Reebok Reetone Sneakers in Body-Toning Controversy

FTC orders Reebok to pay out $25 million to disgruntled customers

The FTC has confirmed our doubts about those sneakers that promise to tone your butt and thighs: Reebok is set to pay out $25 million over their EasyTone and RunTone products that fail to fulfil the body-shaping guarantees claimed in the ads.

David Vladeck, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said, “The FTC wants national advertisers to understand that they must exercise some responsibility and ensure that their claims for fitness gear are supported by sound science.”

It didn’t help that Reebok was quite specific in their claims, with the fit woman in the advert assuring potential purchasers that EasyTone sneakers strengthen hamstrings and calves by up to 11 percent and tone one’s butt “up to 28 percent more than regular sneakers, just by walking.”

For most women, it was a cruel and impossibly tempting advertising ploy to begin with, let alone after the desired results did not materialise.

With 5 million pairs of $100 sneakers sold in the US and a further 10 million abroad — that is a whole lot of women who expected leaner and more toned bodies than they had before.

This was not the first spell of turbulence in the $1.1 billion market for toning shoes — Sketchers and New Balance also faced lawsuits — but this was the first time the government took a stand.

Reebok responded by maintaining its stance on the shoes: “We stand behind our EasyTone technology – the first shoe in the toning category that was inspired by balance-ball training. Settling does not mean we agree with the FTC’s allegations; we do not. We have received overwhelmingly enthusiastic feedback from thousands of EasyTone customers, and we remain committed to the further development of our EasyTone line of products.”

Still, if you were bitterly disappointed by the results of the shoes, Reebok will be offering a full refund as part of their settlement. Click here to download the form.