Crocs, Jibbitz: NZ schools ban ‘disruptive’ footwear, charms due to playground disputes

Crocs, the colourful foam slippers beloved by celebrities including Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, and Jibbitz — small charms that attach to the holes on the shoes — have been banned by several schools across the ditch due to issues including “disputes over ownership” and safety concerns.

A letter sent to parents at Woodlands Park school in Auckland said Jibbitz were creating issues in the yard, Stuff.co.nz reports.

“As you may be aware, Jibbitz are small charms that attach to Crocs shoes,” the letter said.

“These are immensely popular at school and, unfortunately have started to cause a few issues. Jibbitz are small and easily misplaced. This has led to instances where students are losing their Jibbitz during school hours, causing unnecessary worry and distraction.”

The letter, which said Crocs could still be worn but that Jibbitz would be banned, noted that students had been trading the charms during class and on lunch breaks, leading to problems.

“While we encourage positive social interactions, trading activities can be disruptive and may result in misunderstandings or disagreements among students,” it said.

“With the popularity of Jibbitz, it has become challenging for children to differentiate between their own items and those of their peers. This has caused confusion and occasional disputes over ownership.”

But another institution, Wanaka Primary School on the South Island, has banned the shoes outright, according to Stuff.co.nz.

The school told parents in a newsletter Crocs were a “no-no” as they were not part of the uniform, adding that the ill-fitting slippers were “not safe” for physical education and could pose a hazard.

“Another issue with the Crocs is that the Jibbitz they attach to them can cause issues and upset if lost, or ‘misplaced’,” the letter added.

“This morning a group were seen swapping their Jibbitz and there were big kids ‘negotiating’ with little kids. I see these are quite expensive and highly attractive to our young ‘collectors’.”

Since launching 20 years ago, the iconic shoes have gone through waves of popularity, most recently exiting a “daggy” era to become a shoe that epitomises style.

They are also the shoe of choice for many parents as they are easy to slip on and off even the most difficult child’s feet.

But a number of airports, train stations and shopping centres have put up warning signs or even banned Crocs outright following a series of scary incidents in recent months involving the shoes getting stuck in escalators.

In May, a four-year-old girl almost lost her foot after arriving at Sydney Airport from Brisbane with her mother.

Lisa Brennan’s daughter Fiadh was wearing Crocs when she suddenly turned to her mother and started shouting “my shoe, my shoe”.

“I was trying to pull her shoe out but then she started getting really hysterical and I realised something was wrong,” Ms Brennan told Yahoo News.

“So I started shouting at people to please press the emergency stop button but people in front of me just didn’t understand what was happening. [Eventually] a guy behind me that could see her foot was stuck, so he jumped over me and ran down and pressed it.”

US-based personal injury law firm TSR Injury Law explained that the plastic shoes “generate friction” when someone stands too close to the edge which can essentially make it difficult to pull away.

“This friction generates heat which then melts the plastic just enough that it can be drawn into the gap between the step and the side of the escalator,” its website states.

“Once the shoe has been drawn into the side of the escalator, it is all too easy for it to get caught in the mechanism driving the stairs. This continues to occur until a child’s foot is cut or maimed.”

— with Claudia Poposki