How to get your Skechers refund

Did you purchase Skechers "toning" shoes -- perhaps hoping to lose weight or get the curves of Kim Kardashian or the toned bottom half of Brooke Burke, who starred in the company's advertisements? If so, you may be eligible for a refund for at least part of your shoes' cost.

The Federal Trade Commission has announced a settlement with Skechers that provides $40 million in refunds for customers who were deceived by ads for the company's Shape-ups and other toning shoes. The FTC expects this to be the largest settlement of its kind in terms of refunds to customers, The Washington Post reports.

Skechers made "unfounded claims that Shape-ups would help people lose weight, and strengthen and tone their buttocks, legs and abdominal muscles," says the FTC press release. (Post continues below.)

Claims in Skechers' print and TV ads included statements such as:

• "Get in shape without ever setting foot in a gym."
• "Shape up while you walk."
• "The newest move in fitness is tying your shoelaces."

And, of course, there was that memorable, sultry 2011 Super Bowl ad, in which Kardashian dumped her trainer because she no longer needed him to keep her famous curves ("Bye-bye, trainer. Hello, Shape-ups.").

What's covered in the settlement?

The agreement covers shoes purchased since Aug. 1, 2008, according to the Skechers Settlement website, and includes Shape-ups rocker-bottom shoes, Resistance Runner, Shape-ups Toners/Trainers and Tone-ups shoes.

According to the complaint filed by the FTC (.pdf file), Shape-ups retailed for about $100 per pair, and the company's other toning shoes cost $60 to $100 per pair.

The Skechers Settlement website says it could range from $20 to $80, and has a chart with more details. 

What you can do

So you've got a pair of Skechers toning shoes. Now what? For more information:

• Visit the FTC's Skechers Refunds page.
• Check the Skechers Settlement page.
• Or call the FTC's Skechers hotline at (866) 325-4186.

You can apply for a refund by submitting an online claim submission form. To apply by mail, call the FTC hotline and ask to have a printed form mailed to you once the court approves the settlement.

The FTC reached a $25 million settlement with Reebok in September, providing refunds for customers who purchased Reebok EasyTone or RunTone shoes. The deadline for applying was in April, and checks will go out in the next few months.

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The market for toning shoes peaked in 2010 with almost $1 billion in sales, according to the FTC's complaint.

Skechers chief financial officer David Weinberg denied that the company made false claims about its shoes and said it settled with the FTC to avoid a protracted legal battle, says the Los Angeles Times.

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