June 2, 2004
Payless ShoeSource is recalling about 441,000 Smart Fit and Teeny Toes athletic shoes. The metal eyelet lace holder at the top of the shoes can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children.
Payless ShoeSource has received one report of a child starting to choke on a detached eyelet from one of these shoes.
These are childrens athletic shoes in prewalk and toddler sizes. The shoes are white with different color trim and come in sizes 0 to 10. The brand name Smart Fit or Teeny Toes is written on the sole and insole of the shoes. The recalled shoes have one of the following five-digit numbers, found on a label on the bottom of the shoe tongue: 31056, 31057, 31219, 32264, 32265, 33060 and 33061. No other styles or models are included in this recall.
The shoes were sold at Payless ShoeSource stores and Web site nationwide from December 2003 through April 2004 for about $10.
Consumers should take the recalled shoes away from young children immediately and should return the shoes to a Payless ShoeSource store for a cash refund or exchange.
Consumer Contact: For more information, call Payless toll-free at (800) 654-0697 between 7:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. CT Monday through Saturday, and between 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday, or visit their Web site at www.payless.com
The recall is being conducted in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
