Running shoe company On is sued over footwear’s allegedly “loud, embarrassing” squeak
Trendy Running Shoe Company Faces Lawsuit Over Squeaking Shoes
A popular running shoe company, On, is currently facing a class action lawsuit from some customers who claim that their shoes emit a loud and embarrassing squeaking sound with each step. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon on October 9, alleges that the noise is caused by the company’s CloudTec shoe design, which features hexagonal, octangular, and ovular shaped holes on the external landing surface of the shoes.
The lawsuit claims that when wearers take a step, the rubber within the CloudTec design rubs together, resulting in the noisy and embarrassing squeak. On, a Swiss company with U.S. offices in Portland, Oregon, has stated that it does not comment on ongoing legal matters.
Several customers have voiced their complaints about the squeaking issue on online forums like Reddit, with some even sharing hacks to try and stop the noise. The lawsuit highlights that the On running shoes come at a premium price, ranging from $140 to $180 a pair, which is higher than the average price of running shoes at $132.90.
The complaint lists 11 types of On shoes made with CloudTec technology that could experience squeaking, including Cloud 5, Cloud 6, CloudMonsters, Cloudtilts, Cloudsurfers, Cloudeclipse, Cloudleap, CloudSky, Cloudswift, Cloudzone, and Cloudrunner. Customers claim that they have been unable to return the shoes due to the company’s warranty, which allegedly does not cover defects like squeaking, describing it as normal wear and tear.
The lawsuit seeks compensatory, statutory, and punitive damages for what it believes are likely thousands of people who have purchased On shoes with the CloudTec design and experienced the squeaking issue.
