Saturday, May 17, 2014

Vibrum Five Finger Shoes Settles Lawsuit Over Deceptive Marketing

 

If you were one of the 70 million Americans who purchased a pair of "barefoot running" shoes, you may be entitled to some cash.
Vibram, the company behind FiveFingers shoes, just settled a $3.75 million class action lawsuit over false claims that its running shoe yields health benefits, Runner's World reports. The thin-soled, flexible shoes, which cost about $100 a pair, are said to mimic the experience of running in bare feet, and thus "improve foot health" -- an unsupported claim the company falsely advertised.
The lawsuit was first filed by Valerie Bezdek in March 2012. According to court filings, Bezdek claimed that Vibram deployed deceptive marketing and falsely advertised the following benefits from wearing its shoe, without basing its claims on any scientific research:
(1) Strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs 
(2) Improve range of motion in the ankles, feet, and toes
(3) Stimulate neural function important to balance and agility
(4) Eliminate heel lift to align the spine and improve posture
(5) Allow the foot and body to move naturally
But experts say barefoot running -- an experience the shoes are said to mimic -- may actually have a negative impact on foot health.