Portland sneaker company sued for 'embarassing squeak'

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A popular Oregon shoemaker is heading to court after customers complained their sneakers are excessively squeaky.

A class action lawsuit filed in federal court last week alleges that On Inc.’s CloudTec sneaker design causes “a noisy and embarrassing squeak” not covered by the company’s warranty.

“No reasonable customer would purchase shoes as highly priced as Defendant’s—or paid as much for them as they did—if they needed to make DIY alterations to make the products wearable, or cease wearing them completely due to the squeaky noise defect,” the lawsuit said.

The running shoes, which can cost nearly $200, are designed with hexagonal or, in some cases, octagonal or oval holes in the sole. The lawsuit’s plaintiffs allege that the sneakers create so much noise that