METI asks Crocs to improve plastic shoes in wake of escalator accidents

Saturday 19th April, 05:35 AM JST

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

› Login to comment

Latest 15 of 28 Total Comments Show All

Kwaabish at 02:56 AM JST - 20th April

Possum

I was addressing your statement where you made it sound as though Japan (and the behaviour of Japanese contributing) was the only country having issues with Crocs. I think I addressed THAT issue quite clearly.

The case has been overturned and remanded.

I never brought up any accusation of the Croc manufacturer being the only problem. You made it sound as though the Japanese are the only ones going after Crocs.

Clearly other consumers (such as the American consumers) are after Crocs too. They've already started numerous lawsuits. METI, so far, have been civil enough to "ask" and have not sued them (yet). The Elevator and Escalator Safety Commision in the US has also attempted to address the issue with Crocs.

Perhaps, if you're so determined to come to the aid of the manufacturer of Crocs, you would be interested in addressing the consumer public of not only Japan and raising your above "defences" but also do the same to the UK, US, Singapore, South Korea, Canada and other countries who have raised the same questions?
m2gym at 08:21 AM JST - 20th April

One of the problems is that some people, especially children, 'ride' the escalator off the top - they don't step off! Unfortunately some shoes, and not just Crocs, are likely to 'stick' when the step reaches the comb of the landing platform. Simple guidelines: Pay attention! Step on, step off. Face the same way as you are moving. Hold the hand rail. And for goodness sake, move away from the escalator when you get off, and don't walk across in front of people getting off! Better yet, take the stairs and don't rush.
thepossum at 09:35 AM JST - 20th April

m2gym, you are exactly right:

"Pay attention! Step on, step off. Face the same way as you are moving. Hold the hand rail. And for goodness sake, move away from the escalator when you get off, and don't walk across in front of people getting off! Better yet, take the stairs and don't rush."

And let's not forget... "to take personal responsibility for our actions" ! Contrary to what Kwaabish is trying to suggest (that this is somehow a worldwide phenomenon) this problem seems more than exaggerated here in Japan as it's media hysteria and "anti-anything not Japanese made" threatens to once again ban a great US made product. Love the colors ! Love the rain boots ! Love the fact they are made from recycled material !

As for kwaabish, I for one haven't heard of any actual suits and doubt anyone bringing any against crocs will win ! There are just too many variables in the equation. Again, I would focus more of my attention on the escalator companies who have obviously designed a flawed product. Most noteably the grooves in the steps ! The fact that your shoe laces can also get caught in these "moving steps/platforms has also somehow gone by the wayside. So what are we to do kwaabish ? Go barefoot ? In the meantime, it's time for Japanese to start paying attention, pick up their feet when they walk, watch their children, stop running up and down escalators (Sarge will love to hear that), and most of all stop pushing and shoving others out of the way as you arrogantly rush off to your Japan Inc. 16 hour job ! Trust me, you have lots of time to get where you are going... which, when really examined, is really not important !
flammenwerfer at 09:50 AM JST - 20th April

Its not Japan that is putting these a sandals in the firing line, its all lover the world. There have been plenty of accidents in other countries involving escalators too. There are blogs and websites put up by concerned people often parents of kids warning about crocs. Many nurse wore them to work but hospitals began to ban them as there was a connection between them and static electricity discharge around sensitive medical equipment.

http://www.shoebumblog.com/shoebum/images/2007/05/12/croctoe4.jpg warning graphic image of a croc accident
westurn at 10:13 AM JST - 20th April

Same old problem here at J-Today. An article about an issue in Japan quickly spreads to "oh yeh, well what about..."

Come now people can't we just stay focused on this issue here in Japan ? Personally, I don't live in any of those other countries mentioned. I want to know what the elevator and escalator companies are doing to shoulder the burden here in Japan. I agree with those posters that point the finger at them as well.
Kwaabish at 10:23 AM JST - 20th April

"As for kwaabish, I for one haven't heard of any actual suits and doubt anyone bringing any against crocs will win ! "

http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2008/02/04/daily63.html?ana=from_rss

Actual suits; check...

"Emma's injury is far from the first reported incident in which a child wearing Crocs shoes has been hurt on an escalator. There have been so many escalator injuries involving Crocs shoes that many parents feel that the shoes should no longer be made in children's' sizes and many shopping centers with escalators have begun to post warning signs about the dangerous combination of Crocs and the moving staircases.

In Singapore, a girl had her big toe ripped off by an escalator while wearing a pair of Crocs shoes. At the Atlanta Hartsfield Airport, a 3-year-old girl reportedly had to have two of her toes partially amputated after one of her Crocs shoes became stuck in the teeth of an escalator in April 2007. Also in Atlanta last year, a 10-year-old child who was wearing Crocs shoes sustained a minor injury to her toe when her shoe became wedged in the side of the escalator. In Virginia, a 4-year-old boy who was wearing a pair of Crocs shoes had a toenail ripped off by an escalator in September 2007. Two children in Arkansas also sustained serious injuries on escalators while wearing Crocs."

Problem existing outside the scope of just Japan; check...

Finally, as for if someone will actually win the suit against Croc... well, the case is still pending. Are you the presiding judge? And I would suppose that this case, like many other civil lawsuits out there in the US District Courts, will end in a settlement. (So is there a true winner, besides the lawyers handling the case ;p )

"this problem seems more than exaggerated here in Japan"

There's plenty of other media, even outside of Japan, that have addressed escalator injuries, and naming Croc as one of the products that seem to be close to the center of the storm. Perhaps if you looked at other sources, not just Japan Today, you may have a different opinion than "it's just the Japanese media that prints news about Croc injuries"...

"In the meantime, it's time for Japanese to start paying attention, pick up their feet when they walk, watch their children, stop running up and down escalators"

I think the above message is univeral, not only to Japan. You make it sound like only the Japanese get injured on escalators. And, as proven in my prior links, these injuries exist elsewhere too. Why don't you scream equally at people in Singapore, US, UK, South Korea or Canada to behave on the escalator?
westurn at 12:41 AM JST - 21st April

Kwaabish is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Simply can't deal with the fact that Japan has more than it's fair share of "issues" !

Umm,Kwaabish you go on and on about lawsuits here and there but you fail to mention that not one shoe made by crocs has been subject to a "recall" ! Gee, can Toyota say that ?

I tend to agree with possum, that wearers of these shoes hold the brunt of responsibility. I will add though that Japan seems to be ripe for problems with these shoes ! The large numbers of people buying these shoes and then using escalators is bound to inflate the numbers. But add to that the tendencey for Japanese to "drag" their feet rather than actually pick them up... well is just asking for trouble ! I can't tell you how common it is for Japanese, males in particular, to "slap" their heel as the walk. It's an annoying habit that borders on cultural peculiarity ! In any case, the solution seems easy... put plastic guard rails on the sides and ends of escalators ! Problem solved ! In the meantime, I'm gonna enjoy my crocs and all the proven health benefits associated with them !
Kwaabish at 01:49 AM JST - 21st April

Westurn

"not one shoe made by crocs has been subject to a "recall" ! Gee, can Toyota say that ? "

Not sure why you would try to drag Toyota into this discussion but...

Recalls are mostly voluntary (by the manufacturer) these days.

So, Croc has not volunteered to correct or pull their products (or to address the issue?).

Perhaps thats why people are addressing it for them (Croc). With these requests (METI, US Elevator and Escalator Safety Commision) and lawsuits (end-user, consumer), perhaps they are trying to make Croc a little more aware.

Maybe, if as you state, the Japanese can't deal with its fair share of issues, it would be more economical for the Japanese to just outright ban the Crocs from sale in Japan in the interest of the safety of its citizens, since it would be much cheaper to do so than to retrofit every escalator in Japan and much faster than changing the Japanese tendency as you state you observe?
westurn at 09:08 AM JST - 21st April

"With these requests (METI, US Elevator and Escalator Safety Commision) and lawsuits (end-user, consumer), perhaps they are trying to make Croc a little more aware."

Aware of what ? that of 3.9 million shoes sold... less than half-a-dozen resulted in some kind of injury from riding an escalator ? Again, I'd say focus on the elevators and the culture of "hurry hurry" here in Japan.

"Maybe, if as you state, the Japanese can't deal with its fair share of issues, it would be more economical for the Japanese to just outright ban.."

Unfortunately Japan has already done that, resulting in some of the highest consumer prices on the planet ! Japan has had a long history of finger pointing and blaming others for its own defecits. I for one would like a complete investigation into these escalator/elevator companies. I do believe that their products have actually killed Japanese citizens in the past. Not to mention broken cables being found, people getting trapped inside, belts on escalators breaking and sending huge shockwaves throughout the system, etc. Does anyone out there know exactly which escalator(s) people are getting injured on ? I'm willing to bet it's the same design ! At least thats what early stories indicated... but hey, I'm all ears !
cleo at 09:47 AM JST - 21st April

thepossum -

I haven't heard of one problem with these shoes coming out of any other country

What a sheltered life you must lead. Try googling 'crocs escalator'. You'll find reports of a little girl's croc being sucked into the escalator at Atlanta airport; two children in Arkansas having their feet 'mangled'; a child in Singapore losing her big toe; a 7-year-old whose corc-clad foot was 'chewed up' on a Kentucky airport escalator; a 3-year-old whose parents are suing Crocs for the 'permanent and severe injuries' sustained when a JFK airport escalator 'devoured' the child's foot.

Maybe you'd like to save a bit of that rhetoric for the reckless way kids apparently 'run up and down, push and shove, and basically act like a buncha wild galloots' in the nation's airports? Or does that not fit your 'bash Japan at every opportunity' agenda?

Why would anyone want to put those god-awful ugly things on their feet in the first place?
thepossum at 03:53 PM JST - 21st April

Yes Cleo, I ventured out of the sheltered life I lead today and went in search of the truth. And what I found was most interesting... But first lets be clear, Crocs sells millions of their shoes in the USA, Japan, and other parts of the free world. You have presented a mere 6 examples, out of the millions sold, of stories about the concerns of wearing Crocs. You fail to mention that it isn't only Crocs that has come under scrutiny. It seems that "all" sandaled shoes are suspect, as are open toed womens shoes. In short, any shoe with an exposed toe, soft rubber molding, or even a sharp point should be feeling the heat from METI as Crocs is... but none of them are... WHY ??? Because Cleo, this is more about faulty escalator designs than shoes. Take a look next time you venture out of your sheltered world... don't forget to take the cop with you either ! Take a gander at any and all escalators here in Japan. They provide a nice yellow strip of paint to indicate "hazard" ! Cripes Cleo, the warning is built into the system ! These designers knew from day one that these machines were not totally safe ! But you still wanna cry about "shoes" ! How easily lured from the real issue you are. Now, if its a totally safe escalator you want, I suggest rubber barriers instead of open gaps on the sides. And how expensive would it be to add a soft rubber molding to the ends of these shoe traps ?

OK, enough of the solution, now what about the upside to Crocs ?

From the Washington Post:

"Crocs, made of a resin foam called Croslite and listing for $29.99, are featured prominently on the Web site of the Bethesda-based American Podiatric Medical Association ( http://www.apma.org/ ) as one healthy alternative to flip-flops; two Crocs models -- both in the Crocs Rx line, designed for people with diabetes and others with circulatory and foot ailments -- recently have been awarded the APMA Seal of Acceptance. The APMA takes special note of the fact that Croslite "warms and softens with body heat and molds to the users' feet, while remaining extremely lightweight."

Harold Glickman, chief of podiatric surgery at Sibley Memorial Hospital, praises Crocs for their ample toe room, deep and supportive heel cup and secure rear strap. Their loose fit, he said, means no pressure points or rubbing spots, and their nonporous material gives them antibacterial properties that makes them "a huge asset to those susceptible to infection -- those with diabetic ulcerations, wounds or poor circulation."

Wow Cleo, guess that answers this ridiculous question:

"Why would anyone want to put those god-awful ugly things on their feet in the first place?"

Get with the new age Cleo, yer Birkenstocks are old news ! And in the meantime, tell the Japanese to simply follow the rules for riding escalators that I found posted on everyone I rode today... stand away from the edges, away from the front, and step off at the end ! Seems pretty simple to me, hell pictures and all... begs the question, why so many problems here in Japan ? Could it be...

"the reckless way kids apparently 'run up and down, push and shove, and basically act like a buncha wild galloots'"

Well, it appears that way doesn't it !
cleo at 04:29 PM JST - 21st April

thepossum -

Now, I didn't 'fail' to mention anything. You stated that you hadn't 'heard of one problem with these shoes coming out of any other country'. I simply pointed out that there had been more than one problem, coming out of several countries including your beloved USA which stands as a shining pinnacle of How Things Should Be to the rest of us. All it needed was a simple, 'Oh, I hadn't heard it happens in other countries too, thanks for the heads-up.'

No, please, don't mention it. You're welcome.

Birkenstocks - I had to google that, never heard of 'em. They look a lit like Dr. Scholls sandals. Not bad, but as you say, a bit dated (like, 40 years!) Thank you for the explanation of crocs and people with podiatric problems. Now I understand why some people might wear them, they're like calipers and teeth braces, right? But it doesn't answer the question of why they have to be so darn ugly. And raises two new questions - Why would people put them on healthy kids' feet, and What are people with gammy legs doing riding escalators in the first place? Could it be that the problem is not the ugly shoes, not the yellow-striped escalators, but invalids trying to run up and down escalators?
Altria at 04:34 PM JST - 21st April

Don't blame the makers - escalators chewing up Croc wearers is natural selection at its best!
thepossum at 04:41 PM JST - 21st April

"But it doesn't answer the question of why they have to be so darn ugly."

Ah Cleo, you should know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"Why would people put them on healthy kids' feet, and What are people with gammy legs doing riding escalators in the first place"

Actually Crocs were originaly designed for the beachcombing set. The fact that they made it onto the streets of Tokyo and Osaka must be another example of the... how did you say it now...

"beloved USA which stands as a shining pinnacle of How Things Should Be to the rest of us."

Well said !
citykids at 02:14 AM JST - 24th April

Bleh, Croc shoes should be banned just on their looks alone.