ATLANTA, Ga.,None — Shoemaker Reebok will refund $25 million to consumers who bought its popular toning shoes. Federal regulators said ads for the shoes were deceptive.
"I expected within a couple of weeks I would feel something. I would feel my legs tighter. I would feel my rear end tighter, and I didn't," former personal trainer JaNiece Wilson said.
Wilson said she wears her Reebok Runtone shoes on the job at Grady Hospital. Now she said she could be counted among the dissatisfied.
"Did the advertising influence your decision to buy these shoes?" Channel 2's Jim Strickland asked.
"That's why I bought them," Wilson replied.
Sexy ads featuring women shot from the back below the waist implied how effective the shoes are.
"Tones your bum and legs up to 28 percent more than regular toners," announces a woman with a British accent in one TV spot Strickland found on YouTube.
The Federal Trade Commission said Reebok can't prove the 28 percent additional toning boast.
"For the millions of Americans who paid up to $100 for a pair of Reebok toning shoes, Reebok's claims didn't withstand scrutiny," said David Vladeck, the agency's chief of consumer protection.
Gwinnett physical education teacher Pam Overstreet said the shoes work and that she wears them to teach every day.
"I liked 'em so much, after two days I went and bought another pair," she said.
Reebok claims technology in the sole mimics walking on a balance ball, giving muscles a better workout.
The company on its website said it stands behind its Easytone technology and stands behind its ads. Reebok said the settlement decision avoids a lengthy court battle.