Clarks Shoes Recalled Over High Levels of Toxic Chemicals
Clarks is recalling a total of eight styles of its women’s shoes because some sample testing of these items revealed excess levels of hazardous chemicals benzidine or dimethoxybenzidine, according to a press release issued by the British shoe manufacturer on Thursday.The chemicals, which are found in certain azo dyes used to color the footwear, are toxic and prolonged and direct contact with the shoes’ upper material may cause adverse health effects for the wearer. The synthetic chemical benzidine (and the derivative dimethoxybenzidine) has not been sold in the United States since the mid-1970s because it is potentially cancer-causing, according to the National Cancer Institute.The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a press release saying that consumers should immediately stop wearing the shoes. About 113,000 pairs were sold in the U.S. and…