Japan instructs makers of popular Crocs footwear to improve design after escalator accidents
Associated Press | Apr 18, 08 9:17 AM CDT
Japan has instructed the maker of popular Crocs footwear to improve the design after reports that young children wearing the colorful plastic clogs were getting feet caught in escalators, the Trade Ministry said Friday.
The ministry issued the warning after receiving 65 complaints about Crocs products getting stuck in escalators between June and November last year. Most of the cases involved small children.
More than a dozen injuries were reported, including a broken toe and peeled-off toenails, the ministry said in a statement.
Recent tests by the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation confirmed the spongy footwear can easily get stuck in escalators because of its flexibility and grip, it said.
The ministry also urged supermarkets, railway stations and other commercial facilities to upgrade signs to urge escalator riders to use caution.
The Japanese unit of Crocs has published a statement on its official Web site warning customers to use caution when riding escalators.
Calls to Crocs Asia PTE, Ltd., a regional affiliate of Colorado-based Crocs Inc., were not answered late Friday.
About 3.9 million pairs of Crocs footwear were sold in Japan last year, the ministry said.
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