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Skechers ordered to pay $40 million for false advertising

So you thought you could get something for nothing? Could develop "Buns of Steel" just by sitting on your Kardashian, sipping a latte and swinging a new pair of Skechers Shape-up shoes?

Um, no.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but the U.S. Federal Trade Commission has stepped in to squash your dreams of melting flab and toning muscle while doing little more than stepping into a pair of Skechers Shape-ups and chatting on the phone.

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The Washington Post reports that Skechers has been ordered to pay $40 million to consumers who purchased the shoes, amid company claims that the "toning" sneakers could help wearers lose weight, build muscle and increase cardiovascular health.

Watch the news video below about the settlement:

David Vladeck, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, says the shoes don't live up to their claims.

"Vladeck warned that the 'message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims,'" says a story in the New York Post.
Skechers stands behind the ads, which feature slogans like "Shape Up While You Walk" and "Get in Shape without Setting Foot in a Gym," but settled to "avoid long litigation," says the Associated Press.

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The settlement covers Shape-ups, Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups, and comes on the heels of a similar lawsuit settlement by Reebok for $25 million for unsubstantiated claims that their line of "Toning Shoes" could also improve your health.

Guess that means it's back to the gym in regular old shoes.