Reebok International Ltd., a unit of Adidas AG, agreed to pay $25 million in customer refunds to settle charges of false advertising brought by the FTC over the shoemaker’s claim that its “toning shoes” could work better than normal footwear to whip muscles into shape.
Larissa Bungo, a member of the FTC’s case team, says the agency didn’t find proof that substantiated Reebok’s claims. “Marketers need to have proper substantiation for the claims they make before they make them,” she says.
Reebok blasted back at the FTC. “We stand behind our EasyTone technology,” the company said. “Settling does not mean we agree with the FTC’s allegations; we do not.”
Consumers who bought Reebok toning shoes or toning apparel can submit a claim at: www.ReebokSettlement.com/FTC
