Sketchers..Fact or Fiction?

As we mentioned Monday, Sketchers has recently come out with a brand of shoes called Shape-ups. This is a controversial shoe because some believe that it is a scam and others think it is very beneficial to those who don't work out regularly. The Shape-ups are designed with a kinetic wedge insert and rolling bottom to stimulate walking on soft sand. This may result in stronger leg and buttock muscles. Sketchers says that Shape-ups are designed to help burn calories and turn everyday activities into a workout. They also claim that these shoes can: improve posture, strengthen your back, firm buttock, tone and firm thighs, firm calves, improve circulation, tighten abdominal muscles, and reduce joint stress. This seems like an awful lot to promise, but later we will look into what consumers think of the product.

As you might remember seeing on the Super Bowl, Sketchers had an ad for their Shape-ups. They used the sexy Kim Kardashian to advertise how wonderful these shoes were. If you missed out on the ad, take a look below to watch the commercial.

The Shape-up shoes are priced between $80-100. This is much more expensive than the other brands we have looked into over the last few weeks. The question is, are they worth it? To me, the price is somewhat deceiving because they advertising on their website that the shoes are affordable, and in my eyes, $100 for a pair of shoes is not affordable.

Consumer reviews were mixed on this issue. Some liked the shoes and others did not. It was mentioned in the reviews that consumers initially liked them, but after a year they were tired of them and ended up putting them in the "trash" pile. Although the shoes did live up to some of their expectation, they did not seize to conquer all. Some concerns about this product were that they could be seen as dangerous because the tall sole may cause people to topple over. One consumer said that there was no support for your foot inside of the shoe, and another consumer said although they are "fun" they may not be a great exercise shoe. Check out Mike Bomberger's blog on the product liability of Sketcher's Shape-ups: http://product liability.lawyers.com/blogs/archives/11866-Skechers-Shape-ups-Injury-Attorneys-Caution-Consumers-About-Dangers-of-Toning-Shoes.html

On a side note, I would like to make attention of the importance of blog marketing. Other blogs besides your own represent a new promotional channel for the success of your company or your own individual blog. By gaining the support of other influential bloggers, you will be able to better endorse your products or opinions about other products. This is important because consumers look at related blogs to gain insight on a product they are thinking about purchasing.

Jessica