« American Girl Goes to Japan to Commit Suicide | Main | My Below-the-Belt Prank Tutorial »
Crocs + escalators = bad news.
Reports of over sixty instances of feet getting stuck on escalator grids since last summer led to an investigation into the safety of Crocs on escalators. Crocs are made of resin; they're soft, stretchy, and not very slippery on non-lubricated surfaces, like many escalators. And they're still relatively popular in Japan. One five year old girl broke her toe trying to get off of one when her foot got stuck in the side of it. Ouch.
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c5d3253ef00e551e343178833
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Crocs Blamed for Escalator Accidents:
This is only a preview. Your comment has not yet been posted.
As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.
Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.
In 2008, Chronicle published my book: Urawaza: Secret Everyday Tips and Tricks from Japan.
I am also the founder of The Tofu Project, a boutique program that helps Japanese entrepreneurs and creators think deeper, tell better stories, and go out into the world in a much bigger way. We work with companies like Mixi, Japan Airlines, and Salesforce.com.
Sometimes I try to explain Japanese culture on CNN, BBC, CBC, WSJ, ABC (so many acronyms!) or in person at places like the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan, ETech, and Ignite!
Follow me on Twitter
Become a Facebook Fan
Read some of my published magazine stories
Send tips to mango [at] tokyomango [dot] com
Being a commited Croc hater, I have to say I think anyone wearing them should be getting a citation for public nuisance anyway.
Yes, I know. I'm bitter. And twisted.
Posted by: Allison Schnackenberg | April 18, 2008 at 06:04 AM
I've heard from many podiatrists that Crocs can be worse for our feet than heels. They don't support the feet at all. They are way too soft, much like walking on foam with your bare feet. You can twist your ankles easily. Besides, they look ridiculous. More importantly, the wearers constantly criticize other people's footwear like they just join some cult. (like mac users lashing on pc users) Very annoying.
On the other hand, I also remember a lot of platform shoes DEATH in the mid-90's. I saw a shop girl in Shibuya with 10-12" platform shoes! (circus or boutique?)
Posted by: kungfupiggy | April 18, 2008 at 08:28 AM
I have a pair, yes, they're quite fugly, but they're also very comfy. :) Actually, most people I know that have them are very aware of how goofy they look. Kids should definitely be more careful in them (read: parents need to pay better attention - and no, my son does not have a pair)
now, to buy my orange pair soon... haha
Posted by: Kris | April 18, 2008 at 09:49 AM