Payless Pulls Out Lighted Shoes From Stores Following Charge That One Pair Started A Fire In A Car

Last week, Payless ShoeSource Inc. was charged with being responsible for lighted sneakers that burnt the insides of a Texas family's SUV.

The "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" light-up shoes were bought at a local Payless. Attila and Jovan Virag's two-year-old son, Warren, left his shoes back in the car Friday. When the parents opened the car in the morning, they were faced with a charred backseat and the smell of burning plastic.

"I saw the shoe on the ground with the wires sticking up and it was a lightbulb, I knew immediately that's what it was," Jovan said                                                                  .

As one of the shoes was burnt with only a charred battery and wiring left behind, Atilla examined the other shoe and found that lithium batteries powered the flashing lights, which seemed to have got shorted and caused the fires.

"I didn't know there was a little lithium battery in there that could be flammable if you short it," he said.

The Virags are being outspoken about their doubts of the shoes.

"I don't want this to happen to somebody else, and we're lucky it happened in our car because that can be fixed," Jovan said, "and if he had been wearing it, I don't know if he could have told me, 'My foot's hot,' and I don't think he could take it off by himself."

Payless has come out with an announcement that it is removing the shoes from the shelves.

"First and foremost, safety is always a top priority at Payless and we take the claim made by the customer seriously," the shoe chain said. "Out of an abundance of caution, we have removed the Boys' Jake Lighted Runner from our shelves and www.payless.com until we can thoroughly investigate a customer claim regarding that shoe. We are continuing to work with the family and local authorities in Houston to better understand the circumstances of the car fire and what may have caused it."

The "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" light-up shoes were on the market mainly in North America as well as on Payless.com and Payless in Australia.

The Harris County Fire Marshal's Office is probing the incident and has yet to under the reason behind the fire. Still, the office has confirmed that the "light-up shoe" was probably the reason.