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
(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.
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