Why you shouldn’t wear Crocs on escalators

After a rise in worrying incidents involving a popular shoe brand loved by kids (and adults), airports and shopping centres have taken action.

A popular shoe has been banned from escalators in airports, train stations and shopping centres after series of scary incidents.

Crocs are foam footwear loved for its non-slip nature. Since launching 20 years ago, the iconic shoes have gone through waves of popularity, most recently exiting a “daggy” era to become a show that epitomises style.

They are also the shoe of choice for many parents as they are easy to slip on and off even the most difficult child’s feet.

But in recent months, there have been multiple incidents involving the shoes getting stuck in escalators – and now airports and shopping centres have put warnings on the machinery to avoid a potential disaster.

Images posted to forum website Reddit show some have even banned the “soft shoes”.

“Take extra care when wearing,” one reads.

“Crocs are banned on all escalators,” another states.

Many escalators in public places now warn people not to wear Crocs when riding. Picture: Reddit

The soft shoes are easily sucked into the mechanism. Picture: Reddit

The signage added to escalators around the world comes after a number of terrifying incidents where the shoes have been sucked into the mechanism.

A four-year-old girl almost lost her foot after arriving at Sydney airport from Brisbane with her mother in May.

Lisa Brennan’s daughter Fiadh was wearing Crocs when she suddenly turned to her mother and started shouting “my shoe, my shoe”.

“I was trying to pull her shoe out but then she started getting really hysterical and I realised something was wrong,” Ms Brennan told Yahoo News Australia.

“So I started shouting at people to please press the emergency stop button but people in front of me just didn’t understand what was happening.

“[Eventually] A guy behind me that could see her foot was stuck, so he jumped over me and ran down and pressed it.”

A US-based personal injury law firm known as TSR Injury Law, explained that the plastic shoes “generate friction” when someone stands too close to the edge which can essentially make it difficult to pull away.

“This friction generates heat which then melts the plastic just enough that it can be drawn into the gap between the step and the side of the escalator,” the website states.

“Once the shoe has been drawn into the side of the escalator, it is all too easy for it to get caught in the mechanism driving the stairs.

“This continues to occur until a child’s foot is cut or maimed.”

A little girl in the UK almost lost her foot after getting her foot stuck this week. Picture: Facebook

She escaped without a scratch – unlike others who have been through the same thing. Picture: Facebook

Thankfully, Fiadh’s foot survived without any lasting damage, but it hasn’t stopped the scary incident from occurring to others.

British mother Olivia Jill recently took to Facebook to warn other parents about the potential dangers of the shoe after her daughter go her pink Croc stuck in the side.

Olivia was able to yank her daughter’s shoe out, but added said she was sharing details of the “freak accident to warn others to keep their children away from the sides”.

Images showed the toe of the shoe was completely ripped out, with part of it remaining in the escalator.

Other photos show the shoes ‘sucked in like jelly’. Picture: Reddit

Please be careful when wearing the popular shoe. Picture: Reddit

Meanwhile another concerned mother called for public spaces with escalators to “put signs up to make people more aware” in a worried Reddit post.

Alongside her plea, she shared snaps of a white Croc completely wedged in a train station escalator, as well as an image of staff working to remove it.

Many commented stating they had “no idea” this could happen, as others agreed it was “so scary”.

“Wow, it just sucks the Croc in like it’s jelly,” one commented.

“Watched a little girl lose a toe wearing Crocs on an escalator at Disney World,” another claimed.

As one also said: “Physician here. Have seen kids’ feet demolished by escalator and they were wearing Crocs.”

News.com.au contacted Crocs who declined to comment.