Terms and conditions for participation in the Groundies Challenge competition
The competition will run from January 1, 2026, to January 11, 2026. The closing date for entries is January 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
1. Subject matter of the conditions of participation and organizer
(1) The organizer of the competition is Groundies GmbH, Heinrich-von-Stephan-Straße 17, 79100 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. These rules apply to participation in the competition. By participating, you accept these rules.
(2) The prize for the competition consists of non-cash prizes in the form of Groundies® brand shoes. The participant who is the first to reach a total of 111,111 steps within the contest period from January 1 to January 11 inclusive, in accordance with the conditions of participation, will be awarded first place and will win three
(3) Pair of shoes. Second place wins two (2) pairs of shoes, third place wins one (1) pair of shoes. The shoes (model, size, color) will be selected from the organizer's range available at the time of prize processing and in consultation with the respective winner. Cash payment of the prize, exchange, or transfer to third parties are excluded. The prize includes only the specified non-cash prizes. The organizer is not liable for the availability of individual models or sizes at the time of prize processing.
2. Conditions of participation
(1) Only natural persons over the age of 18 who are resident in the EU or Switzerland are eligible to participate. Employees of Groundies GmbH and affiliated companies, as well as their relatives, are excluded from participation.
(2) Participation is only permitted if the participant's correct name is provided. Multiple entries by one person are not permitted. The same applies to registrations by third parties or via competition clubs and similar organizations. In particular, it is not permitted to use technical means to automatically generate entries for the competition. Registered persons who violate this rule or whose registration violates this rule will be excluded from participation. The same applies to participants who attempt to manipulate the course of the competition.
(3) Natural persons who have their own public Instagram account are eligible to participate. Participation in the competition is only possible via Instagram. To participate in the competition, participants must complete a total of 111,111 steps during the competition period from January 1 to January 11 inclusive and provide proof of having achieved this step count by taking a screenshot of the relevant tracking app. The screenshot must be published by the participant in the Instagram story of their own account. The account @groundies_barefoot must be tagged and the hashtag #groundieschallenge must be used. Participation is contingent upon the proper publication of the story with complete proof within the contest period. Stories published after the contest period has ended or that do not meet the above requirements cannot be considered. Each participant may only enter the contest once. The use of multiple Instagram accounts to increase the chances of winning is not permitted.
3. Determination of winners and notification of winnings
(1) The winner will not be determined by a random draw, but rather based on the order in which the first complete and valid proof of fulfillment of the conditions of participation is received. The winner will be notified via Instagram message no later than five days after the winner has been determined. If the notified winner does not respond within a period of 14 days, the prize will be forfeited or the organizer will award the prize again.
(2) There will be three winners of the competition. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged or paid out in cash.
4. Exclusion
(1) Any violation of these conditions of participation entitles us to exclude the participant in question from participating in the competition and the prize draw. This applies in particular if the participant provides false information.
(2) If the excluded participant is a winner who has already been drawn, the prize may be revoked retrospectively.
5. Early termination and changes
The organizer does not guarantee that the competition will be available at all times without interruptions, punctually, and free of errors. In particular, the organizer is not liable for technical malfunctions for which the organizer is not responsible. This also includes intentional actions by third parties that may impair or prevent the competition from running smoothly. We reserve the right to terminate the competition in whole or in part at any time, even without observing deadlines, or to change the course of the competition if, for such technical reasons, the proper execution of the competition cannot be guaranteed. The competition is not affiliated with Instagram Inc. and is in no way sponsored, supported, or organized by Instagram.
6. Data protection notice
The participant data collected as part of this competition will be used exclusively for the purposes of the competition. It will be deleted after the competition has ended. For information on unsubscribing, access rights, and other rights, please refer to the general data protection information provided by Groundies GmbH: https://www.groundies.com/de/datenschutz/.
7. Final provisions
(1) Legal recourse for participation in the competition is excluded.
(2) German law shall apply.
(3) Should any clause of these conditions of participation be invalid, the validity of the remaining conditions of participation shall remain unaffected.
