Despite the claims by Kim Kardashian and other spokespeople, a federal judge made it official yesterday:
Skechers do not help one lose weight.
And as a result of this false advertising claim by the company, it has been ordered to pay $40 million to those who filed a class action lawsuit.
U.S. District Judge Thomas B. Russell in Louisville approved the settlement, which sounds like a lot more than it is considering the number of consumers involved:
Each will essentially receive repayment for their purchase, between $40 and $84, depending on the type of sneaker they bought.
The two folks who served as the lead plaintiffs in the case will receive payments of $2,500 each, while the lawyers will actually split $5 million that must come outside the $40 million.
Over 70 lawsuits from across the country were consolidated into this one.
They all took legal issue with the assertion that Skechers Shape-ups somehow caused their users to “use more energy with every step” and therefore tone one’s muscle more than other kinds of footwear.
A settlement with the FTC bans Skechers from running ads that make such claims in the future.