25 million to settle false claims about its toning shoes

Reebok International Ltd. will refund $25 million to customers who bought its popular toning shoes, in one of the largest settlements ever reached between a company and the federal government over deceptive advertising claims. A complaint filed yesterday by the Federal Trade Commission said the Canton footwear maker ads frequently featured toned, scantily-clad, and sometimes nude women who falsely said that the shoes had been shown to tighten muscles. As part of the settlement, Reebok is barred from using such claims to market its toning merchandise. Toning shoes - sneakers designed with unstable soles so leg muscles have to work harder to maintain balance during everyday activities - were the fastest growing segment in the footwear industry last year, with sales soaring to $1.1 billion from $350 million in 2009, according to Matt Powell, an analyst with SportsOne Source. The sneakers were sold at a premium of roughly $100 a pair, though prices have dropped significantly in recent months because of an inventory glut. In one ad cited by the FTC and shown on television and the Internet, a model, wearing little clothing, said, EasyTone shoes not only look fantastic, they help make your legs and butt look great, too. For example, EasyTone ads said the footwear was proven to improve muscle tone and strength by 28 percent and work hamstring and calf muscles 11 percent harder than regular sneakers. want all marketers to know they must have substantiation for their claims prior to making them, Bungo said. Reebok said yesterday that it stands behind the toning technology. does not mean we agree with the FTC allegations; we do not, the company said in a statement. have received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers, and we remain committed to the further development of our EasyTone products. Skechers, the largest toning brand with about half the market, disclosed in a securities filing last month that the FTC is reviewing its advertising claims. And in a lawsuit filed by a California woman, New Balance is accused of deceiving customers by promising its toning shoes create more sculpted legs than traditional walking sneakers. The settlement covers toning shoes and apparel, including EasyTone, RunTone, TrainTone, JumpTone, SimplyTone, and SlimTone, purchased on or after Dec. 5, 2008. Consumers who submit refund requests in excess of $200 may be asked to provide proof of purchase. During the past year, fitness and medical professionals have raised concerns that the shoes could do more harm than good. A study released in 2010 by the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit, concluded that the shoes failed to live up to fitness promises made by manufacturers. do want to believe in an effortless approach to becoming fit, Cedric X. Bryant, the council chief science officer, said yesterday. the claims that customers were inundated with - that these shoes helped burn calories and produced a firmer butt - simply were not supported by the research. It not a sexy message, but getting fit requires a combination of regular activity, sensible eating, and making lifestyle changes. Cindy Pezza, a podiatric assistant in Stoughton who oversees her office therapeutic shoe program, said she continues to see patients who have worn toning shoes for several months and complain of pain and tightness in the heel, calf, and Achilles tendon. Pezza purchased her own pair of EasyTone sneakers, but set them aside after two months. She is not sure whether she will apply for a refund, but doesn plan on wearing the toning sneakers any time soon. didn feel stable in them, and I didn really see any difference, Pezza said. buy them because they saw the commercial with the girl in the little short shorts and long legs. But she didn get those from wearing the sneakers. She runs 10 miles a day. I knew that. I couldn run three miles in them.