A Japanese consumer safety organization says more than 40 of its citizens have been injured recently while wearing Crocs, the love-'em-or-hate-'em Colorado-made footwear.

 "Crocs" is a United States footwear brand that has found a fan base in Japan and other countries both among parents and children for its comfortable and flexible material that can easily grip onto surfaces. But a consumer safety group reported 40 incidents in which people, mostly children, had "Crocs" or sandals of a similar design stuck on escalators from late August until early this month. One five-year-old girl broke her middle toe and three of her toenails were ripped off after her shoe was stuck on the moving stairs, said the group, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation.

A spokesperson for Crocs in Japan blamed the incidents on faulty escalators.

"We sincerely hope this leads to added attention and effort being placed on improving escalator designs and maintenance regulations," she added.