Wal-Mart Sandals Cause Severe Chemical Burns
A woman suffered what she claims are severe chemical burns after wearing a pair of $2.44 flip flops. She apparently felt tingling and discomfort after the first wear…but continued to wear them on at least 10 more occasions.
Moral of the story: you get what you pay for? Rail against China and Wal-Mart if you must, but my official not-a-dermatologist diagnosis is that this woman likely has an allergy. If your shoes are making your feet bleed, that’s a pretty good indicator that you’re better off with natural materials.
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If you’re a glutton for punishment…
33 opinions for Wal-Mart Sandals Cause Severe Chemical Burns
Brian
Aug 6, 2007 at 10:45 am
DUHHH! Wear them once or twice maybe I understand, but 10 times…come on who is she the Scarecrow … cue the music …”if I only had a brain…”
mark
Aug 6, 2007 at 11:16 am
The inflamed area seems a little too perfect. Wouldn’t the lines get a little less distinct as they approached the bottom of her foot? Unless, of course, she bought them three sizes too small (which could explain the “chemical burning”).
I think this may be a fake by anti-Wal-Mart, anti-China activists. Has the woman been positively identified? I read through her page and couldn’t find any postitive ID for her.
If nothing else, it gives me some new ideas for linkbait posts for my site. I may be shopping for a Wal-Mart jockstrap tomorrow.
gillian
Aug 6, 2007 at 1:02 pm
It doesn’t look like a chemical burn. As Mark says, it looks kind of like they were too tight, and the area got inflamed and blistered as a result.
Either way, she is an idiot. Did she think continuing to wear the offending sandals would make it all better?
If there’s one thing worth spending money on, it’s good shoes. If you’re going to pay
Crabby McSlacker
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:18 pm
I’m with Brian, Mark & Gillian on this–she’s either an idiot or a scammer. Or perhaps a masochist?
Which doesn’t mean that Walmart might not make nasty flip flops too.
I’m eagerly awaiting Mark’s jockstrap post!
Brian
Aug 6, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Yeah… well make sure you warn people before linking to any of his pictures. His jock strap burns are not on my list of things to see before I die. ;)
Sara
Aug 6, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Whether she’s a scammer or not is unknown. But I certainly agree about investing in good shoes.
Bart
Aug 12, 2007 at 4:59 am
Whoa people, simmer down on the conspiracy theories and all-out insensitivity. Apparently you people didn’t actually read her day-by-day synopsis. She didn’t wear them 10 times AFTER all this showed up. It took several days for the effects of the rubber to be noticeable on her skin. When she noticed it was becoming a problem, she quit wearing them. If you did read her page, read it again! If that doesn’t work, get tested for your level of comprehension.
deborah
Aug 26, 2007 at 9:25 pm
The story is true,the same thing happened to me , with the same shoes.(ga).I know that you get what you pay for, However, Walmart should have alerted people. They should stand behind what they sell. And also teach their managers good customer relation.l agree with bill China doesn”t care what they ship over here because their kids are in the factories
Brenda
Aug 30, 2007 at 1:43 pm
Wierd that you would say they are too small and “rubbed her feet” Because i had the same exact thing happen to me. I thought it was a rash after the first day of wear them. They were a size 7 and i wear a size 6. So they weren’t too small. And after the first day of wearing them they got worse and worse. It has been three weeks and they are still burning, itchy, and now peeling… so thats weird huh…
Janet
Sep 3, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I had the same thing happen as well. I wore them for two days and my feet broke out with blisters and redness in the shape of the top of the thong. I quit wearing them thinking it was just rubbing/sweating due to the humidity or whatever. It took three weeks using a Staph antibiotic cream for it to go away. I wore the sandals one more time for a short time after it was cleared up as I didn’t know for sure if it was the shoes. Well I wore them as I stated a short time and you got it, the blisters formed again and back on the antibiotic ointment again. I took the shoes back and got a store gift card. The customer service person refused until I asked to speak with a manger and I told him I was more concerned with making sure that these got returned to the mfg. as well as noted that they caused an issue. He informed me he knew there was an issue with the sandals and would make sure they got returned and dealt with. After hearing all this I will be following up with him to see what they did with them. My daughter still has her two pair and she quit wearing them as they caused sores between her two toes. I figured it was cheap material and yes we got what we paid for, but that doesn’t mean we have to have our skin eaten away because we tried to save money. Stores should know where they are buying from and realize that they have a responsibility to their valued customers.
Virginia
Sep 6, 2007 at 9:02 am
I had a similar experience. I bought some cheap slip on gym shoes from K-Mart to wear while I worked in the yard. After only one use, wearing them for about five hours, I was sitting down to dinner and noticed that my feet were extremely itchy. I took off the shoes and saw that the area where the cloth covered elastic was was inflamed and swollen, following the exact line of the shoes. The area of skin on the rest of the top of my foot down to the toes was covered with red dots, incredible itchy and also somewhat swollen. I stopped wearing the shoes immediately, applied hydrocortisone cream to both feet for over two weeks to somewhat control the itch. Finally the feet are kind of back to normal but I have discoloration in all the affected areas.
Kim
Sep 6, 2007 at 2:04 pm
Sorry, but these are chemical burns. I have seen chemical burns before and there was some sort of chemical on the flip-flop that did not agree with her feet.
Now, the fact that she continued to wear them after the first signs, that’s a different story.
Voice of Reason
Sep 6, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Looks like an allergic reaction to the latex straps to me.
janelle
Sep 10, 2007 at 11:52 am
i am going through the same thing right now, not as severe though. when it first started, i thought it was maybe just because it was humid and the rubber rubbing against my feet made my feet irritated. well…..i was wrong
Aaron
Sep 12, 2007 at 12:00 am
dude you are a idiot…..its a burn….get a freakin life…and if it really is a burn like i think it is i hope your new joke is all full of it….then you can put that pic on your myspace…
Aaron
Sep 12, 2007 at 12:01 am
JOCK*
Bern
Sep 12, 2007 at 9:05 am
Well I think it’s a mission our homeland security should look into. 1st the lead paint in our childrens’ toys and now sandals that cause burns. What next??
Jaimie
Sep 25, 2007 at 11:45 pm
I actually had a similar reaction to flip flops I bought at Payless. I didn’t take any pictures but my feet had absolutely perfect red marks of where the flip flop thong part was. They then turned into large blisters and my feet were so swollen I couldn’t wear normal shoes for almost two weeks. I wore those flip flops for only six hours at work ONE day. I actually bought them before I went into work and just wore them at my retail job. It started to itch so I took them off for the remainder of my eleven hour shift. Just for the record, MY flip flops were not too tight. I normally wear an 8 1/2 so I bought 9-10 flip flops so it wasn’t tight at all. I went to the doctor and they gave me prednisone and it cleared up after a little while but it really looked very,very similar to these cases. However, like someone said that they think it is a latex allergy, I agree with that because that was the conclusion that my doctor came to without actually doing blood tests. I had never had an allergic reaction to latex but it’s very common to develop allergies to things later in life after not being affected previously. It was a really bad way for me to find out but it could have been worse…
Amy
Nov 15, 2007 at 7:33 pm
I received an email warning about these thongs ( flip flops, I am an Aussie we call em thongs here ) I read her page and was mortified by the pictures and her day by day account of what was happening, I alos checked this out on an urban legends site to see if it were true and it comes up as true and I have also looked into it more and found alot of people have suffered as a result of these shoes/thongs, I agree with Bern we have had similar issues here in Australia with the lead paint in childrens toys etc, we have just had a recal on a product called bindeez another childrens toy which has been releasing a deadly chemical from its small peices a chemical called GHB the date rape drug and children have been hospitalised because of this, when will it end its time for some regulations people!!!!!
I really feel for this women about her feet its awfull and for the others who have suffered also, of course the shop who sold them ( Wal-mart in this instance ) should be held accountable afterall they are selling the product they are the ones putting it out there for you to buy, and then they should hold their supplier accountable for selling it to them. I think its terrible that we have so much doubt these days, this women is obviously genuine, its a pitty some people out there ruin it for those who really do have a problem.
paul robie
Jan 11, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I have had this burn on my feet also. Not as severe as the flip flop waman. I purchased a pair of Crocs which were lined and within a couple of days after wearing them, the itch started and I went through the same thing. Crocs are not cheap but come from China. I will never wear anything again that comes from there.
Sarah
Jan 23, 2008 at 10:37 am
I wear unlined Crocs all the time. I have a latex allergy and those shoes doesn’t bother me at all. It’s more likely you are allergic to the lining.
miley_c_rox
Jan 29, 2008 at 5:09 pm
those are sick! my cousin weres flip flops like that and shes fine!
Rogers
Jan 30, 2008 at 9:50 am
Now we understand why Sam Walton only bought products made in the U.S.A. This what happens standard are relax in the name of making a profit.
Mason Lord
Feb 15, 2008 at 1:02 pm
For all who say this is fake, go look up your facts on Wal-mart and tell me you still support them, via. http://www.walmartmovie.com/facts.php, note the sources at the bottom of each fact.
Monica cox
Feb 28, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Paul Robbie. My mother was in the hospital for 2 weeks with a major staph infection that started in her foot. She had been hanging Christmas Decorations and bringing in the Christmas tree while wearing her beloved “University of Florida Gator Cros”! It started as a bad burn and festered into a 20 ccs of gross green puss. The infection went to the bone and she almost lost her foot. Hot me up on email if you have the same situation..
Monica
Tampa,Fl
Linda
Apr 26, 2008 at 9:03 am
I have been suffering from an allergic reaction to my crocs, not lined ones, for several months. The rash started slowly but over time has become unbearable. The top of one foot is a large open sore. First the little red dots, itching, scratching, blisters, and open weeping sore after all the skin is gone. Sorry for the graphic details. I have found several websites that say this is a form of contact dermatitis…www.dermnetnz.org/dermatitis/paratertiarybutylphenolformaldehyde-allergy.html
Aurélie
Jul 16, 2008 at 1:33 am
Hello Sara,
Can I use your photos for medical formation?
Thank you for your reply!
latrece holloway
Jul 24, 2008 at 12:59 pm
I just bought a pair of wal-mart sandals a week ago I have very big blisters on my feet and the burn also it is very real and I think something should be done about it.
L Holloway (M0) 07/08
latrece holloway
Jul 24, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Aur’elie I have pictures if you would like to see them please e-mail me @ wlatrece24@aol.com
Carole
Jul 25, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Wow, I bought two pair of shoes from Wal-mart a few months ago and have the same problem. It started with a rash, then turned redish purple, now each toe is blistered. I ‘ve been to the doctor 3 times and I am on all kinds of meds. I never thought about the shoes and the doctor did ask if I bought new shoes. When I told him about the sandals he told me to stop wearing them. My problem is on all toes and is very painful. I gave the shoes to the good-will .
joe
Aug 10, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I have recently purchased a pair of Nike shoe made in Vietnam that leave a burning feeling in my feet and up my legs. It took me several diffrent days wearing them before I figured out that the shoes were causing the problem. I took them back and the store would not take them back because this was not a defect they could see. I was going to contact Nike if I could find others with this unbelievable story.
Kalisa
Aug 11, 2008 at 7:34 am
I have the same reaction on my feet right now from wearing crocs. I have tried they several times this summer with the same reaction everytime. My feet start to itch then it is like they are burned and they get crusty, crack, peel and scab. It is very painful and uncomfortable. I also get the reaction with flip flops. It just dawned on me in the last few days that perhaps I was having some sort of reaction to the plastics. Chemical burns make a lot of sense. They should come with a warning. I will be getting rid of mine. Wish I had the money back that I put into them!!
Kalisa
Aug 11, 2008 at 7:36 am
Also…to the people that say her reaction worsened because she kept wearing them…my feet continued to get worse after I quit wearing them!! It is like it keeps burning you for a while and it takes forever to go away! I have tried to wear mine a few times this summer with the same reaction before I finally figured out what was bothering me and each time the reaction is worse and takes longer to leave. Not a gain for me!!!
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