Sketchers Lightable Shoes Star Fire, Burn Toddler-Fiction!

Sketchers Lightable Shoes Start Fire, Burn Toddler-Fiction!

Summary of eRumor:
Warnings about Sketchers lightable shoes causing fires when wet and giving a toddler second degree burns have spread on social media.
The Truth:
Reports that Sketchers lightable shoes are a fire hazard are based on a news report from 2016 that has since proven false.
Houston station KHOU 11 broke the story in 2016. The station reported that two parents from Katy, Texas, said their toddler’s shoes ignited while he was inside the family’s car:

The fire in the backseat burned a hole through the floor and the passenger seat was melted. Jovan called the Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office to take a closer look.
“There just wasn’t anything in there to start a fire,” she said. “Only shoes and clothes.”
Although the Fire Marshal’s Office hasn’t officially ruled on the cause of the fire, the office confirms the toddler’s light-up shoe is a possible cause.
That’s why the Virag’s are speaking out to warn other families.

At the time, the cause of the fire was unknown. The Harris County Fire Marshall’s Office has since ruled that the lightable sneakers were not the cause of the fire, according an updated version of the story.
Since, similar warnings about lightable shoes causing fires have circulated on Facebook on a regular basis. Most accounts warn that a toddler suffered second degree burns after the shoes ignited after becoming wet. However, there aren’t any legitimate reports or product recalls to back up those claims.
Many warnings about lightable shoes being flammable actually blame the batteries. Lithium ion batteries have been known to heat up and explode. And it’s true that at least some lightable shoes used lithium ion batteries in the 1990s. However, most lightable shoes today use lithium-metal batteries, which haven’t been associated with fire hazards. And there haven’t been any verified

There’s no evidence to support claims that Sketchers lightable shoes can catch fire and burn children’s feet.

reports of Sketchers lightable shoes catching fire or exploding.