I ♥ Havaianas

2011-07-19T02:03:00.000-07:00

Havaianas flip flops found with lead

20 styles recalled from US market

Filed Under: Consumer Issues, Safety of Citizens

MANILA, Philippines—Don’t let your kids slip their feet into those cute Havaianas flip flops just yet.
The popular brand of casual footwear may contain too much lead that can be harmful for youngsters.
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission issued the warning on Tuesday, leading to the recall of more than 20 styles of the fashionable flip flops from children’s footwear sections of stores in the US.
According to the US CPSC, the styles posed a health hazard as the "decorative paint on the sole of the flip flops can contain levels of lead in excess of federal standards."
Ordered recalled were Havaianas flip flops manufactured by Alpargatas USA Inc. of New York, including the following models: Baby Estampas, Baby Pets, Kids Apple, Kids Fairy, Kids Flores, Kids Lighthouse, Kids Monsters, Kids Surf, Baby Letrinhas, Kids Sports, Kids Candies, Kids Fun, Kids Love, Kids Sereias, Kids Speed, Kids Lucky Bug, Kids Pets, Kids Rock, Kids Slim, Kids Wonder Woman, Kids Small Flowers and Kids Tropical with Kit.

While there have been no reported incidents of poisoning or any related injuries so far, the styles under scrutiny are already being pulled out from the US market. Terry SA, the official local distributor of Havaianas in the Philippines, is exercising the same precaution.
In a telephone interview, Terry SA managing director Anne Gonzalez said on Thursday her company and the Department of Trade and Industry discussed the matter on the same day, and assured Filipino consumers that they would be protected like all the rest.
The purpose of the dialog, she said, was to explain to the DTI how the recall move in the US could affect the local market and what Terry SA would do to safeguard consumer welfare.
"It was a genial dialogue. We just reiterated to them that the case in the US is isolated, and that there have been no reported incidents of injuries," she said. "The DTI just wanted to make sure public welfare is a priority."
Even prior to Thursday’s meeting, Terry SA had already decided to set aside the styles that had been ordered recalled in the US so consumers would no longer be able to buy them, Gonzalez added.
Some of the styles on the US CPSC list, she said, were not even carried by Terry SA and any of its official distributors.
As an added precaution, Gonzalez said Terry SA would be working closely with the DTI when it tests the quality of the flip flops pulled out from the local markets. The company would likewise commission a third-party testing center in Singapore to conduct its own tests on the products, she said.
"We would also be setting up a hotline where consumers can call for more information," she added.

Havaianas flip flops sold in the country are produced in Brazil

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20090305-192526/Havaianas-flip-flops-found-with-lead

2010-04-04T11:53:00.000-07:00

Womens / SUMMER

Dark Brown/ Golden Sun

$22.00

Sand Grey/Golden Sun

$22.00

Chocolate

$22.00

Navy/White

$22.00

White/Green

$22.00

Womens / SLIM TRIBAL

White

$24.00

Sand Grey/Golden Sun

$24.00

Womens / TOP MIX

Green

$22.00

White

$22.00

Grape

$22.00

Sand Grey

$22.00

Womens / FUN

White Purple

$22.00

Orange

$22.00

White/Orange

$22.00

Pink

$22.00

2010-04-04T11:51:00.000-07:00

Womens / SPIRIT

White

$24.00

Sand Grey/Light Golden

$24.00

Dark Brown

$24.00

Black

$24.00

2010-04-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

The Latest Havaianas Sandals USA

Womens / SLIM ETHNICS

Dark Brown

$24.00

Sand Grey/Golden Sun

$24.00

Ruby Red

$24.00

2009-01-11T19:21:00.000-08:00

History of Havaianas

In 1962, the São Paulo Alpargatas company began to produce a sandal based on the design of the Japanese flip flop, called the zori. However, instead of using straw to make them, they used rubber, which made a very comfortable and durable sandal. In the 1960s, Havaianas were sold at small, neighborhood stores for a low price, and were purchased exclusively by the lower classes. For this reason, Havaianas were known as “chinelos de pobre” (poor man’s flip flops) during this period.

Nevertheless, Havaianas were very successful at the time, selling a thousand pairs a day. Due to their popularity, many imitator brands arose, and in 1970 Havaianas came out with a new campaign called “Havaianas: As Legítimas” (Havaianas: the Legitimate Ones) to try to beat the competition.

It wasn’t until 1994 that Havaianas became a success with the middle and upper classes in Brazil. Some Brazilians say it is because foreign tourists began buying the brand, but it was also because of a change in design. In this year, the company released a new line of monochromatic sandals and by 1996, Havaianas had truly become a national brand, reaching new consumers all over the country. Two years later, the brand released a special edition flip flop, Havaianas Brazil, in honor of the World Cup. The small Brazilian flag logo would be Havaianas’ new trademark.

By 2000, the brand became a hit with celebrities and models, and the following year Havaianas began exporting their flip flops. Now wildly popular from the US to Australia, Havaianas have been featured in important retail stores, high end fashion shows, and even the Oscars. There are now nearly twenty different lines of Havaianas for men, women, children and babies, and an estimated 160 million flip flops are sold every year.