While The Man From FCPA often considers those individuals and companies who step over the legal line of laws such as the FCPA or U.K. Bribery Act, there is another dimension to the compliance and ethics discussion. Sometimes the question is not can you do something, but whether you should do something. This question was recently raised in an area far afield from the FCPA but one which does consider ethics more often: long-distance running. More obliquely, it was not regarding performance-enhancing drugs but was in the category of equipment, specifically footwear.
Reports have raised the question of whether new Nike footwear, which is scheduled to be released June and is monikered the Zoom, will violate standards set forth by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF). The issue is around the light weight of the shoes, only 6.5 ounces and “feature a thick but lightweight midsole that is said to return 13 percent more energy than more conventional foam midsoles. Some runners have said the shoes reduce fatigue in their legs.” Equally importantly, the shoe incorporates a carbon plate into the sole. George Hirsch, the chairman of New York Road Runners, which organizes the New York City Marathon, called the shoes a “game changer.”
