Historically, athletes have been willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on a single pair of sport shoes that promise to improve their performance and prevent injuries. But recent articles are questioning the validity of those claims, and raising some eyebrows among buyers. According to one article, “…there are no studies out there suggesting that these shoes in fact work.” Liz Brett, a sports and recreation manager and former Australian Olympic volleyball player that was interviewed for the same article, said she recommends spending money on the shoes to reduce the risk of injury. However, she also admitted to hoping she isn’t a “victim to a marketing con job.” Read the article here.

It’s no wonder why a significant percentage of consumers believe that the sole purpose of advertising is to convince people to buy stuff they don’t need. But despite the challenges, Reebok is attempting to reshape consumer perception with a new product called EasyTone, featuring balance ball-inspired technology. The campaign claims that the shoes work your calves and hamstrings 11% more and tone your buttocks 28% better than ordinary shoes. Simply by walking.

Clearly, the success of Reebok’s efforts will depend heavily on the real-life effectiveness of the product. But are the statistics combined with the sex appeal of the ads enough to even begin to alter the perception of an increasingly skeptical audience? Or, will customers be singing, “My bologna has a first name, it’s R-E-E-B-O-K?”