Portland, Oregon — A well-known shoe manufacturer is facing legal challenges over complaints regarding excessive squeaking. A class action lawsuit was filed last week in federal court, alleging that the design of On Inc.’s CloudTec sneakers results in “loud and embarrassing squeaks” which the company’s warranty does not cover.
The complaint asserts, “No reasonable customer would buy shoes as expensive as the Defendant’s or pay as much if the product required DIY modifications to be wearable, or if a squeaky defect rendered them completely unwearable.”
These running shoes retail for nearly $200 and feature hexagonal, sometimes octagonal or oval, holes in their soles. Plaintiffs claim the sneakers are so noisy that they can only be worn after “significant DIY modifications.”
One plaintiff recounted wearing the shoes for three months before realizing they “couldn’t stop squeaking with every step.” He expressed feeling embarrassed and annoyed, stating that he wouldn’t have paid so much if he had known about the “tremendous squeak.”
Another individual noted hearing the squeak after only three wears and described being unable to use them subsequent to that. She, along with another affected party, claims to have suffered damages from the premium price she paid for the shoes.
On is a Swiss company with a presence in Portland, and CloudTec is their signature line. Earlier this year, it was reported that they had outpaced Nike and Adidas in shoe sales.
The lawsuit claims that these squeaks are not unique to the plaintiffs, noting numerous Reddit threads, TikTok videos, and websites providing DIY solutions aimed at addressing the issue. Evidence in the court documents includes various online reviews and comments from shoppers who reached out to the company only to be informed that the issue was not covered under warranty.
In response to questions about the case, a company spokesperson stated that the company does not comment on ongoing legal matters.
