Industry Minister on Friday asked Crocs Inc of the United States to improve the design and material of its lightweight plastic shoes which have become notoriously known for getting stuck in the escalator.
Some 3.9 million pairs of Crocs-made plastic shoes were sold in Japan last year.
The plea was made following an investigation that revealed 65 incidents from last June to November where shoes got stuck in escalators resulting in mishaps.
It was also revealed that more than half of these serious accidents which mainly involved small children had lightweight plastic in the shoes.
Croc was just one of the many manufacturers whose plastic shoes were among the accidents.
The ministry has now taken upon itself the task to identify companies manufacturing unsuitable products leading to unfortunate incidents.
To avoid such incidents in the future, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has urged commercial facilities, railway station and other authorities to provide safety information for people riding escalators.