Skechers Shape Ups and other “toning shoes” supposedly make you exert more effort while walking, which tones muscles, improves posture and leads to weight loss. But do they work?
The FTC says the company’s reported studies that proved these benefits were false. One of the studies was conducted by a chiropractor who was married to a senior Skechers marketing executive, creating a conflict of interest.
Weight loss
Between Kim Kardashian promising to sculpt flab into buns of steel and Chuck Norris touting his revolutionary exercise machine, you’ve probably seen plenty of ads promoting Skechers Shape Up sneakers. The cute shoes claim to tone muscles, burn calories, improve posture and encourage weight loss. The curved rocker sole is supposed to force the wearer to exert more muscle and burn more energy than a standard walking shoe.
Unfortunately, it turns out that the claims are pretty much all false. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Skechers enlisted high-profile celebrities like Brooke Burke and Kim Kardashian in a series of advertisements that made deceptive claims about the benefits of their Shape-ups, Resistance Runner and Toners line of shoes. The FTC says the shoes don’t actually help you lose weight or tone muscles. The FTC complaint cites two studies that found the shoes don’t do what Skechers claimed they did. The first study involved only one test subject and didn’t have a control group. The second study was flawed in numerous ways, including incorrectly attributing results to Shape-ups users and failing to disclose the conflict of interest that existed between the researchers and the shoe company.
Even so, consumers shouldn’t be tempted by the promise of a magic shoe that will do all your exercise for you. The shoes are heavy and could cause foot pain for some people, especially those with balance issues. Consumer Reports urged anyone with balance problems to skip the shoes altogether and instead focus on good posture while exercising in a solid pair of walking sneakers.
Toning
A major claim of Shape-ups shoes is that they work to tone muscles while you walk. The shoes have a curved sole that, Skechers says, throws your body off balance to make you expend more energy to stay upright. That, the company says, helps you burn more calories and build up your buttocks, hamstring, core and calf muscles. The company touted this effect in TV ads starring celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke.
But a 38-year-old Ohio woman has sued the company, claiming that her Shape-ups caused serious injuries. She says she developed pins in her hips where her thigh bones meet. She also had stress fractures in her lower back. She was wearing the shoes at work and on her regular walks, and her doctor believes that they aggravated her existing conditions, according to her lawsuit.
The company settled the case with the Federal Trade Commission, and millions of consumers will receive refunds, a spokesman for the agency says. Consumers who bought the shoes will be able to file claims directly through the FTC or through a court-approved class action lawsuit.
The settlement bars Skechers from making any unsubstantiated claims about the benefits of its Shape-up, Resistance Runner and Toners shoe lines. It also bar the company from misrepresenting any tests, studies or research results about those shoes.
Comfort
The shape-up shoes have a rocker sole, which throws the body off balance and exercises muscles in new ways. These shoes also provide extra cushioning and stability. They can help you to lose weight and tone up your legs and buttocks. However, the shoe may not be suitable for everyone. Consumer Reports recommends that anyone with balance issues or knee or ankle problems avoid these shoes.
Skechers claims that their shoes help you burn calories faster by stimulating more muscles and challenging your balance. They also claim that their shoes are more comfortable than traditional walking shoes. However, many people have experienced foot pain and have complained that the shoes are too heavy.
Skechers made deceptive statements about their Resistance Runner, Toners, and Shape Ups shoes, according to the FTC. The agency announced a settlement with the company that will compensate consumers who bought these shoes. The settlement also prohibits Skechers from making misleading work-out equipment and fitness products claims in the future.
The company claimed that its shoes increase muscle activation by up to 85 percent for posture-related muscles, 71 percent for one of the buttock muscles, and 68 percent for calf muscles when compared to regular athletic shoes. However, the company did not disclose that the chiropractor who conducted this study was married to a Skechers marketing executive and was paid by Skechers for his work.
Safety
Despite their popularity with celebrities and the promise of firming muscles and improving posture without stepping foot in a gym, the so-called “toning shoes” have come under scrutiny for health benefits that aren’t proven. The unstable sole design, which creates instability during walking, poses risks for injury, including stress fractures, broken bones and major falls. Sketchers has been sued throughout the country by people who claim to have suffered injuries from these shoes.
A recent study by the American Council on Exercise found that Skechers Shape-Ups and similar shoes do not increase muscle activation compared to regular fitness shoes. The study enrolled 12 volunteers to wear Skechers Resistance Runner shoes and traditional running shoes for a series of five-minute exercises. The results showed no significant differences in the amount of time that the muscles were active or the number of calories burned.
The study also alleged that Skechers lied about the shoes’ effectiveness in its advertising, including citing an independent clinical study by a chiropractor named Dr. Steven Gautreau. The FTC argued that this study did not produce the results claimed by Skechers, and that Dr. Gautreau was married to a Skechers marketing executive and received payments from the company for promoting the shoe.