Colorful and comfy, Crocs come in names such as mango, cotton candy and butter. Alas, they can also slip and slide like butter.

A Louisville, Ky., mother is blaming the popular Crocs shoes for injuries her 3-year-old daughter suffered when her foot was trapped in an escalator in June at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Chris Hunt / chunt@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

A mom is blaming Crocs shoes for injuries her 3-year-old daughter suffered when her foot was trapped in an escalator in June at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.

Brant Sanderlin / bsanderlin@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

In 2006, U.S. emergency rooms treated 1,600 injuries associated with wheeled sneakers, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Jean Shifrin / AJC (ENLARGE)

Researchers at Auburn University found wearing flip-flops can cause soreness in feet, ankles and legs.

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But they're not the first popular shoes to walk a treacherous path. Let's look at three fads for your feet and some of the possible risks, enlisting DeKalb Medical Podiatrist Ingie El-Khashab to lend a foot, er, hand.

Crocs

Kids love the loose fitting, rubbery shoes with vent holes — and no shoelaces. In six years, more than 50 million pairs have been sold.

Risks: Concerned the shoe doesn't offer proper support for gym class and all-day wear, many metro Atlanta schools and summer camps banned them. In May, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned about the risk of the shoe and foot becoming entrapped in escalators.

El-Khashab: "It's a reasonable shoe for the sand and beach. But children, they run around and play. For them, they are not a good idea period."

Bottom line: Good for the garden or the pool, but don't replace your sandals.

Heelys

These shoes with wheels start rolling by simply shifting your weight. Since zipping onto the scene in December 2000, about 14 million pairs have been sold.

Risks: In 2006, U.S. emergency rooms treated 1,600 injuries associated with wheeled sneakers, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Wrist fractures and sprains are the most common injuries. Banned at many schools.

El-Khashab: "It's like roller-skating without a rink. Personally, I wouldn't allow it."

Bottom line: Remember your sneakers are more like roller skates than an athletic shoe.

Flip-flops

For decades, they were used almost exclusively for the beach or as cheap rubber castaways. Recently, they got a fashion makeover with jewels, heels and designer labels.

Risks: Researchers at Auburn University found wearing flip-flops can cause soreness in feet, ankles and legs. They found people change their gait and grip flip-flops with their toes.

El-Khashab: "For a while, every week we had someone who twisted their ankle or fell in flip-flops."

Bottom line: Great for beaches. Not good for all-day wear or even a Target run.

Sharon Gaus contributed to this article.