Adidas Sued Over False Claims in Advertisements

A New York man, who suffered compound fractures after training in the shoes claimed by Adidas to mimic the effect of running ‘barefoot’ has sued the company on Friday. The proposed class action suit filed against Adidas America inc claims that the $90 pair of adiPure shoes do not deliver as advertised. In fact, the lawsuit claims, due to decreased padding and other structural differences, the shoes increase the risk for bruising and foot damage in comparison to traditional running shoes. Adidas America is the subsidiary of Adidas AG which is headquartered in Germany.

Plaintiff Joseph Rocco filed the lawsuit in federal court in Brooklyn. He claimed that the shoes did not deliver the increased training efficiency and decreased risk of injury as promised in the advertisements. Rocco said that customers of the adiPure shoes were never warned about potential hazards, and the injuries he suffered were due to lack of warning from the manufacturer.

The lawsuit seeks that a class for all consumers who purchased adiPure shoes since their debut in August 2011 be certified. The plaintiff is seeking refund and statutory damages. Adidas, which had launched the adiPure shoes to feed the trend of “barefoot running” or running in shoes with minimal padding and articulated toes, did not make any official comment on the lawsuit.

In March, a similar class action lawsuit was filed against Vibram – the makers of FiveFingers shoes – over causes of action same or similar to those in the present lawsuit against Adidas. Vibram had been accused of promoting unproven health benefits of its shoes.

Barefoot running has been in trend for quite some time among fitness lovers.

The case is Rocco et al v. Adidas America Inc, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, No. 12-3015.