Footwear
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1615
Stable over 5 years
The verdict
Footwear carry a danger score of 46/100 (moderate risk), driven by roughly 194,476 ER-treated injuries a year that are roughly flat over the last five years.
- 46/100
- danger score (moderate risk)
- 194,476
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 7.6%
- end in hospital admission
- 75+
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1615 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 46/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for footwear - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume194,476 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)7.6%
- Fatality rate0.01%
- 5-year trend-8%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Footwear (CPSC product code 1615, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 194,476 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 3.9M ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 46/100 for this category (moderate risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are roughly flat over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (244,584 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (115,829 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for footwear is puncture to the foot, accounting for approximately 411,206 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the foot (318,182 cases). The 75+ age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 584,001 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 7.6% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer, and a small fraction (0.01%) result in fatality.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 1,142 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how footwear fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 61,352 | 57,319 | |
| 5-14 | 220,310 | 225,712 | |
| 15-24 | 211,432 | 293,202 | |
| 25-34 | 210,973 | 307,148 | |
| 35-44 | 199,862 | 259,351 | |
| 45-54 | 189,440 | 263,328 | |
| 55-64 | 168,202 | 254,030 | |
| 65-74 | 117,740 | 265,643 | |
| 75+ | 147,441 | 436,491 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Foot | Puncture | |
| Foot | Other | |
| Ankle | Strain, Sprain | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Foot | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Foot | Strain, Sprain | |
| Lower Trunk | Fracture | |
| Toe | Other | |
| Foot | Fracture | |
| Lower Trunk | Other | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Lower Trunk | Strain, Sprain | |
| Foot | Laceration | |
| Toe | Fracture | |
| Ankle | Fracture |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
10YOM PRESENTS TO ED W/ RT WRIST AND RT FOOT PAIN AFTER FALL AROUND 630 THIS EVENING. PT WAS TRYING ON NEW SHOES AND HAD FALL. SHOES WERE WHEELIES. DIDNT HIT HEAD AND DENIES PAIN ELSEWEHRE. RT GREAT TOE VERY PAINFUL. ABEL TO STAND AFTERWARDS BUT PAIN. DX: CLOSED FX DISTAL END OF RT RADIUS. CLSOED DISPLACED FX OF FIRST METATARSAL BONE RT FOOT
31YOF WAS WEARING A SHOE AND HAD HER FOOT UP AGAINST A DOOR AT A BAR AND SOMEONE KICKED THE DOOR ON THE OTHER SIDE CAUSING THE BOTTOM TO IMPACT HER FOOT CAUSING A SKIN AVULSION DX: CELLULITIS OF LEFT FOOT AND AVULSION OF SKIN OF FOOT
37YOF PATIENT REPORTS THAT 6 DAYS AGO, SHE WAS DRUNK BAL NOT COLLECTED, AND WAS BALANCING ON ONE FOOT TO TRY TO PUT A SHOE ON, FELL BACKWARDS HITTING HER HEAD AND NECK ON THE DOOR DX: CONTUSION OF NECK, CERVICAL STRAIN
70YOF WAS WALKING WHEN HER SHOE CAUGHT ON SOMETHING ON FLOOR AND SHE FELL ON OUTSTRETCHED RIGHT ARM DX:FRACTURED RIGHT RADIUS
81YOM PATIENT TRIPPED DUE TO HIS SLIPPERS AND FELL. HE HAS A KNEE ABRASION, FOREHEAD LACERATION AND NECK PAIN. DX: NECK PAIN, FALL FROM GROUND LEVEL, FOREHEAD LACERATION
68YOF SLIPPED ON A SLIPPER WHILE CLEANING OUT HER CLOSET AND FELL ONTO RIGHT SHOULDER DX SHOULDER INJURY
91 YOF PRESENTS FROM HOME AFTER A FALL. SHE WAS WEARING HER SLIPPERS, SLIPPED ON THE FLOOR AND FELL. C/O RIGHT HAND PAIN DX HAND FX, RAPID AFIB
3 YOF TRIPPED OVER SHOE FELL ONTO FLOOR DX FOOT CONTUSION
64YOM C/O LOWER BACK PAIN AND ALCOHOL INTOXICATION S/P PT STATES HE IS BLIND AND TRIPPED OVER HIS OWN SHOE AND FELL BACKWARDS ONTO HIS BACK. BAC: 0.24. DX: ALCOHOL INTOXICATION AND LOWER BACK PAIN
6YOF WAS PLAYING OUTSIDE AND WEARING SHOES WHEN SHE STEPPED ON A NAIL AND WENT INTO THE BOTTOM OF LEFT FOOT DX: PUNCTURE WOUND LEFT FOOT
68YOM, THREE DAYS AGO TRIPPED OVER OWN SHOE AND FELL BACKWARD ONTO BACK SINCE THEN WITH CHEST WALL PAIN, DX: CLOSED FRACTURE OF MULTIPLE RIBS OF LEFT SIDE
80YOF WAS LOOKING FOR HER SHOES IN THE DARK WHEN SHE FELL DX: FRACTURED RIGHT HIP
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
While wearing shorts for several days, I found the one of my calves was cut and bleeding every time I got up, off the floor. It took several days to realize what was happening. The eyelets, where decorative lacing wove through the shoe, had become unclinched from the leather and the eyelets, being of very thin sharp metal, cut my opposite leg as the shoe brushed against my calf. I attempted to notify the manufacturer with email and a phone call, but after weeks of communication they asked me for the same information I had previously profferred, I became frustrated and decided to notify the U.S. Consumer Protection Agency.
I purchased a pair of Teva Men's FOREBAY Sandal from Sports Academy which is an authorized dealer. in April 2019. First day on my trip in may 2019 I noticed both of my feet bleeding around the ankles. I also noticed another wound on top of my right feet. I just came back from the trip on Aug 20 2019. I not only suffered from the pains and also have three permanent scars on my feet. One of them (the one on the top of my right foot) is still in the healing process and I have seen doctors 4 times. I tried to post a review on amazon, and from what i read, many other customers also complained about this same issue although may not as serious as mine. Then I realized it is a design/manufacture defect.
While on a walk a metal piece broke through the rubber sole of my sandal and caused me to stumble and scrape my toe on pavement.
Caller is reporting that she was injured twice as a result of wearing her Skecher "shape-ups" size 6 shoes. These shoes were purchased June or July 2010. The caller was injured the first time in September 2010 when her right foot twisted, her ankle popped and fractured her foot bone and tore the tendons. She went to the doctors and was on workman's comp for a while. July 2011 she was wearing the shoes at work when the right shoe caught on carpet, she couldn't maintain balance, shoes are not flat. This incident Tore MCL on both sides of her right knee. She went to the doctor and was again on workman's comp. Caller was in Lutheran Hospital in Denver, CO for two days (overnight) for surgery. She has not contacted the manufacturer but does intend to contact them.
I suffered broken right ankle due to instability of shoes.
I purchased Rainbow Sandals' Men's Leather Double Layer with Arch Wide Strap sandals. After a few weeks of wearing the sandals, I developed contact dermatitis at the places where the leather strap comes in contact with the tops of both of my feet. The rash is painful, itchy, and feels like a chemical burn. I have never had this happen with other Rainbow sandals I've purchased. It's my understanding that many of these Rainbow products are now made in China, using different safety standards than applicable to products manufactured in the U.S.
I bought a pair of Skecher GoWalk shoes and tripped (but caught myself) several times. The last time I fell on my face by [REDACTED] and required seven stitches. I went online and discovered multiple reports of bad falls and serious injuries due to the sticky sole grabbing the pavement.
foot pain/tripping
Showing 8 of 1,142 reports.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to footwear on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are footwear?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, footwear have a danger score of 46/100 (moderate risk). An estimated 194,476 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from footwear?
The most common injury is puncture to the foot, accounting for approximately 411,206 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from footwear increasing or decreasing?
Stable over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for footwear injuries?
The 75+ age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 584,001 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by footwear?
Of all ER visits involving footwear, approximately 7.6% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (92.4%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with footwear?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Personal Care & Safety Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 46/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 75+ age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.