue’ of elevator safety.” While Crocs even admits that the problem has been ongoing, the company only put a general warning label that did not directly warn customers of the potential dangers. Many also detest the company’s scapegoat of the escalators being simply in bad condition because they check after the accidents and find the escalator properly working. In addition, the accidents on slides are completely the fault of the shoes’ material, and nothing else is to blame. However, some acceptance may be given to the idea of Crocs not designed for hospital use, hence the accidents, but it is the popularity of Crocs that changes the issue. People find the shoes all-purpose because it was never directly stated by Crocs that the shoes are not fit for certain tasks.

Everyone should be aware of the grave danger these shoes may cause, and advise friends, family, and Crocs to make announcements of the possible injuries. Crocs should improve the design of their shoe to stop these problems or have clearer warning labels that do not slip by the customers easily. The problem is very serious, and action must be taken. Crocs must not blame buyers for the large number of accidents and consumers should be wary of the risks.

Crocs, being so popular, have been the source of problems involving escalators, playgrounds, and hospitals. With such large potential risks, people should know what is happening and how they can help resolve the dilemma.