Fishy Snakeskin Trips Nordstrom

After years of meticulous - even fanatical - attention to environmental correctness, Nordstrom may have stumbled over a snake.

About two weeks ago, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service detained a shipment of 4,400 pairs of Nordstrom-brand loafers made in China, saying their snakeskin trim may have come from a protected species.

The government agency refuses to talk about the case, citing privacy laws, so it is not clear if Nordstrom may face any penalty. Federal law prohibits the import of products or parts, such as elephant tusks, from animals that have been declared endangered species.

Nordstrom acknowledged that the shipment, which came through Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, is being held, pending tests to determine the species of the snake.

Nordstrom has stopped incoming shipments of the women’s loafer while it waits for the process to be resolved, said company spokeswoman Brooke White. The initial test was inconclusive, she said.