Washington Shoe Company Recalls Western Chief Toddler Boots Due to Choking Hazard; Sold Exclusively at Target

Recall Insight

This CPSC action (record #21048) was formally reported on December 9, 2020. It is classified under Moderate severity, with a current status of Active. Washington Shoe Company, of Kent, Wash. is listed as the recalling firm. Federal records indicate About 77,400 units are affected.

The documented reason for this recall is: Rivets used to attach the handles to the boot can detach, posing a choking hazard to children. Distribution information was not included in the agency filing, so consumers should assume broad potential exposure until the firm publishes point-of-sale details. The remedy documented by the agency is: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled boots, take the boots away from children, and return them to any Target Store for a full refund. — consumers holding this product should act on that instruction rather than relying on general guidance.

To put this record in context, PlainRecalls indexes 83,949 recalls across the FDA, CPSC, NHTSA and USDA FSIS going back to 1995. Within the same product category, the database holds 6 closely related recalls, of which 6 were also issued by CPSC. That clustering is a signal — repeated actions in a narrow category often indicate a systemic quality-control issue, a supplier-wide contamination, or a design defect that has propagated across product lines. This recall is roughly 6 years old; older recalls can remain relevant because many units enter resale, rental, and secondary-market channels where the original warning never reaches the end user. Always cross-check the recall number against the official agency page before relying on any summary.