Back in the middle of the last decade, someone at the Vibram company had a brainstorm, the kind of once-in-a-career inspiration that undoubtedly is studied at business schools across the land. What if, this person must have mused, instead of marketing our FiveFingers shoe to the small community of boaters who use them to secure their footing on wet, slippery surfaces, we could convince tens of millions of people that they should run the streets in them? That running in flat, cushionless shoes with individual pockets for each toe is, in fact, better for your health than protecting your feet with all that soft, high-tech razzmatazz? Even if you're not a runner, you probably know what happened next. The brilliant book "Born to Run," which celebrated a band of Mexican ultra-runners who lived in a hidden canyon and ran huge distances in sandals made from old tires, came out about the same time. A Harvard anthropologist, among others, launched a rigorous study of "barefoot running," concluding that the way people have been locomoting for hundreds of thousands of years is better for you than the raised sole of the modern running shoe.

The "barefoot" or "minimalist" boom was off and running, so to speak. Nike, Brooks and other major shoe companies jumped in with both feet, and soon you had an enormous choice of barefoot running shoes, with soles that ranged from totally flat to a few millimeters high at the all-important heel. Last time I checked, such footwear made up 10 percent of the $588 million U.S. running shoe market and had grown by 303 percent between November 2010 and November 2012, compared with 19 percent for running shoe sales overall.nike shoes for weights Well on Wednesday we learned that Vibram has moved to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a woman who claimed that the company deceived consumers when it claimed, without any scientific backup, that its shoes could decrease foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles. authentic nike shoes sites

The company agreed to put aside $3.75 million to pay refunds of as much as $94 to anyone who had bought a pair since March 21, 2009, according to Runner's World. Or as Deadspin put it in a snotty post Wednesday, Vibram acknowledged that the FiveFingers is nothing more than a "shoe foot-condom." (I'm sorry, that was unnecessary. "Deadspin" and "snotty" are redundant.) Technically, Vibram has admitted nothing, "expressly" denying "any wrongdoing" or conceding "any actual or potential fault...or liability," according to court papers. buy nike football shoes indiaThis is like Rosie Ruiz refusing to admit that she took the subway to her victory at the 1980 Boston Marathon, but agreeing to let someone else be declared the winner so we can all move on.puma sports shoes price It's not like this hasn't happened before. top road bike shoe brands

In 2012, Skechers agreed to pay a whopping $40 million in refunds to people who had spent $60 to $100 for a pair of their Shape-ups, swayed by the claim that they would promote weight loss and cardiovascular health better than other brands. Not long before that, Reebok agreed to pay $25 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it misled people about the benefits of its toning shoes. I tried the FiveFingers in 2009 and knew within a quarter mile that they were not for me. top 10 nike shoes on feetYes, they forced me up onto the balls of my feet, where running coaches want you, because smacking your heels on asphalt roads without any padding to protect them will do that. Does Vibram being caught flat-footed mean there's no merit to barefoot running? There is conflicting research on the subject, but I've met dozens of people who gave up the sport because of leg injuries suffered in traditional running shoes, only to have their exercise regimens revived by the minimalist variety.

In fact, I'm married to one. There's a niche for flatter-soled running gear, just as there's a market for people who prefer to drive Maseratis instead of Mazdas. Any shoe that gets you moving is a good thing, even if it doesn't strengthen your feet, firm your butt or tone your legs. You can do that all on your own. Read more: What's the bottom line? Is barefoot running better for you? More To Your Health: 8 things you can do today to help stop the spread of killer superbugs GALLERY: 11 tips to help you eat better, live longer Buy Photo View Photo Gallery —There are more than 40 synonyms for processed sugar on food labels. You don’t have to be a slave to potentially toxic sugar. Here are ideas from an expert, Dr. Robert H. Lustig, and his just-published “Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity, and Disease.”Vibram USA, the company that makes FiveFingers running shoes, has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged the company made false and unsubstantiated claims about the health benefits of its glove-like footwear.

According to the court filings, Vibram settled to put the matter to rest and avoid any additional legal expenses. “Vibram expressly denied and continues to deny any wrongdoing alleged in the Actions, and neither admits nor concedes any actual or potential fault, wrongdoing or liability,” read the court brief. Valerie Bezdek brought the class action suit against Vibram in March 2012.  She filed her complaint in Massachusetts, the state where Vibram’s U.S. headquarters are located. Bezdek alleged that Vibram deceived consumers by advertising that the footwear could reduce foot injuries and strengthen foot muscles, without basing those assertions on any scientific merit. “The gist of her claim is that Vibram illegally obtained an economic windfall from her because it was only by making false health claims that Vibram induced consumers to buy FiveFingers shoes, and to pay more for them than they would have otherwise,” Harvard Law School professor, John C. P. Goldberg, told Runner’s World at the time of the original filing.

Subsequent class action suits were filed against Vibram in California and Illinois, and those were absorbed into Bezdek’s case. The settlement consists of two kinds of relief. The first is refunds to class members who submit valid and completed claim forms. Vibram will deposit $3.75 million into an escrow account and those funds will be distributed to those valid class members who purchased a pair of Vibram FiveFingers between March 21, 2009 and the date of the first dissemination of summary settlement notice or class notice, whichever is earlier. FiveFingers will award up to a maximum of $94 per pair, though the agreement acknowledges that based on similar settlements it is reasonable for class members to expect to receive between $20 and $50 per pair. Class members can submit a claim for up to two pairs of shoes without any kind of receipt or proof of purchase. (However, FiveFingers can request a verification of purchase should they decide to do so in an effort to prevent against possible fraud.)

Anyone who seeks to recover payment on more than two pairs of footwear must submit both a valid claim form and proof of purchase. If any portion of the $3.75 million remains after the claim payments have been distributed and all administrative and legal costs have been paid, the balance will be donated to the American Heart Association for research on the health benefits of running. For the second part of the settlement, Vibram has agreed to  discontinue to make any claims that FiveFingers footwear is effective in strengthening muscles or reducing injury in its marketing and advertising campaigns, unless the company discovers new scientific evidence that proves it. , to inform class members of the terms of the agreement. , in order to deliver approximately 300,000,000 impressions. Per the court agreement, the attorneys for the class members can receive up to 25% of the $3.75 million settlement, or $937,500. Vibram must pay up to an additional $70,000 of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the plaintiff’s counsel in relation to this case.