Winter can be challenging, but several products promise to make it more manageable. Rechargeable apparel such as vests, pants, socks, and insoles is often marketed as an effective solution for staying warm.

However, Mikaela Morris of Minnesota strongly advises against their use.

Mikaela and Tyler Morris recently experienced a harrowing incident involving rechargeable insoles, according to a Minnesota television station. Tyler recalls feeling a sharp, stabbing pain in his heel while outside on the ice. The sensation quickly escalated into intense heat, accompanied by billowing white smoke emerging from his boot.

The rechargeable insole Tyler had been wearing, sold by the Chinese company iHeat, exploded inside his shoe. Notably, the insole was not turned on at the time of the incident. The product is no longer available on Amazon.

Tyler described how the insole came out in pieces, and he crawled into a nearby fish house for help. Upon examining the damage, the couple initially thought parts of Tyler’s sock had melted to his skin. They soon realized it was actually his skin that had been severely burned.

The injuries left Tyler with second and third-degree burns, and he lost feeling in some parts of his right foot. He was taken to a burn center, where medical professionals informed him he might require skin grafts.

According to Tyler, similar incidents are not uncommon. At Hennepin County (Minn.) Hospital, a doctor said he was the third patient that week with burns caused by similar products.

Now facing an uncertain recovery timeline, Tyler and Mikaela are urging others to exercise caution. They stress the importance of thoroughly researching such products before purchasing them.

Mikaela noted the potential for even more severe injuries, emphasizing that the damage could have affected other parts of the body, such as the hand or leg, if socks or similar items had been involved.