Top Lawsuits
Is New Balance Off-Balance? New Balance, the Boston-based sneaker maker is being sued over allegations of deceptive advertising, specifically, that its toning shoes create more sculpted legs than traditional walking shoes are not accurate.
The complaint, filed on Monday in the US District Court of Boston, is seeking class action status, and $5 million in damages.
The suit was filed by Bistra Pashamova of California, who claims that she and others like her have been harmed by New Balance. New Balance has promoted its toning shoes with claims that the shoes increase muscle activation by about 27 percent and increase calorie burn by as much as 10 percent with each step. Really?
Probably not. Results from a study completed by the American Council on Exercise, released in the summer of 2010, showed that “toning shoes” do not live up to the claims made by their manufacturers. In fact, the report concluded there were “no statistically significant increases in either exercise response or muscle activation as a result of wearing toning sneakers.”
Additionally, reports of injuries have raised concerns that the shoes, which retail for about $100 a pair, could in fact do more harm than good. You think? I have to ask the obvious question—if this is such a great idea—why are our feet designed to keep us balanced?
Top Settlements
Spelter Smelter Helter Skelter. (had to, sorry) Here’s a bit of a whopper—Harrison County, WV circuit judge Thomas A. Bedell, approved a $150 million lawsuit settlement that requires DuPont Co to clean up contamination of the community of Spelter and fund a program to Continue reading “Week Adjourned: 1.7.11”