Defective Product Lawyers | Missouri • Kansas • Illinois
Are your athletic shoes doing more harm than good?
Sales of so-called "toning" shoes have sky-rocketed in the last several years. The "rocker bottom" shoes have been heavily marketed by many companies, including:
- Reebok
- Puma
- FitFlop
- Crocs
- Earth Shoes
- Skechers
- MBT
- Avia
- Champion
- Danskin Now
- New Balance
- Many others
But the rise in popularity has also resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of injury reports. The shoes, deliberately designed to cause instability, promise everything from easy weight-loss and improved muscle tone to lower resting heart-rates and blood pressure. But according to Consumer Reports and the Consumer Product Safety Commission[1], that instability can also cause:
- sprains
- tendonitis
- joint damage
- broken bones
- falls.
Moreover, the shoes don't deliver what they promise. The American Council on Exercise conducted tests and concluded that "there is simply no evidence to support the claims that these shoes will help wearers exercise more intensely, burn more calories, or improve muscle strength and tone[2]."
Earlier this year, Reebok agreed to pay $25 million to settle claims from the Federal Trade Commission that they deceptively marketed their toning shoes. The FTC complained that Reebok deceptively advertised that their "EasyTone" footwear had been "proven to lead to 28 percent more strength and tone in the buttock muscles, 11 percent more strength and tone in the hamstring muscles and 11 percent more strength and tone in the calf muscles than regular walking shoes[3]."
If you or a loved one has been injured by a deceptively marketed product, contact Brown and Crouppen today for a confidential and free case evaluation. We hold negligent companies responsible for injures their products cause. We can help you get the compensation you deserve. Call us toll free at 888-842-7944 for a free legal consultation or save time with our online contact form.
[1] http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/2011/august/recalls-and-safety-alerts/toning-shoes/index.htm
[2] http://news.consumerreports.org/health/2011/05/as-sales-of-toning-shoes-mount-so-do-injuries.html
