Washington Shoe Western Chief toddler light-up rain boots

What went wrong

The notice saysRivets used to attach the handles to the boot can detach, posing a choking hazard to 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 noticeThis recall includes the Western Chief "Abstract Camo," "Alia Silver," and "Sweetheart Navy" Light-Up Rain Boots in sizes 5-12 for toddlers or children. The recalled boots are camouflage, silver glitter, and navy with hearts; include boot handles; and have a light up feature in the heel of the boot. The rivets used to attach the handles are silver-gray in color. "Western Chief" and the model numbers are located on the inside tag of the boot. The recalled model numbers are T24121725P, T24121728P, and T24121729P.

The notice gives no style numbers or barcodes, so you match on what it does give: the brand and style (Western Chief toddler light-up rain boots), the sizes (sizes 5-12), the sale period (May 2020 to October 2020), the store (Target) 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 stop using the recalled boots, take the boots away from children, and return them to any Target Store for a full refund.

Recall contact, as printed in the notice: Washington Shoe Company toll-free at 855-545-0862 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, email at [email protected], or online at https://www.washingtonshoe.com/recall for more information.

The recall is 5 years old, and the last pairs were sold about 6 years ago. Children outgrow shoes fast, so pairs like these now turn up mainly as hand-me-downs or in resale, where the recall still applies. The notice gives a phone number, an email address and a website for the firm.

How this recall compares

• With about 77,400 units, this is the 20th 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 (May 2020 to October 2020), 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 $25. For boots in the archive the typical stated price is about $29, so this pair sat near the middle of its group.
• The notice cites 115 reports before the recall. 36 of the 95 detailed notices in the archive cite no incidents at all.

Year, part, store and origin

• 2020 brought 4 footwear recalls in our archive, covering about 204,800 units in all. This was the 4th of the year by date and the 2nd largest by units.
• The notice names the rivet or stud as the part that fails. 5 other footwear recalls in the archive name the same part in their hazard statement; the most recent is Birkenstock Kids' Mogami Sandals Sizes 24-28 (2021).
• Sold at Target. 8 other footwear recalls in the archive also list Target as a seller; the most recent is Cat & Jack Children’s Sandals (2026).
• Made in China. 61 of the 91 notices in the archive that name a country list China (67%).
• 115 reports on about 77,400 units works out to roughly 149 reports per 100,000 units. The median across the 55 recalls that give both figures is 16, so this recall drew more reports per pair than most.
• At the stated price, the 77,400 units come to roughly $1.9 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.