Own Skechers? You're Owed a Refund

The government wants you to know that simply sporting a pair of Skechers' fitness shoes is not going to get you Kim Kardashian's curves. Skechers will pay $40 million to settle charges by the FTC that the footwear company made unfounded claims that its $100 Shape-ups shoes (endorsed by the likes of Kardashian and Brooke Burke) would help people lose weight and strengthen their butt, leg, and stomach muscles. Consumers who bought those shoes—or the company's Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes—will be eligible for refunds.

The commission says Skechers falsely represented that clinical studies backed up the company's claims about its toning shoes. The settlement bars Skechers from misrepresenting any tests, studies, or research on its shoes in the future. In today's court filing, Skechers says it disputes the charges and is pursuing additional studies. The commission settled similar charges with Reebok last year. (More Skechers stories.)