Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums, for communication between foot health professionals about podiatry and related topics.
You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members (PM), upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, earn CPD points and access many other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisments in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.
The Brisbane Times are reporting: Kids-in-Crocs safety concern
Quote:
CHILD-SAFETY experts have issued warnings about popular ultra-light, rubber-soled clogs as child-care groups move to discourage youngsters from wearing them.
The child-care body Family Day Care Australia is telling parents that Crocs and other forms of loose-fitting rubber footwear are inappropriate for young children.
Several children have been injured while wearing the clogs, originally designed to be worn on boats.
The child-safety authority Kidsafe noted the risk posed by the rubber shoes in a report this year, citing an incident in Perth in which an eight-year-old girl wearing Crocs got her right foot caught on the side of an escalator.
She freed her foot from the shoe but when she attempted to retrieve the shoe, her hand was caught in the escalator.
This caused severe injury, which required extensive surgery.
The reported concluded: ''Crocs and similar shoes may not be suitable for toddlers and young children, and may be inappropriate for visits to places such as shopping centres where escalators are present.''
But Barrie Elvish, the chief executive of Queensland child-care association C&K, said he didn't have a problem with children wearing the shoes to kindergarten or child care.
''Parents should be trusted to ensure they are the right size and fit,'' he said.
''I have recently seen children with Crocs on that also have a back strap for safety.''
Mr Elvish said he was more concerned about children riding barefoot on escalators in shopping centres and elsewhere.
''[That] habit ... probably has more safety worries than Crocs,'' he said.
A Brisbane podiatrist also refused to condemn the popular shoes, saying that they were fine for children to wear at times.
Ian Goodchild, from the Fortitude Valley clinic My Foot Doctor said Crocs weren't very supportive, but neither were thongs nor ''even a lot of sports shoes''.
''[Crocs] are light and soft, which are both good,'' he said. ''Kids don't need a lot of [shoe] support like adults do.''
But Dr Goodchild said he didn't believe school-aged children should be wearing them constantly, as they required shoes with more support.
Kidsafe's chief executive, Christine Erskine, said parents should ensure children wore properly fitted shoes.
More than 675,000 pairs of Crocs were sold in Australia last year.
and to think Crocs come in kids' sizes
Linear Mode
