Tamara Burns  |  October 2, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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Adidas SpringBlade class action lawsuitOn Wednesday, Adidas America Inc. filed a motion to dismiss with prejudice a putative class action lawsuit in New York federal court. Adidas said that plaintiff Edward A. Ruffo attempted to manipulate his warranty claims into claims of consumer fraud against the company.

The motion to dismiss the Adidas class action lawsuit read, “At root, the facts alleged state nothing more than a run-of-the-mill claim for breach of implied warranty of merchantability.” Adidas further adds that Ruffo “contorts the alleged facts into several alternative causes of action in the hopes that at least one will ‘stick’: claims for breach of express warranty, violations of New York’s Deceptive Acts and Practices Act, violations of Oregon’s Unfair Trade Practices Act and unjust enrichment.”

Ruffo filed the potential class action lawsuit against Adidas in July, alleging the company’s SpringBlade running shoe is defective and the sole came apart after very few uses. The soles of the SpringBlade have 16 angled blades made out of polymer, and are meant to create an energetic and springy push-off.

At $180 to $200 a pair, the original SpringBlade was not an inexpensive shoe. Ruffo claims that he purchased multiple pairs — one to run on a treadmill and another for outdoor running. He purchased a pair online at adidas.com, one from Amazon, and another at Dick’s Sporting Goods.

He said the pair of shoes he wore outside failed after the first use. The pair he wore on the treadmill lasted only several days, according to the Adidas class action lawsuit. In all cases of failure, the soles of the shoes reportedly split where the there was a bonded seam at the forefoot flex area.

Adidas has since redesigned the SpringBlade under a new model, the Adidas SpringBlade Ignite. According to Ruffo’s class action lawsuit, he said the shoe was redesigned as a result of consumer complaints regarding the integrity of the sole of the original shoes. The SpringBlade Ignite retails for $129.99.

In the Adidas class action lawsuit, Ruffo sought to represent a nationwide Class as well as a New York subclass of consumers who purchased the first-generation SpringBlade running shoe model.

According to New York Deceptive Acts and Practices Act, plaintiffs are required to demonstrate that the company directed deceptive acts at consumers, the acts were materially misleading, and the plaintiff suffered injury.

In the recent motion to dismiss the class action lawsuit, Adidas said that Ruffo had no interaction with the company before contacting the company to obtain a refund. Adidas said based on that, Ruffo could not have had any interactions detailing that adidas had special knowledge that was withheld about the quality of the shoe.

Adidas said, “Plaintiff has simply not pled specific facts even remotely (much less plausibly) suggesting that adidas knew about a defect in SpringBlade footwear and concealed this information from consumers.”

Ruffo is represented by Thomas Peter Guiffra of Rheingold Valet Rheingold McCartney & Giuffra LLP.

The Adidas SpringBlade Class Action Lawsuit is Edward A. Ruffo v. Adidas America Inc., Case No. 1:15-cv-05989, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

UPDATE: On Sept. 2, 2016, Adidas won its bid to deny certification of a nationwide Class of consumers who allege the company’s Springblade sneakers are defective and fall apart after one or two uses.

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2 thoughts onAdidas Moves to Toss SpringBlade Running Shoes Class Action Lawsuit

  1. Top Class Actions says:

    UPDATE: On Sept. 2, 2016, Adidas won its bid to deny certification of a nationwide Class of consumers who allege the company’s Springblade sneakers are defective and fall apart after one or two uses.

  2. eric Stachowiak says:

    How do I become a part of this suit? I agree there is a defect in the Springblades. I own 5 pairs and 4 of them broke in the same spot on the sole of the show. It didn’t rip, it broke. The plastic seam between the 2 plastic Springblades plates broke. I have pictures of each sole because I was going to send them to adidas.

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