So here is an example of a company plying its wares with pseudoscience (or real science turned scam if you are a cynic like me). Chaco, a well-known footwear manufacturer, asks potential customers to try this challenge when deciding to buy their sandals. They tell you to take off any footwear and then take 10 normal steps and mark the ending location. They instruct you to then put on their sandals and, starting in the same place, take 10 steps again. They then want you to be impressed by how you covered more distance with 10 steps wearing these thick-soled sandals than you did barefoot. They clearly push the notion that this is due to some special ergonomic design features of their sandals. Obviously, the basis for the longer distance covered with the sandals is that the thick sole gives you a longer stride length than barefoot. They never tell you to compare their sandal versus any other footwear with a similar sole thickness. Here are a couple of the Chaco promotional videos promoting the 10 step challenge.
I have not gone to a store yet to see if the sales staff are using this challenge to sell sandals. I guess some sales people might use this "challenge" without knowing better. However, its hard for me to believe that management at this company is not knowingly perpetrating a scam. I am thinking someone needs to create a 'blockos 10 Step Challenge' YouTube video where they duct tape chunks of 2X4 to their feet and do the same challenge but up against the Chaco sandals for comparison.
