I Told You So!

The Skechers folks are finally facing the music I foreshadowed months ago...to the tune of a $40 million fine for false advertising with regard to its line of "toning" sneakers. It appears that the exorbitant claims of "increased muscle action, toning of legs, abs and thighs in ways traditional fitness shoes cannot" were not exactly on the up and up. According to David Vladek, the Director of the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection, additional claims concerning weight loss and cardiovascular fitness increases were also misleading, if not outright false. Models of the rocker-bottomed shoes that included the Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups have been proven woefully inadequate. This tone-up shoe fantasy got a huge boost from the 2011 Super Bowl ad featuring Kim Kardashian firing her personal trainer to depend solely on her Skechers for that fabulous, uh, build. Of course, when one's ONLY claim to any kind of fame is a sex video, I would say "Caveat emptor" to anyone gullible enough to buy the product. The announcement by the FTC follows a similar one a year ago when Reebok settled a similar suit over its "Easy Tone" shoe, supposedly so good that it would "Make your boobs jealous." I told you so...but so did the researchers at UW-LCrosse in their studies last year. There IS one born every minute. But, hey, if you bought a pair of the $60-$100 shoes, maybe you, too can get some money from the settlement. After all, I'll wager that you didn't see the results promised. KK got paid, so you should, too. Of course, her money went toward a personal trainer (or plastic surgeon). Yours will go toward new running shoes.