Sandals from Wal-Mart May Cause Chemical Burns
Posted by
Jenny AlbanoJanuary 12, 2008 12:49 PMWal-Mart Sand 'N Sun flip-flops, which are sold for $2.44 nationwide, have been causing mass peeling because of a chemical reaction between human skin and the chemical composition of the flip-flop. The chemical reaction has still not been identified, it could be linked to many things such as sun screen, etc. The area of irritation is on the tops of the feet and corresponds to where the thong portion of the plastic sandal hits the foot.
Since September of this year, Wal-Mart has reportedly sold "over a million" of these colorful plastic Sand 'N Sun sandals, which has been supposedly now recalled because they have burned the skin (first and second degree burns) on the feet of at least a dozen consumers. The flip-flops were made in China.
Even though these sandals have been recalled, they can still be found in stores. According to one consumer, she went to purchase the shoes and the scanner did not recognize the code because of the recall, but the cashier just over-rode the block and continued with the sale.
To view pictures of some of the consumer's feet that have been burned you can visit this website:
http://www.lamanaphotography.com/walmart6.htm
Kerry Stiles, the creator of the website, says that she is preparing a class-action suit against Wal-Mart. She stated that her feet are still raw and tender after two months of not wearing the sandals. Stiles claimed she only wore the flip-flops twice for 10 minutes each time.
Wal-Mart has stated that it will test their flip-flops to find the chemical that is causing the burns. So far the results of the testing have not been publicly announced.
For more information on this subject, please refer to our section on Defective and Dangerous Products.