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Commentary: Slippers and rubber clogs aren't just sloppy, they are a health hazard

Comfortable and oh-so-easy to slip in and out of, it’s no wonder flip-flops and rubber clogs are the footwear of choice for many Singaporeans. But they can be dangerous, says Tracy Lee.

Commentary: Slippers and rubber clogs aren't just sloppy, they are a health hazard

Personnel respond to a boy who had his foot stuck in an escalator at Jurong Point, Jul 14, 2024. (Photos: Reddit/woonsc)

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SINGAPORE: Earlier in July, a nine-year-old boy got his foot stuck for 40 minutes in a Jurong Point mall escalator. Firefighters and paramedics were called in to extricate him, and the injuries he sustained necessitated a hospital visit.

It’s not an isolated incident - in 2023, a six-year-old boy dislocated his toe after it got trapped in an escalator at the Botanic Gardens MRT station. He had to undergo a two-hour surgery.

In 2020, a three-year-old boy’s foot got sucked into the side of an escalator at VivoCity.

What these cases had in common was that they all involved kids wearing rubber clogs

Indeed, EVA foam shoes have been implicated in many such cases and not just in Singapore - some malls and airports in the US and Australia feature warning signs indicating that such footwear is discouraged or prohibited on escalators.

When a rubber clog wearer stands too close to the moving edge of an escalator, friction and heat are generated, which melt the foam just enough that the shoe can be drawn into the gap between the step and the side of the escalator.

Once that happens, it is all too easy for it to get chewed up by the escalator mechanism, to the point where the wearer’s foot is cut or maimed.

These risks apply to slippers as well. In 2019, a five-year-old boy’s flip-flop was caught in an escalator at Jewel Changi Airport, and he suffered a cut on his toe.

File photo. Some malls and airports in the US and Australia have warning signs indicating that rubber footwear is discouraged or prohibited on escalators. (Photo: CNA)

HEALTH HAZARDS OF FLIP-FLOPS AND RUBBER CLOGS

Escalator-related mishaps aside, there are plenty of other reasons to avoid wearing rubber clogs and slippers.

Even though they feel comfortable, from a medical viewpoint, they provide very little heel, arch and ankle support, thus increasing the risk of heel pain and ankle sprains. On wet or sweaty skin, they can cause chafing or blisters.

Because they neither enclose the entire foot, nor are held firmly in place with straps, they tend to dangle or drag, increasing the risk of slips, trips and falls, especially when the sole treads are worn smooth.

Yet flip-flops and rubber clogs are still the off-duty footwear of choice in Singapore - maybe not because of comfort, but more the convenience of not having to bother with shoelaces, buckles and straps.

Then again, there are plenty of convenient and smarter-looking alternatives - dressy leather sandals, rigid cork-soled ones such as Birkenstocks, loafers or slip-ons. For those who absolutely cannot live without feeling like they’re walking on marshmallows, they can always add EVA foam insoles into any pair of close-toed shoes.

NO OUTFIT HAS EVER BEEN ENHANCED BY RUBBER CLOGS

Maybe it’s just me, but I have never encountered an outfit that was enhanced by a pair of rubber clogs. I’d even go as far as to say that those shoes ruin each and every single ensemble they’re paired with.

However, rubber clogs have found their way into high fashion. Balenciaga’s Spring 2018 collection debut featured models parading down the runway in candy-coloured Crocs with 10cm thick platforms. 

Celebrities the likes of Justin Bieber, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra and Jisoo have all been photographed wearing Crocs.

It’s no wonder that people in Singapore pair theirs with T-shirts, tank tops and shorts - apparel best suited for lounging around at home or buying food at the nearby hawker centre.

But I cringe when I see women spoil perfectly good outfits, such as a pretty sundress paired with a designer handbag, or a button-down shirt French-tucked into a denim skirt, with charm-studded rubber clogs.

Honestly, the only people who can get away with such clownish footwear are kids. But since they’re the ones most likely to get their toes eaten up by escalators, maybe they should only be wearing them at home or the beach.

Tracy Lee is a freelance lifestyle writer based in Singapore.

Source: CNA/el
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