No, it wasn’t Tennessee leading the charge on the constitutionality of the health care mandate, but our state’s attorney general did lead the charge — against fat-burning sneakers.
In an increased effort of the Federal Trade Commission to address false or unfounded claims, a California sneaker company, Skechers U.S.A., Inc., will pay $40 million in a settlement in a case led by Tennessee and Ohio. This follows last year’s FTC suit filed by Ohio against Reebok that resulted in a $25 million settlement.
Addressing claims that the $100 sneakers would increase “muscle activation” by up to “85 percent for posture-related muscles” and “71 percent” for one of the muscles in the buttocks, attorneys general from Tennessee and Ohio were the tip of the spear in the 42-state effort that marks the largest pool in history resulting from an advertising substantiation case.
Consumers who purchased the “rocker-bottomed” shoes may be eligible for a refund during an eight-month window. Jeff Hill, senior counsel with the Office of the Attorney General in Tennessee, remarked, “Consumers should receive approximately $20-$30 in restitution …”
Skechers will pay an additional $5 million to the states.