Some News About Shoes
Shoes are all up in your news again!
Just last week, Skechers USA announced a $40 million settlement in a class action suit by consumers over exaggerated claims about Shape-Ups, Podded Sole Shoes, Tone-Ups, and Resistance Runners.
This settlement comes almost exactly a year after Skechers reached a $40 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over these same hyperbolic advertisements.
I guess if you are saying “Get in shape without setting foot in the gym” then you’d better be able to back that up with data.
Meanwhile, the lawsuits against Vibram over the Vibram FiveFingers is trudging towards trial after the District Judge in the case denied a motion by Vibram to dismiss the case.
If one reads the Judge’s ruling, one can find plenty of discouraging news for Vibram in there. My favorite bit:
Bezdek (the plaintiff) points to research that, if true, renders at least some of Vibram’s advertising deceptive. Given that some of the research was funded in part by Vibram,…it is reasonable to infer that Vibram knew or easily could have learned of that research.
Burn!