Choking

Every choking-hazard footwear recall in our archive involves children’s shoes, and almost all of them involve a decoration: a flower, pearl, rhinestone, pom-pom, unicorn horn, snap, rivet or logo tag that can come off and fit in a small child’s mouth. A few newer cases involve light-up shoes whose battery compartment can open.

Babies and toddlers put shoes in their mouths, which is why booties and soft-soled infant shoes show up so often. These recalls are frequently large, because they cover cheap, popular store-brand styles sold in many colors and sizes. The remedy is almost always a refund, and notices usually ask you to take the shoes away from the child right away.

What the numbers show

• Who wore them: children’s 42.
• Product types: sandals, clogs and flip-flops (18), sneakers and athletic shoes (7), slippers and booties (7), boots (6), shoes (4).
• 27 of 36 detailed notices cite reports before the recall; the median is 2 and the highest is 115 for Western Chief toddler light-up rain boots (2020).
• No notice in this group gives a count of injuries.
• Median time on sale before the recall: 5 months, across 34 notices that give sale dates.
• Most common country of manufacture: China (30), Cambodia (1), Germany (1), Vietnam (1).
• Remedies named: refund 17, replace 1.

By decade

Largest recalls in this group