Reebok "Iverson/Answer" toddler shoes

What went wrong

The notice saysThe I-3 logo-tag on the tongue of the shoe can be peeled off, posing a choking hazard to young children.

Here the loose piece is a working part of the shoe, not an add-on decoration. Fasteners such as snaps, rivets, zipper tabs and tags are pressed or sewn in at the factory, and when that attachment is weak they can work free with ordinary flexing. Because the part looks like it belongs there, parents rarely think to test it; a firm pull with your fingers is the quickest check.

How to tell if your pair is affected

Product description in the noticeThe recalled Reebok Iverson mid- and low-style athletic shoes were sold in toddler sizes 2 through 10. The logo-tag on the tongue of the shoe reads "I3/Answer," and on the rear and center of the heel is an "I3" logo. The names "Iverson" and "The Realist" are carved into the sole. The model number is printed on a label on the underside of the tongue. Model numbers included in the recall are: 99553, B99553, 99554, B99554, 105155, B105155, 105158, B105158, 108292, and B108292.

The notice gives no style numbers or barcodes, so you match on what it does give: the brand and style (Reebok "Iverson/Answer" toddler shoes), the sizes (toddler sizes 2 through 10), the sale period (March 2004 to August 2004), where it was sold (see “Sold at” above) and the “made in” label (China). If a detail does not line up, the recall contact below can confirm.

What the notice tells you to do

RemedyConsumers should immediately take these shoes away from young children and contact Reebok to receive a refund.

Recall contact, as printed in the notice: Call Reebok at (800) 843-4444 anytime or visit the firm’s website at www.reebok.com

The recall is 22 years old, and the last pairs were sold about 22 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 140,000 units, this is the 13th 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 above 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 (March 2004 to August 2004), against a median of 7 months across recalls that state one. The recall came 1 month after the last sale date.
• The notice gives a price of $35. For sneakers and athletic shoes in the archive the typical stated price is about $38, so this pair sat near the middle of its group.
• The notice cites 1 report before the recall. 36 of the 95 detailed notices in the archive cite no incidents at all.

Year, part, store and origin

• 2004 brought 7 footwear recalls in our archive, covering about 1,995,400 units in all. This was the 4th of the year by date and the 4th largest by units.
• The notice names the toggle or tag as the part that fails. 4 other footwear recalls in the archive name the same part in their hazard statement; the most recent is Cat & Jack "Himani" and "Jaren" Toddler Boots (2020).
• Made in China. 61 of the 91 notices in the archive that name a country list China (67%).
• 1 report on about 140,000 units works out to roughly 0.7 reports per 100,000 units. The median across the 55 recalls that give both figures is 16, so this recall drew fewer reports per pair than most.
• At the stated price, the 140,000 units come to roughly $4.9 million 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.