A class action lawsuit claims Adidas duped consumers into purchasing Adidas “adiPure” barefoot running shoes by falsely advertising they provide various health benefits over wearing regular shoes.

Plaintiff Joseph Rocco alleges in the class action lawsuit that the $90 pair of adiPure barefoot running shoes he purchased did not deliver the increased training efficiency and decreased risk of injury promised in Adidas advertisements. Instead, adiPure shoes actually increase the risk for bruising and foot damage, due to their decreased padding and other structural differences compared to traditional running shoes, the class action lawsuit says.

Rocco says he and other customers were never warned about the potential hazards and that, as a result, he suffered compound fractures after training in Adidas adiPure shoes. He also claims Adidas has no proof to back up its health claims. He is seeking a refund for the shoes, as well as statutory damages, for everyone who purchased adiPure shoes since their debut in August 2011.

Adidas launched the adiPure minimalist training shoes to capitalize on the burgeoning fitness trend of “barefoot running,” or running in shoes with articulated toes and minimal padding. Many consumers have jumped on the trend, quick to believe the rhetoric that barefoot running provides numerous health benefits over conventional running, including improved posture and foot health, foot and lower leg strength, spine alignment, and a reduced risk of injury. However, the American Podiatric Medical Association has warned consumers not to buy the barefoot running hype just yet, saying “research has not yet adequately shed light on the immediate and long-term effects of this practice.”

In March, a false advertising class action lawsuit was filed against Vibram – the maker of barefoot-running shoe FiveFingers – over similar claims of promoting the shoes’ unproven health benefits. The Vibram FiveFingers class action lawsuit is also seeking restitution for consumers who were allegedly duped into purchasing the barefoot running shoes.

The Adidas adiPure False Advertising Class Action Lawsuit case is Rocco, et al. v. Adidas America, Inc., Case No. 12-cv-3015, in the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.