Skechers Was Just Ordered to Pay $40 Million For Making False Claims About Shape-Ups Sneakers
Remember this Kim Kardashian commercial? Yeeeeeeeah, ya do! If you’re a guy, you remember it because it featured Kim K…well, being Kim K. And, if you’re a female, you remember it because it made it seem like you would be more like Kim K—at least when it came to your legs and backside—if you used the Skechers Shape-Ups sneakers that were featured in the commercial. Now, you’ll remember that commercial forever, because it’s one of the reasons that Skechers is being forced to pay $40 million to everyone who bought a pair of the sneakers.
That’s right. Skechers recently lost a court case brought against them by someone who claimed that the company “deceived customers by making unfounded claims” about how their sneakers could help them get more tone and definition in their legs and rear end. Specifically, the customer claimed that Shape-Ups, Resistance Runners, Toners, and Tone-Ups sneakers were all ineffective in providing additional tone and that anyone who bought them should be reimbursed by Skechers. And, that wasn’t all.
“Skechers’ unfounded claims went beyond stronger and more toned muscles,” said David Vladek, the director of the FTC‘s Bureau of Consumer Protection. “The company even made claims about weight loss and cardiovascular health. The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims.”
Basically, even if Skechers do help tone muscles and do provide health benefits for consumers, they need to do a better job of proving it before they try selling that notion to people. And, because they didn’t do that, they now have to pay out $40 million to anyone who applies for a refund here. So, if you bought a pair and thought you’d look like a Kardashian when you did but found them to be ineffective, Skechers did you wrong. Go get your money.










