Payless pulled out from its shelves the "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" light-up shoes following a report that it may cause fire to break out.
Attila and Jovan Virag from Texas complained over the weekend that the light-up sneakers they bought for their 2-year-old son from Payless caught fire. As a result, the Payless ShoeSource Inc. has removed the said shoes from its stores.
Jovan said the pair of sneakers was left in the backseat of their car overnight. The next morning, they discovered that the backseat was on fire. They believe that the shoes caused the fire because, Jovan said, there was nothing else in the car but the shoes and some clothes.
Jovan expressed relief that the fire did not happen when her son was wearing the sneakers because the toddler would not be able to complain or remove the shoes in case it was getting hot on his feet.
Attila opened the remaining shoe and found that lithium batteries are used to light up the shoes. Lithium batteries have caused several fires in the past, including the e-cigarette that exploded in a teenager's face and caused blindness.
Following the report, Payless released a statement about the incident citing how important customer safety is for them and that they are removing the product from their stores, including their online shop.
"We are continuing to work with the family and local authorities in Houston to better understand the circumstances of the car fire and what may have caused it," Payless said in a statement.
The Harris County Fire Marshall's office is presently investigating the case to determine the exact cause of the fire.
The Jake and the Never Land Pirates shoes are mainly sold in North America, but are also being sold at Payless Australia and Payless.com.
Photo: Nicholas Eckhart | Flickr
