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You know Crocs–those faddish, ugly rubber clogs that come in every color of the rainbow?
They’ve been all the rage for a year now. But they could put your kids–and you–in danger. It’s apparently old news reported by ABC News, last year, but for some reason I’ve been hearing a lot about it in the news, lately.
And this news about the safety risk of wearing Crocs makes yet another point for me about Vegans and others who refuse to wear leather. A lot of them wear Crocs instead, and it apparently leads to “natural selection” on escalators:

Some people have reported that kids wearing Crocs have had their feet sucked into the side of escalators.

(Photo from That Shirt Site)
Some businesses have even posted warning signs near their escalators saying if you’re wearing Crocs, be careful.
Chloe Johnson, 10, from Kansas City, is one of those kids who had a frightening experience while wearing the shoes. . . .
Last year on an escalator at the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, she had a huge scare.
“Chloe said, ‘My toe, my toe,'” said her mother, Kay Hopkins. “And we took the Croc off and seeing the blood and seeing her toe — it was frightening.”
The escalator was crowded, and the toe of Chloe’s left shoe was sucked between the escalator stair and the side wall.
Some people have reported that kids wearing Crocs have had their feet sucked into the side of escalators.
Some businesses have even posted warning signs near their escalators saying if you’re wearing Crocs, be careful.
Chloe Johnson, 10, from Kansas City, is one of those kids who had a frightening experience while wearing the shoes.
She loved her Crocs. “I wore them almost everywhere,” she said.
Last year on an escalator at the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, she had a huge scare.
“Chloe said, ‘My toe, my toe,'” said her mother, Kay Hopkins. “And we took the Croc off and seeing the blood and seeing her toe — it was frightening.”
The escalator was crowded, and the toe of Chloe’s left shoe was sucked between the escalator stair and the side wall.
“To have this happen with your child standing right next to you ends up being pretty shocking,” said Chloe’s father, Neil Johnson.
Chloe’s foot recovered, but last month, two children wearing Crocs in Arkansas had more serious injuries.
“Imagine that you are taking a child shopping and out of the blue their foot is mangled, trapped,” said James Yuen, a plastic surgeon at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. “Can you imagine a child stuck for almost an hour? It is a very traumatic event.”
It’s not just Crocs that pose a danger — any soft, pliable shoe, even flip-flops, can be dangerous on an escalator.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 10,000 people go to the emergency room every year after accidents on escalators. Of those, 20 percent involved having hands, feet or shoes trapped. . . .
The makers of Crocs are designing a new tag that includes escalator safety tips. . . .
To be safe, experts say parents should make sure children ride in the center of the escalator step.
Parents of small children should carry them, and kids should not run their foot along the wall — that creates friction and heat, which could explain why the Crocs seem to melt around the edge of the step.
And remember that escalators are now outfitted with emergency stop buttons.
If you run into trouble, you can shut it down pretty quickly.

A better solution: Teach your kids to take the steps (they’re healthier), or better yet . . . don’t buy them Crocs.
Yes, animal rights activists, it’s official: We were meant to wear leather shoes.