A mum has taken to the internet to warn other parents about letting their kids go on escalators wearing Crocs after her daughter had a 'freak accident.'
Olivia shared the toe-curling story on Facebook, explaining that she went on an escalator with her daughter, who was wearing a pink pair of the popular shoe.
When they were halfway up the escalator, her daughter's shoe got stuck in the side and she narrowly avoided a terrible injury.
"Today my daughters [Croc] got trapped in the side of the escalator halfway up," she wrote.
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"Thankfully I got her foot out straight away.
"Apparently was a 'freak accident' but just want to warn others to keep their children away from the sides."
Olivia also shared pictures of the shoe after the accident, which show the entire toe section having been ripped from the rest of the shoe.
People were quick to comment on the post and share their support for the mum and daughter.
One person wrote: "Omg Glad your Daughter is OK, that’s terrifying."
Others shared their experiences of getting various shoes stuck in escalators.
"This happened to me when I was a child, my lace got stuck at the top," once commenter recalled. "My dad struggled to free it, had to press the emergency stop button. I've never forgotten it, I get very wary on them, especially with my own children."
In 2005, 10-year-old Chloe Johnson from Kansas City had a terrifying experience when the toe of her shoe was sucked between the stair and the side wall of a busy airport escalator.
"Chloe said, 'My toe, my toe,'" her mother told ABC News. "And we took the Croc off and seeing the blood and seeing her toe - it was frightening."
Luckily, Chloe made a full recovery.
But it's not just Crocs that pose a danger – any soft, pliable shoe, even flip-flops, can be dangerous on escalators.
One commenter on Olivia's Facebook post wrote: "It happens with wellies too. The rubber material is a nightmare. Glad the little one was ok."
"It's been happening for decades," another said. "Lots of people still don't know, so thanks for posting."
The Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates about 2,000 people in the US go to the emergency room every year after having hands, feet or shoes trapped in escalators and some businesses have started posting warning signs near their escalators telling customers to be careful if they're wearing any type of rubber shoe.
Tyla has contacted Crocs for a comment.
Topics: Parenting
Bec Oakes