Horrified mother reveals how she feared she had SCABIES after second-hand shoes ‘gave her an itchy’ rash

A mum has vowed never to buy second-hand shoes again after developing a red, itchy rash she feared was scabies from trainers she bought on Vinted.

Becca Maddon, 29, from Watford in Hertfordshire, jumped on the chunky £4 trainers from online marketplace Vinted in March last year after the sparkling design caught her eye.

The 29-year-old said that when the shoes arrived at her home, she stored them on her shoe rack and then placed them in vacuum-sealed bags while she moved.

After attending a family birthday party on September 4, Becca wore them for the first time and developed a severe rash on her feet and ankles that she initially thought might be eczema.

But when the rash spread across her legs and became itchy, the medical secretary called 911 and went to her doctor.

There, the doctor blamed it on scabies or an allergic reaction to the trainers and quickly gave her medication to treat it.

The mention of ‘scabies’ left her terrified that she would get an infestation, but luckily no one else in her house was affected and a second doctor said he thought it was an allergy to something in the trainer.

Now Becca is urging people who buy second-hand items to wash items before wearing them to prevent this from happening to them.

Vinted said they recommend that sellers “wash or disinfect” clothing in a manner appropriate to the material of the clothing and that any defects should be noted in the description.

They say buyers may want to wash their items “before wearing, if necessary.”

Becca, from Watford in Hertfordshire, said: ‘I have been using Vinted for about three years, buying clothes and bags for myself and clothes for my son through the app.

‘I love Vinted because there are so many sellers using it and you can always get great items there, sometimes with the tags still on, for a much lower price.

‘I wasn’t looking for a specific pair of sneakers. I just needed a pair and I’m always interested in glittery or funky shoes, they always catch my eye.

‘They were chunky, glittery sneakers with an iridescent design on them, so when they come into the light they turn a rainbow color.

‘When I woke up in the morning after wearing the shoes, I noticed a small red rash on my foot.

‘Sometimes I get eczema on my face so I thought this was the same thing so I just put some of my eczema cream on my foot.

‘But over the next two days the rash got worse so I took antihistamines and then started noticing the red spots on my legs.’

The spreading rash prompted her to have it examined by doctors – who thought it was likely an allergic reaction or scabies, a parasitic infestation caused by tiny mites that burrow into the skin and lay eggs.

Becca said: ‘I was terrified (when she mentioned scabies). I was afraid my house might be infested with scabies, but luckily no one in my family has had it.”

After receiving a diagnosis from her doctor, Becca wanted a second opinion, so she asked her pharmacist who she also said believed the rash was somehow an allergic reaction to the shoes.

The mother of one said she also visited a doctor at the medical center where she works, who, after looking at the shoes, also thought it was an allergy to something in or on the lining of the athletic shoe.

Following the ‘frightening’ incident, Becca now vows never to buy second-hand shoes again and is encouraging second-hand buyers to wash clothes and shoes before wearing them.

Becca said, “They didn’t smell funny or anything, so I didn’t wash them before wearing them.

‘This has put me off buying second-hand trainers again, no matter how much I want a discount.

‘I will never buy second-hand shoes anymore, but I will continue to buy clothes and bags.

“I make sure I wash and disinfect them before wearing them.

‘I don’t want to tell people not to buy second-hand trainers. I would just recommend that people wash them before wearing them as I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.

‘I don’t want to scare people off. Just wash and disinfect them and make sure you are not allergic, and if you do throw them away.”

Becca said she doesn’t blame Vinted or the seller for her allergic reaction to the beloved sneakers – and therefore hasn’t reached out to complain.

A spokesperson for Vinted said: ‘We are sorry to hear of the member’s experience and hope she is now in better health.

‘In our listing rules we ask members to check their items before listing them as all items offered for sale must be clean.

‘We recommend washing or disinfecting them in a manner appropriate to the material of the item.

‘Any stains that do not wash away, defects or other flaws must be indicated in the listing description.

‘When receiving an item, we also ask members to check the item thoroughly and report any issues to us so that we can assist quickly.

“Members can wash their clothes before wearing them if necessary.

‘We encourage members wishing to list items to check their items first. You can find advice about this (on our website).

‘And if members would like to report a problem with an item they have received, they can contact us directly through the app. Just tap the ‘I have a problem’ button in the transaction.’