Sneakers maker New Balance is facing a new lawsuit over false claims regarding its “USA Made” marketing.
The lawsuit, filed in Massachusetts State Court, alleges that up to 30 percent of every single sneaker is made from imported parts or is made with the help of overseas labor. Because some of the shoes are manufactured outside of the United States, plaintiffs argue that New Balance’s sneakers do not meet the legal definition of “Made in USA” which requires that products labeled “Made in America” or marketed “Made in the USA” must be made “in whole or in part” in the United States.
According to the plaintiffs, the small print is not enough
New Balance is making its “Made in USA” attitude clear “by means of a small print disclaimer on some areas of its website and on the underside of its packaging,” according to the application. In the small print disclaimer, the shoe company points out that the sneakers contain “a domestic share of 70 percent or more”. According to the plaintiffs, this is insufficient because “a reasonable consumer would not expect that the fine print on the bottom of the packaging or hidden in various places on a website would contain wording inconsistent with the representation that the sneakers’ Made in the.” USA ‘are. ”
In a statement to Footwear News, New Balance said, “New Balance prides itself on our longstanding commitment to domestic manufacturing – it’s a cherished part of our heritage and culture. Our four New England factories currently employ approximately 1,000 Americans to the The success of our brand is based on our unwavering belief that making things important and the craftsmanship of the men and women who work in our factories. ”
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs state that if they had known they were not entirely made in the United States, they would not have bought the sneakers. They also state that they were tricked into paying a higher price for products they believed were made entirely in the United States.
The case is Matthew Cristostomo et al, v New Balance Athletics, Inc. 1: 21-cv-12095 (D. Mass.)
This translated post previously appeared on FashionUnited.uk.