Reebok and the Federal Trade Commission reached a $25 million dollar agreement to refund consumers who bought RunTone or EasyTone shoes based on claims about the shoes that the company could not support. You can apply for a refund from the FTC.gov site.
According to the FTC press release, the complaint against Reebok is based on unsupported advertising claims that EasyTone footwear will give you 28% more strength and tone in the buttocks and 11% more in the hamstring muscles and calf muscles compared to regular walking shoes.
Under the settlement, Reebok is barred from making any claims that their footwear will achieve any specific amount of toning unless they can present the scientific evidence to support that claim. Nor can they make any health or fitness related claims for their toning shoes without showing the evidence.
While toning shoes have been very popular the past two years, I have remained skeptical that they do more than give motivation for some people to walk more. Walking more will indeed strengthen and tone your legs. But whether toning shoes actually have an effect beyond regular shoes is a claim that needs strong evidence, not just testimonials. For that reason, I added toning shoes to my list of walking products I don't recommend last year.
However, of the toning shoes I've tried, I thought the Reebok RunTones were the best design for proper ergonomic walking. If you are wearing them and enjoying them, there is no reason to stop. Just don't count on them to do more than regular shoes for your buttocks. On the other hand, a refund for shoes is a nice deal.
FTC: Reebok to Pay $25 Million in Customer Refunds To Settle FTC Charges of Deceptive Advertising of EasyTone and RunTone Shoes
Reader Reviews: Reebok RunTone and EasyTone Shoes
Web sites states that the deadline for submitting claims was April 10, 2012…