Soft-rubber soled shoes deemed too dangerous for Aussie mall!

Sydney, July 11 : If you're planning to walk through Warringah Mall in a pair of thongs this summer, then you might be a little disappointed to know that the soft-rubber soled shoes have been banned on the Aussie mall's escalators.

The person wearing thongs will be banned from using escalators at the Northern Beaches shopping mall because bosses reckon punters could get their feet caught.

According to the mall's management, the soft rubber sole of the shoes posed a risk as they could become caught in the 'teeth' at the bottom or top of escalators, or in the crack between the steps and side.

Signs have been out near the escalators to advise people they are not to use them if they are wearing the wrong footwear.

Warringah Mall marketing manager Alison Roberts said the signs were purely a precaution.

"There haven't been any injuries at the mall, but there have been a few kids who got their shoes caught, but they were able to flick them off," The Manly Daily quoted her, as saying.

She said none of the incidents resulted in anything more than a damaged shoe.

"If you Google Crocs and escalators you can see that there have been reports of people, especially young kids, getting their feet trapped in escalators," she said.

"It's like anything, if you don't use the escalators properly they can be dangerous," she added.

She said that ever since the mall began putting the signs out, there had been no further cases of kids getting their shoes caught.

Roberts said that the signs were a warning only, mainly for parents, and the mall would not be able to enforce the ban.

"If we see someone riding the escalators with a trolley we go up to them and tell them they are not allowed to do that and why, and it will be the same with the shoes," she said.

ANI