Skechers Shape Ups Shoes: Product Review
June 24, 2009 by Anna | Filed under Product Challenge
So, my business partner Ly is in town and she needed comfortable, but cute shoes. She is usually guilty of wearing her sneakers with everything. For that reason, she'd have to stick to wearing t-shirts and jeans most of the time. Ly needed my help, but I didn't want to take her away from comfort for fashion since I knew she would revert back to her old gym shoe ways. So, I thought, Skechers Mary Janes are super comfortable. I had a pair and I wore them to death. I had a manager who only wore Skechers Mary Janes and she had them in every color to match her dressy work clothes. They worked out well for her, so I knew my friend Ly should fall in love.
Well, on the way to dinner, we stopped off at a Skechers store and tried on all of the Mary Janes they had available. There was a video playing in the background of really toned women walking their dogs and I thought, "Why is this playing at a Skechers store?" Well, it turns out, they have these new shoes called "Shape Ups". After inquiring about the shoes, the sales girl explained, "Shape Ups are the best to tighten and tone your muscles and get rid of cellulite just by walking around". I am all about a good workout, so I had to try these supposed "miracle" shoes on. Immediately, I felt my calves and thighs working and I was sold. It didn't take much, I know. I'm going to New York next month, so can you imagine walking around New York in these? I'll come back with the body of superwoman!
Now keep in mind, you'll have to ease into walking in these shoes. They'll feel weird at first and your body will be sore for the first 2 weeks, as you're working different muscles you wouldn't normally work. It's the kind of soreness you feel after a really good workout at the gym. So stick to it and don't give up on them. Besides the soreness, these shoes are really cushy and comfortable on your feet. Shape Ups come in a variety of styles including regular tennis shoes, mary janes and flip flops. I tried on the flip flops and while they are comfortable, I didn't think they were "miracle" flip flops. It's great if you want to get a taste of the "Shape Ups" as they're only $39, while the tennis shoes and mary janes are $110. I know. Kind of pricy. But, they are amazing! With busy lives and excuse after excuse for not to go to the gym, I think these would be a good investment, especially if you're too busy to get in your daily workout. Call Ly and I easy, but we each got a pair of the Shape Up Black Mary Janes. We spent a little more than anticipated, but right now at Skechers, it's buy one get a pair of sandals half off (also super comfortable), or buy one get another pair of shoes $10 off.
If you're sold on Shape Ups, but looking for a better deal, they're also on ebay for $80 - $90 with free shipping. Shape Ups are so new right now, I don't think you'll be able to find a better deal. I'll keep you posted for any coupon codes that I may stumble upon!
Here's the video on Shape Ups -- I love these shoes!
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I have 2 pairs! Black mary janes (although mine look different from the ones you picture above)…and some cute black & white tennis ones which go with most of my girly outfits.
I do a lot of walking to / from work…and on campus for school. The comfort level alone is worth it…the extra ‘burn’ I get in my legs and back side are a bonus. Who knew a shoe could do all this? hope you get as much use out of yours as i do.
~PM
I have a pair of the white mary janes! I agree with Patricia, the comfort level is fantastic! I just don’t want to take them off!
I work for a UK stockist of them and they are so popular after just a week since their launch! I think they will be quickly taking over MBTs!
I have tried the Skechers Shape-ups and I must worn those with arthritic knees to think twice before wearing these. I wore mine about 6 times for a total period of about 75 minutes and started noticing my knees and leg muscles were bothering me. I ended up on crutches and have been unable to walk on my own for 2 weeks now. My rheumatologist told me that the sole of the shoe was causing my knees to super-extend causing exacerbation of my knee problems.
I read reviews before I bought the Shape-ups but no one mentioned the arthritis factor. Please print this so others who have arthritis do not have to suffer as I have been. Thank you.
OMG…I am so thankful that I found your comments. I thought I broke my knees, after wearing the shape ups for one week both of my knee blew out. I can hardly walk. I hope I can get a refund!!!
BEST SHOE EVER MADE………I HAD SURGERY ON MY KNEE 8 YRS AGO, LONG STORY…SHORT THE DOCTOR DAMAGED THE FEMERAL NERVE…NOW MY KNEE WILL NOT BEND, HAVE BEEN WEARING A BRACE 24/7 FOR S YEARS…AND USING THE POWER CARTS AT ALL THE STORES JUST TO DO MY SHOPPING, BECAUSE KNEE HURT SOOOOOOOOO BAD JUST TO WALK..BUT I PURCHASED ONE PAIR, WORE THEM FOR A FEW HOURS, NOW I WEAR THEM ALL DAY LONG, AND I CAN GO SHOPPING, WALKING IN ALL THE STORES, FOR ABOUT 9 HOURS STRAIGHT, WITHOUT ANY PAIN AT ALL IN THE KNEE, AND FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 8 YERS DO NOT HAVE TO UP A POWER CART IN ANY STORE. CANT BELIEVE AFTER ALL THE PAIN, AND TAKING ALL THE PAIN MEDICATIONS, THAT ONE PAIR OF SHOES TOOK ALL THE MISERY AWAY………THANK YOU SKETCHER SHAPE UPS, CANT WAIT FOR THE SANDLES, BECAUSE I LIVE IN FLORIDA. THANK YOU .. THANK YOU….
Can anyone who’s actually used these tell me how they compare the new Reebok EasyTone? they seem similar, have similar claims, but before I spend the money I’d like to hear other’s opinions. Thanks so much!
I LOVE these shoes. I’ve had mine since Christmas, and I’ve worn them almost every day! I’ve been writing a week by week review on my blog, and I am so impressed. I can already see a difference in my legs and butt, and I have less pain in my hips and back. I have been so happy with the results, I can’t wait to see what I think in another month!
My low back discomfort improved after wearing Shape Ups but I did start to have a lot of issues with my right knee that I never had before. I have been trying to do some research to see if it could be related to the shoes. Interesting to see a few others had issues also.
I loved these shoes except right after I purchased them and wore them for a few hours I noticed that I was walking inward on my right foot. Even though I tried to walk on the outside of my feet it alwyas brought me back to walking with my knees turned in (so it felt). After wearing them for about four weeks or so (to work and all around) I felt I should stop wearing them and see if the store would take them back as it had to be a defect in the sole or something. OMG!! The pain I have had in my knees is excrutiating pain. Sometimes I can bearly walk and it has been nearly a week. The pain is contant and started as soon as I stopped weraing the shoes. Can anyone explain why this would happen. I don’t have arthiritis or any trouble normally with my joints. This has to be from the shoes…..I am going to take them back.
I am on my 2nd round of breaking in my skechers. I bought them because I heard such wonderful stories about them, I even watched the video and followed what they said. Soon i started to have killer leg cramps like never before. Didn’t think it was the Skechers but i did stop wearing them for a couple of week now I went back to the “breakin” mood! For the last two nights I am right back to the worst leg cramps ever!!! I do love the shoes they are Soooo comfy and my feet feel great while i am wearing them. But i can’t afford to trade of one problem with another, anybody have any suggestions!!!! thx
I bought them because I thought they might help my circulation and maybe with the restless legs. I was very delightfully surprised they actually did and restless legs is not one of their claims.I have not had restless legs since I got them. However they are aggravating an old knee injury, I’m sure it must be the shoes, because that is when it started to bother me again after 25 years.
Amen, my left knee has been bothering me for the past month. A slight irritation became a major concern and I now have severe pain in my knee and can hardly bend it. Not knowing what brought it on, couldn’t recall any bumps or falls, I thought it might be related to the Sketchers I purchased for my daily walks about a month ago. Searching “knee problems walking with Sketcher shoes” brought me to this website and I am convinced the shoes are the source of my knee problem. I purchased my shoes from Dick’s after seeing them on display one day. When I returned the following day to purchase them, the display was down but they found a pair for me in the back. The salesman didn’t know why the display was down or if they were going to continue selling them. Perhaps, Dick’s had too many returns due to similar complaints and decided to pull them.
I bought the Avia Avi-Motions, which are the same concept and my friend bought MBT’S. I haven’t had any problems with my shoes, however, my friends ended up with a sore knee. Maybe there should be a caution added to the shoes that if you have any leg/knee problems to be careful with the ‘natual walking style shoes and flip flops.’
I am a senior citizen and have been suffering from hip pain recently and wonder if the shoes could have caused this. I love the shoes but am not going to wear them for a while.
I wore my shape ups for approximately six weeks and now have a leg and lower back problem that never existed before. My Chiropractor discouraged their use. When I first wore them, they were the most comfortable shoes although I noticed my feet tilting slightly inward. Like the comment above “it happened all of the sudden” when my right leg started hurting me progessing to my hip bone and back. I have not worn them for about six weeks. Two chiropractic visits later for therapy on my leg and back; the problem is better, but still present.
I wore my shoes for about 6 months. At first I loved them because I am on my feet all day and my feet felt wonderful. I started having back pain and numbness in my legs and groin area. I now have a lower sciatica problem according to my chiropractor. I have never had back problems in my life and now at age 32 I am having severe back pain because of these shoes. This is the first time I have ever been to a chiropractor and now I am a regular. I have been going for 3 weeks and am currently still in pain. I hate these shoes and would love to start a class action law suit with all the people who are having problems because the company cant even give me a refund for the shoes.
I’d be interested in an action of some sort. These shoes are expensive and I can’t use them now because of the knee condition that I have developed. Can’t get my money back for the shoes and I have incurred several hundred dollars more in medical bills because of the use of these shoes. By the way, both the physical therapist and chiropractor that I have seen recommend strongly against the use of these types of shoes.
Wish I’d seen this before I bought mine. My right knee blew up like a balloon after wearig these–also, aggravating an old knee issue. Wasted money.
I’m glad I finally found this listing… I was so excited when I bought my shape ups, I’m on my feet all day for work and they’re so cushy.. I had three coworkers that had bought them that recomended them to me and I figured i’ld give em a shot… I wore them for six weeks and was mostly happy, then one day out of nowhere I had the worse knee pain or pain i’ld ever had… I couldn’t bend my knee without pain, when I walked my knee actually gave out on me… I’m normally very active, I run, I work out, take good care of myself, but suddenly I couldn’t even go up a few stairs without being in excrutiating pain… I decided to stop wearing my sketchers, that was six weeks ago…MY KNEE STILL HURTS… It’s not as bad as it was at first, but I still haven’t got back to running… I’m going to go see my doctor soon, I don’t know how much more of this I can take and I seriously hope there is some sort of legal action against sketchers… I know they are great for some people, but i’m begining to wonder if I’ll ever have my lifestyle back….
I only wore my sketchers for one day and I have excrutiating pain in my right knee now, hopefully it goes away I noticed lower back pain as well. As someone said above I noticed when I wore them my knees were turned in. I have wanted a pair forever and I hope I just didn’t waste my money and destroy my knee.
I’ve worn them to work for six months now…..loved them! But now my knee is painful and swells out the back. I wore other shoes for a while to work and then my knee got better. I wore the skechers again and the knee swelled and hurt again. I think my knee is hyperextending a little in thar and I’m developing a baker’s cyst as a result. It’s a shame because I loved the shoes, but I can’t afford to have knee problems. I have to be able to stand on it to work.
In the beginning when I wore them for only a couple of days, my feet & knees started to hurt. I wanted to make sure it was not anything else. So I waited for three weeks and tried them again. I wore them for three days around the house, they felt good while wearing them. When I took them off s my right knee hurt so bad I could not bear the pain. It hurt so bad that night I could not sleep. It has been a week and it still hurts, I am wondering if it has seriously messed up my knee. My other knee has a little bit of pain in it.
So much for working out and trying to stay in shape. I feel like I have to sit as much as possible, hoping it will soon get better.
I have been having problems with my knees again recently. I bought these shoes to help with my bad knees. I hate to think the shoes have brought this pain back. My doctor has now diagnosed me with knee asteoarthritis and thinks I need surgery. I find out about that on the 27th of July. Will they take these shoes back and is there some kind of legal action we can take? I bought two pairs!!!
After purchasing my Shape-Ups, I wore them for about 4 consecutive days, almost all day. I did not experience any problems with knee pain or calf pain. What did happen though is on the 4th day, I began to experience lower back pain. The next day, I didn’t wear the Shape-Ups, but one of my discs in my lower back ruptured. My life will never be pain free again! I did have a bulging disc in my lower back prior to the rupture. I was wondering whether anyone else has experienced anything like this? I am just trying to figure out what led to the rupture and I am suspecting that it could possibly be the Shape-Ups perhaps making me stand in a way that ruptured the disc. Any feedback would be appreciated!
I just bought my first pair of Shape-Ups. I’ve only worn them around the house for about 30 minutes at a time. I do have a slightly torn maniscus in my right knee. I have notice a slight discomfort while I’m wearing them but not enough to really complain about. I was hoping that the Sketchers would actually help with any kind of knee problems.
After reading the many posting regrding knee and back problems I’m afraid to keep the shoes. I have one more week to return them and get a full refund. What really worries me is that some of these postings state that the problems didn’t show up until several months later. I would like to keep them because they are really comfortable but I don’t want problems down the road or be out $100 bucks.
I would appreciate any advise, Thanks.
I have a pair of Skecher’s Shape Ups and a pair of Fitflops, I bought both a month or six weeks ago. Though I’m sure I have knee problems due to excess weight now and being a scrappy teenager then, I have not had any knee pain and actually have experienced stronger leaner legs - the soreness I felt over the past few years in my right knee and ankle has virtually disappeared. I have been experiencing low back pain, a nagging, dull pain that is persistent. I have gone several days without wearing either pair of footwear, but the pain has remained. I see my doctor in a few weeks; I hope the pain is gone by then.
I’ve been wearing my Sketchers Shape-ups every day for the last fifteen days- they’re great for work, where I stand all day- no more foot pain! I walk at least three miles every night- and I make sure to follow the instructions- keeping my feet parallel and looking straight forward. I have not had any joint trouble, be it knee or otherwise. I think it’s very important to pay attention to the directions and keep your feet parallel instead of pointing inward.
I’ve lost ten pounds in two weeks- from 232lbs to 222lbs which is great, I’m on a diet that budgets calories to lose three pounds a week- and I think the walking with these shoes has bumped it up by burning of an extra two pounds a week through the exercise.
It’s a lot less painful to walk for that hour each night, especially after work, and the shoe seems to help propel me forward.
Great shoe- but yeah, you have to be conscious of your movement, and your general health. It’s probably less likely to injure someone under a certain weight than over and they DO warn you to take your time getting used to them. Moderation!
I began wearing my Shape-Ups in April 2010 and within a couple of weeks developed right knee pain. I have been in physical therapy since early June and the knee problem, although somewhat better, is still there. Both the physical therapist and chiropractor that I have seen recommend against the use of the Shape-Up shoes. The physical therapist said that they cause hyperextension of the knees. Wish I’d known that before I spent the $100.00 on the shoes. The cost of medical bills that I’ve paid this summer because of the shoes is much more than the $100.00 cost of the shoes. Has anyone contacted Skechers about the problems that they have developed after wearing their shoes?? Curious as to what their response would be.
I bought a pair of skeechers and the tongue come unsewed.What should i do about it?