Korea’s Fair Trade Commission launched a probe into major footwear makers including Reebok, Ellesse and New Balance over ads allegedly exaggerating the shoes’ therapeutic benefits.

According to the local press on Monday, the FTC has embarked on a comprehensive investigation of 11 shoemakers in Korea to check whether they put out exaggerated ads.

“The FTC is currently collecting marketing, sales and product data from local shoemakers,” an industry source was quoted as saying.

The crackdown comes at a time when the country’s functional and therapeutic shoes market is growing at a solid pace as customers want more value-added functions for their walking and running shoes, such as to balance their posture and enhance fitness.

The local authority’s investigation also follows a similar move in the U.S. where Reebok was penalized for exaggerating the fitness effect of one of its shoes in September.

By Yang Sung-jin (insight@heraldcorp.com)