In the artice “Vibram, ‘Barefoot Running Shoe’ Company, Settles Multi-Million Dollar Lawsuit”, by Huffington post editor Emily Thomas shares the story of another success made shoe company that has built their success on a foundation of lies. As an early model “Vibram” – five finger shoe enthusiast myself, I developed a pretty loyal backing of the shoe company. I felt that the shoes were extremely comfortable, provided me with a more natural running process and best of all they improved my feets health. Right?, well or so I thought. Well, in actuality “Vibram” had been making claims without any real scientific proof that they were doing much of anything besides being the new sleek and cool shoes to wear.
“Vibram” had advertised that they:
(1) Strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs
(2) Improve range of motion in the ankles, feet, and toes
(3) Stimulate neural function important to balance and agility
(4) Eliminate heel lift to align the spine and improve posture
(5) Allow the foot and body to move naturally
Well, after wearing the shoes for almost a year, I could of told you that I personally disagreed with many of these claims as while running distance, my shins began to hurt and my ankles were definitely not supported. In fact, “risks of barefoot running include a lack of protection, which may lead to injuries such as puncture wounds, and increased stress on the lower extremities.” (American Podiatric Medicine Association).
The justice in all of this has been served, for the more the 70 million Americans who have purchased “Vibram” shoes, a 3.75 million dollar law suit has been settled. Issued refunds of anywhere from $25 – $50 are being settled for valid claims.
Are you currently and/or have you been a “Vibram” shoe runner? Please leave your feedback on your experience with the shoes below………………
Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/10/_n_5302213.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
