Sneaky Sneakers

According to the Huffington Post, New Balance is now paying out a settlement to consumers who purchased their toning sneakers and did not get the promised results. Advertising included messages that wearers of the TrueBalance and Rock & Tone models could lose 8% more calories than if they were wearing ordinary sneakers. The theory espoused was that additional muscles would be used to counteract the unbalanced sensation caused by the “hidden beauty secret,” in the shoes’ soles.

Paying out $5,000 to each of the three women that filed the lawsuit, as well as a $100 refund to any other purchaser who joins the class action suit, will hopefully be a lesson to large companies that advertise without being completely honest with their target market. While according to the article, New Balance has not yet been sanctioned by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), other shoe companies, such as Skechers and Reebok have been, and can no longer make health claims in its advertising without having evidence available to prove that it’s accurate. They are dishing out a combined $65 million dollars in refunds.

Want to have your cake and eat it too? If you think a claim is too good to be true, contact the FTC. For more information about the New Balance settlement, click here.