Skechers Tort Suit Shapes Up in Washington

Updated at 4:23 p.m.

An Illinois woman who injured her ankle while sightseeing in Washington is suing Skechers U.S.A. Inc., the company that made the rounded-bottom Shape-up sneakers she was wearing at the time.

The lawsuit(PDF), filed yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, is one of a growing number of similar suits filed across the country filed since February. A Ft. Wright, Ky.-based law firm, Schachter, Hendy & Johnson, is behind the Washington suit and others in Kentucky and Ohio.

Partner Ron Johnson said the firm plans to file new lawsuits in Georgia, Virginia and Utah in the near future. Local counsel is Robert Jenner of Baltimore’s Janet, Jenner & Suggs.

The plaintiff in the Washington case, Theresa Croak, was touring Washngton on foot in August 2009 when suddenly her shoe “pronated inward and caused her left ankle to roll sideways resulting in excruciating pain.”

In the complaint, she claims she was “lulled into purchasing a dangerous product that the Defendant knew produced a substantial risk of causing chronic injuries and inducing falls because of Skechers’ elevated and unstable, rocker-bottom sole.”

Croak, according to the complaint, suffered a torn tendon that required surgery to repair. She is seeking unspecified damages.

The suit is the latest in an ongoing legal backlash against Skechers over the Shape-ups shoes. In addition to the injury cases, a pending class action in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California accuses the company of fraudulently marketing the shoes as having health benefits.

In a statement, a company spokesman said that, "While Skechers does not comment on pending litigation, the Company is confident that Shape-ups are safe. Skechers has not had an opportunity to review the plaintiff’s allegations, claims, or medical records. However, we can say that millions of people wear Shape-ups without experiencing what the plaintiff alleges."

Comments

[Tiffany]

Not really sure why anyone would purchase something endorsed by the Kardashians

I'm sure most healthy, young people don't get injured. But there's a whole site dedicated to injuries / lawsuits against the shoes
http://skechersshapeupsinjurylawyer.com/

I'm kind of surprised that they're still selling them. But apparently the 40 million dollar refund wasn't a big dent in their pockets. If you look at their stocks they've gone down a lot in the past 3 months (15.7%). So maybe the spurt of growth they got from the shoes is finally slowing down.

[Pat]

I am looking for a lawyer to represent me in a injury case against Skecher tone ups. I prefer a mass tort. I fell down a flight of stairs after my ankle collapsed while wearing the Skechers. I was diagnose with a fractured ankle

[petergarcia]

When I see a commercial I assume the product is safe. Apparently after reading the comments above reminds me to continue to be more cautious on a everyday basis.Because things are never safe as we may think. Be safe and be careful people, I hope no one else gets seriuosly injured with the skethcher's

[D. M. Griffin]

As a Sketcher fan for years I was immediate in telling our customers to be wary of this new fad shoe. In medical terms it doesn't make much sense to lift yourself (attention ladies think of heels) so far off the ground. Your unlevel just by the rocker as it is, then your told it will strengthen and tone by keeping your balance and working your muscles in doing so. Are you all crazy in believing this? Its not only irrational, it goes against common sense, so your comments about others not having balance is a ridiculous statement in itself.
Your foot needs to achieve a proper gate and have a correct contour. Walk on the wet beach sand. Do you feel unstable? No, so sorry people, Shape Ups doesn't measure up to the schematics of the foot.

[charlottemcamis@yahoo.com]

i also am over 50 and wear the sketchers. i also work at a nursing home where i am on my feet the majority of the 12 hour shift. i love my shoes. they take the weight off my heals which untill i started wearing the sketchers, were in continuous pain. personally i feel that no matter what the product is, there is a potential for injury. maybe all shoes should have velcro to secure them, thus taking out the chance of the shoes coming untied and stepping on the lace and falling, or the soles so thin that balance is not a problem. i am with the writer who stated they tried on the shoes didnt like and didnt buy. you try something, you dont like it, you dont buy it. but dont make an accident your personal lottery.

[D]

I have been wearing these shoes since they first came out several years ago. I am over 50 years old and I have never had a problem. In fact I believe they come with a warning about you being a little unstable until you get used to them. I suggest that some people are just a little more clumsy than others.

[PharmaSlayer]

Thousands of people have reported injuries on these shoes -- injuries that would not have occurred if not for these shoes. The shoes are intentionally designed to be unstable, and the rocker bottom soles and height of the shoes make it inevitable that ankles will snap just through normal use. This is NOT the fault of the wearer, but a hidden defect known only to the manufacturer. The law firm of Schachter, Hendy & Johnson in Ft. Wright, Kentucky should be applauded for taking on this corporate giant. http://www.toningshoesinjury.com/

[sports good]

I could not figure how I had that fall and told a close friend I felt it was due to those shoes I now know it was the cause of my accident that day.. I was very limited with activity and it has actually taken me 1 year to recover from that horrible day I lost my balance wearing the skecher shape up.

[Vicke Harter]

I was wearing Skechers Shapes Ups last summer while working as a home health nurse I took a horrible fall in a patients room breaking my left humerous in 2 different places which but me in non commission of anything for 10 weeks then I was very limited with activity and it has actually taken me 1 year to recover from that horrible day I lost my balance wearing the skecher shape up. I could not figure how I had that fall and told a close friend I felt it was due to those shoes I now know it was the cause of my accident that day

[Nikki]

While frivolous lawsuits should never be allowed,I do believe that manufactures have some responsibility along with the consumer. After trying on a pair of these shoe when they first came out, I refused to buy them as the feel was very uncomfortable and as I stepped in them I lost my balance. I believe as consumers we should not fall for every gimmick used to get us to buy a worthless product. I also believe that companies have responsibility here. My suggestion is to tell everyone you know and refuse to buy any product made by them again. Society is money driven, a loss of future revenue hurts more than an insurance pay out.