Product details

Although American consumers were aware of innovatively designed wellness footwear since the 1970s, it was not until 2009 that footwear began to attract their attention. The footwear which the shoe makers promoted aggressively was purported to have abilities to improve posture, shape as well as tone butt and leg muscles. Reebok which was witnessing a loss of its share in the US markets even after its merger with global sporting goods major Adidas-Salomon AG in 2006, entered the emerging category with EasyTone products range in 2009. Reebok was able to recover from the decline, riding on the popularity of the toning shoe. Together with Skechers, Reebok became a leading brand in the emerging new category of athletic and sports shoes market which primarily catered to women who wanted to stay fit without much ado. But the toning products as well as the advertising claims of the footwear marketers invited heated debate across the nation among the prospective users, trainers, researchers, podiatrists and sports enthusiast including the industry. Meanwhile, the sales of toning shoes reached a crescendo in 2010 reviving the hopes of Reebok and its parent Adidas to score a point over its immediate rival Nike. At the same time, several lawsuits were also filed against toning shoe makers by customers for making misleading product claims and for causing injuries over the use. In September 2011, the government regulator, Federal Trade Commission, filed an injunction over false advertising claims of Reebok, quashing the hopes of those who sought a perfect derriere. Analysts and industry observers too opined that Reebok went overboard with its provocative advertising communication and without enough evidence to support its claims.