Buying Skechers shape up walking shoes

Skechers Shape-ups are exercise walking shoes for women or men that double as a work-out for the legs.

The walking shoes are supposed to help women or men burn more calories, tone muscles, and improve posture as they walk for exercise. The slogan reads, “Get in shape without setting foot in a gym.” Skechers Shape-ups comes in a variety of colors and the exercise walking shoe makes several different claims about the benefits.

Skechers shape-ups makes the person walking for exercise strike heel first, then the foot rolls forward, giving them a forward motion as they walk and exercise. My wife recently purchased a pair and she wears them all the time for walks in the neighborhood. She’s a nurse practitioner and she thought she could wear the Skechers Shape-ups in the clinic, but she felt the shoes really are best for walking. Wearing them all day would be too difficult on her legs and they don’t allow for lateral mobility.

Her feet are slightly wider than others, but she was able to buy a pair that fit her well. She discovered Skechers Shape-ups do make you work your legs.

She also mentioned the shoes make you stand up straight and it’s difficult to slouch while wearing them. Her legs hurt after the first few days of wearing them, but then she hasn’t had a problem recently and continues to wear them and enjoy them. Shape-ups are available to buy through Amazon.

Do Skechers Shape-ups really meet the claims for better posture and weight loss? The company released a press release stating how their claims have been substantiated. Findings came from New Zealand and Australia:

On August 10, 2010, the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority (“ASA”) ruled that “the claims in the [Shape-ups] advertisement regarding muscle tone, posture and weight loss had been substantiated by [Skechers] and therefore were not likely to mislead or deceive consumers.”

This is the second time in recent months that independent panels have made favorable rulings relating to the claims that Shape-ups tone muscle, improve posture and promote weight loss. Earlier this year, Australia’s independent Therapeutic Products Complaints Resolution Panel (CRP) dismissed complaints by two competitors of Skechers who alleged that Shape-ups did not provide the benefits of weight loss, muscle toning and improved posture.

The Australian CRP stated that Skechers “provided a substantial amount of evidence in support of the claims” that Shape-ups promote weight loss, tone muscles and improve posture and found that Skechers’ competitors failed to provide any argument or evidence to challenge Skechers’ claims.

The company states on the shoe box that their product:

• Improves posture,
• improves circulation,
• strengthens the back,
• tightens abdominal muscles,
• firms buttocks muscles,
• reduces knee joint stress,
• tones and firms thigh muscles,
• and firms calf muscles.

The company recommends limiting exercise to 25 to 45 minutes each day for the first two weeks and then increasing the time in 5-minute to 10-minute increments.

In a booklet enclosed with the shoes, there is a get started guide that includes finding your center of balance, then step in the middle of the soft foam heel and roll forward to push off with your toes at a natural pace. It’s also recommended to start and end each session with stretching.

Skechers as a company had a strong second quarter in 2010 despite the recession. Second quarter 2010 net sales increased 68.9 percent to $504.9 million compared to $299.0 million in the second quarter of 2009.

Skechers has worked hard promoting its brand. They’re on billboards in Times Square, around LA, and around Boston while the brand name shoes were worn in the movie Bratz.

Skechers has over 3,000 styles and manufactures shoes for every age and demographic. It’s a billion-dollar plus company that has secured its 70^th patent worldwide to protect Shape-Ups Footwear.

“We are proud to announce the most recent addition to our Shape-ups patents,” said Leonard Armato, president of SKECHERS Fitness Division. “We have invested tremendous resources into developing this revolutionary footwear, and we go to great lengths to protect our retail partners and consumers from imitations and knockoffs. We are very aggressive in enforcing our patents throughout the world and routinely stop companies from infringing our rights.”

While I believe Skechers does tone muscles and like my wife said, “it’s hard to slouch in them” the shoes can be a good supplement but not a replacement for a gym and diet. However, weight loss and staying in shape usually happens due to incremental changes and remaining consistent.

Skechers shape-ups can benefit one’s overall health.

Having a good supply of comfortable socks on-hand adds to the running or walking experience. Socks can cushion the foot well and well-manufactured quality socks will reduce the chances for blisters.