Children’s Shoes

What went wrong

The notice saysMolded rubber pieces on the sole of the recalled shoes can detach, posing a choking hazard to infants and young children.

The federal small parts rule sets how small a detached piece has to be to count as a choking risk for children under three. Most shoe recalls in this group came after a firm learned that a decoration was coming off; many notices mention only a few reports. Decorations that look sturdy can still loosen with wear, so the notice’s style details are the thing to match.

How to tell if your pair is affected

Product description in the noticeThis recall involves Clarks® children’s shoes sold under the "crawlers" and "hazy daze" style names. The crawlers were sold in infant sizes 2 to 3 1/2; and the hazy daze in sizes 4 to 6 1/2. "Clarks" is printed on the sole underneath the heel and the words "Clarks First Shoes" is printed on a multi-colored label inside the shoe’s heel area. The following names and model numbers are included in this recall. Name Model Number Description Little Kyle Blue Crawler 89823 Blue with red and black trim Little Kyle Tan Crawler 89824 Tan with blue and brown trim India Sparkle White Crawler 88000 White with light green trim and pink stitching Kirstin Baby Pink Crawler 88109 Light pink with darker pink trim Hazy Daze White Sandal 88234 White leather with cream and tan trim

The notice gives no style numbers or barcodes, so you match on what it does give: the brand and style (Children’s Shoes), the sizes (infant sizes 2 to 3 1/2), the sale period (February 2009 to July 2009), where it was sold (see “Sold at” above) and the “made in” label (Vietnam). If a detail does not line up, the recall contact below can confirm.

What the notice tells you to do

RemedyConsumers should immediately take the shoes away from children and return them to the nearest Clarks® store for a full refund.

Recall contact, as printed in the notice: For additional information, contact C & J Clark America at (800) 425-2757 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s Web site at www.clarkskidsusa.com

The recall is 17 years old, and the last pairs were sold about 17 years ago. Most original owners have moved on to bigger sizes; the pairs still around tend to sit in donation bags, consignment shops and online resale listings. The notice gives a phone number and a website for the firm; details that old may have changed, and the CPSC notice stays online as the record.

How this recall compares

• With about 2,000 units, this is the 77th largest of the 95 footwear recalls in our archive that give a U.S. unit count. The median recall in the archive covers about 7,200 units, so this one is well below typical size.
• 41 other footwear recalls in the archive cite the same kind of hazard (choking), 41 of them in children’s footwear. The earliest in this group dates from 1993.
• The notice puts the sales window at about 6 months (February 2009 to July 2009), against a median of 7 months across recalls that state one. The recall came 2 months after the last sale date.
• The notice gives a price of $35 to $40. For shoes in the archive the typical stated price is about $38, so this pair sat near the middle of its group.
• No incidents were reported before this recall. That is true of 36 of the 95 detailed notices in the archive: firms often recall after their own testing or a supplier finding, not after injuries.

Year, part, store and origin

• 2009 brought 9 footwear recalls in our archive, covering about 1,926,500 units in all. This was the 8th of the year by date and the 9th largest by units.
• The notice names the rubber sole piece as the part that fails. 1 other footwear recall in the archive names the same part in its hazard statement; the most recent is Infant Cozie booties (2017).
• Made in Vietnam. 6 of the 91 notices in the archive that name a country list Vietnam (7%).
• At the stated price, the 2,000 units come to roughly $75,000 of retail sales.

Comparisons use the 103 footwear recalls in our archive, read from the CPSC recall database on October 20, 2026. See data and methods.