The Federal Trade Commission have announced in a press release that they are taking legal action again the footwear manufacture, Gravity Defyer.

The Gravity Defyer brand was launched in 2008 and their shoes feature a spring under the heel. At that time the Gravity Defyer shoes featured their sperm logo which certainly drew a lot of commentary. More recently they have been making health claims for their shoes that are not supported by the evidence.

These claims include:

“will relieve pain, including knee, back and foot pain;”
“will relieve pain in people suffering from multiple conditions such as plantar fasciitis, arthritis, joint pain, and heel spurs; and”
“is clinically proven to relieve pain, including 85 percent less knee pain, 91 percent less back pain, 92 percent less ankle pain, and 75 percent less foot pain.“

The FTC allege that there is a lack of evidence to support those claims and further allege that the company has failed to uphold previous agreements to not make unsubstantiated claims for their products.

Gravity Defyer have been reported as responding that the suit and its claims violates their First Amendment rights.