Vibrams lawsuit

[Deleted]

fittish.deadspin.com/vibram-fivefingers-still-stupid-now-culpable-1572955736/+tcraggs22

The favorite toe-shoe of vegan restaurant servers and 55-year-old men with ponytails has settled a class action lawsuit brought against it by what sounds like every person who ever wore its foot-condoms.



Runner's World Newswire's Matt McCue reports that though Vibram "expressly [denies] and continues to deny any wrongdoing alleged in the Actions, and neither admits nor concedes any actual or potential fault, wrongdoing or liability," the company has agreed to pay a lot of money.



Vibram Agrees to Settle Class Action Lawsuit

Vibram USA, the company that makes FiveFingers running shoes, has agreed to settle a lawsuit that...

Read on runnersworld.​com

The initial claim, filed in 2012, accuses Vibram of deceiving consumers by saying that its shoes could "reduce foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles." Unfortunately, Vibram appears to have pulled this out of thin air, really hoping it was true.



It is not true.



Science takes time, and since the advent of Christopher McDougall's best-selling Born to Run (a book based mainly on anecdote that sparked the minimalist footwear revolution), science has discovered that barefoot running can really fuck you up.



"This study showed that increases in bone marrow edema [the precursor to a stress fracture] are more common in subjects who were transitioning to the [Vibram FiveFingers]," concluded this 2013 study.



In penance for its crimes against fashion and humanity, Vibram has placed $3.75 million into escrow. Those funds will go to the fitness idiots who purchased a pair after March 21, 2009, with up to $94 for each in an effort to help your friends and family not shudder when looking at your feet.

My take:

It's not that they're not good shoes for some things, it's that they don't promote stronger feet/reduce injuries which is the platform upon which they were sold. Much like those curved bottom fitness shoes I've already forgotten the name of.

Discuss.

[shorewife]

Without reading the article, I think that barefoot running and/or these types of shoes might work if you start out running this way, but if you are used to running in running shoes and then you switch to these types of shoes you are definitely risking injury.

[pixy0stix]

I love this article.

I think the people who really bought into this aren't going to be swayed by the science portion of the argument.

[captainobvious]

May 8, 2014 9:12:26 GMT -5 shorewife said:

Without reading the article, I think that barefoot running and/or these types of shoes might work if you start out running this way, but if you are used to running in running shoes and then you switch to these types of shoes you are definitely risking injury.

I totally agree with this, and my own anecdotal experience leads me to believe it. 

[clseale]

I just...I just find this all very stupid. Barefoot running, the law suit, people's inability to listen to their bodies, gut intuition, common sense. I don't know, I'm very meh about the whole thing and just sort of laughing, and shaking my head at everyone involved.

[clseale]

May 8, 2014 9:36:33 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

May 8, 2014 9:15:18 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

I love this article.

I think the people who really bought into this aren't going to be swayed by the science portion of the argument.

Ditto and ditto.

I do think that Born to Run book was a smidge more balanced in it's emphasis on barefoot running, and then people started going nutso with the trend. Or at least, after I read it I didn't feel compelled to go barefoot.

This was me as well. It's a thing. People did it. They ran barefoot, and perhaps without a ton of trouble. But, ya know, they didn't do it on hard-ass urban side walks. 

[runaways]

I feel somewhat vindicated by this. I had a few friends really trying to push them on my for running a while back.

[Deleted]

May 8, 2014 9:53:40 GMT -5 runaways said:

I feel somewhat vindicated by this. I had a few friends really trying to push them on my for running a while back.

This is also how I feel. I fully support people that want to run in them, I just didn't believe the 'science' at the time, and it looks like I was right! I LOVE BEING RIGHT!

[naldridge]

May 8, 2014 16:39:29 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Wait... I had 5 fingers for CrossFit, but continued to run in my running shoes. Do I get to be a part of the Class Action Suit? If so, yay for lunch money!

Ditto! I love them for strength training and general "running" around town (in my car). But real running in them? Notsomuch. They sound like I am running in flippers.

[Deleted]

May 8, 2014 16:39:29 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Wait... I had 5 fingers for CrossFit, but continued to run in my running shoes. Do I get to be a part of the Class Action Suit? If so, yay for lunch money!

Pretty sure you do!

[shauni27]

May 8, 2014 9:50:15 GMT -5 clseale said:

May 8, 2014 9:36:33 GMT -5 @pennypie said:

Ditto and ditto.

I do think that Born to Run book was a smidge more balanced in it's emphasis on barefoot running, and then people started going nutso with the trend. Or at least, after I read it I didn't feel compelled to go barefoot.

This was me as well. It's a thing. People did it. They ran barefoot, and perhaps without a ton of trouble. But, ya know, they didn't do it on hard-ass urban side walks. 

My husband and I were driving in a Hartford, CT suburb last weekend, through a major construction zone, and missed our on ramp to the interstate because we were so distracted watching a woman run barefoot, THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE with HARD-ASS URBAN SIDEWALKS/STREETS.  We kept waiting to see her stop to take a nail out of her foot or something, and we completely drove by the on ramp.

[joenali]

All I know is that I was right!!!!

Insert maniacal laugh!

[emuni04]

May 8, 2014 16:39:29 GMT -5 @kirkette said:

Wait... I had 5 fingers for CrossFit, but continued to run in my running shoes. Do I get to be a part of the Class Action Suit? If so, yay for lunch money!

If so, I'm joining, too!

Can I claim emotional damages for the teasing I got from my husband for wearing them?