A mum has issued a warning ahead of Christmas after a pair of light-up shoes leaked acid on her son’s feet.
Sherry Foster’s son Peyton suffered second-degree chemical burns after getting the shoes wet during a water activities day at school.
The then-nine-year-old complained of minor pain that evening, but Sherry, 52, had no idea the shoes had leaked corrosive liquid due to getting wet.
With Christmas fast-approaching, the concerned mum has spoken out to warn parents of the potential dangers.
“To parents considering [buying] any light-up shoes – use caution on allowing your children to wear them in extreme water conditions,” Sherry, who works in healthcare and lives in New York, told Need To Know.
“Always wear socks, and if their feet burn, take them seriously and have their feet checked.
“Peyton is now 16 and as a result of the burns to his feet from light-up shoes, he has recovered [but still has] mild tingling and numbness.”
The incident occurred when Peyton’s shoes, a pair of Skechers S-Lights, became wet.
It is advised to keep the shoes with lights built into the soles dry to avoid battery leakage – as in Peyton’s case.
Sherry noticed his feet were red after he complained of mild pain, but by the next day they had become increasingly sore and appeared blistered – with Peyton struggling to walk.
They went to their doctor, who said they were second degree burns and prescribed an antibiotic cream and steroids.
The incident, which took place in 2018, has left a lasting impact on Peyton, who still suffers with “tingling and numbness” in the affected area.
Luckily, he has otherwise recovered well – but won’t touch similar shoes again.
Sherry added: “He absolutely refuses to wear any light up shoes – it has impacted him for life.
“Ironically, I wear Skechers daily.
“As far as light-up shoes, I wouldn’t buy any ever again.”
Sherry claims Skechers also paid a settlement, which she has used to start a college fund for Peyton.
A spokesperson for Skechers told Jam Press this week: “As we said back in 2018, Skechers footwear products are rigorously tested for safety.
“Millions more pairs of children’s lighted footwear have been sold worldwide since the incident reported on seven years ago, and the one that Ms. Foster reported remains the only reported incident where something like this allegedly occurred.
“We examined the shoes that Ms. Foster provided and found nothing wrong with them.
“The batteries for our lighted footwear are in a sealed container that prevents water from entering or the batteries from leaking out chemicals and, as demonstrated by their safety record over tens of millions of pairs sold, our children’s lighted shoes are suitable for children’s everyday activities.”
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