Queen of Sports

Ryan Parker Sings About ‘Ortoning’

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From planking to Tebowing to the latest Internet fad: Ortoning. Ryan Parker tells us Ortoning is  “looking really sad, Ortoning is when you realize that you are bad, Ortoning is watching someone new, doing something better than you.”

Ortoning is of course in reference to Kyle Orton, who was the quarterback of the Denver Broncos before Tim Tebow became the starting quarterback and Orton was benched before being released in November and claimed by the Kansas City Chiefs.

Reebok Hit With $25 Million FTC Settlement Over Toning Shoes And Apparel

The nation’s consumer protection agency, the Federal Trade Commission, announced today Reebok has been charged with “making claims about EasyTone and RunTone shoes that the company couldn’t support.”

The brand has been ordered to pay $25 million in refunds to people who purchased Reebok toning shoes and apparel.

All previous claims about the “benefits” of toning shoes and apparel have been taken down in all facets of Reebok’s marketing, per the settlement.

Reebok claims they did their own testing on the benefits of the shoe, however data was never released to substantiate it. Medical experts have questioned the actual benefits of toning shoes in recent studies. The shoe’s shape may lead to injuries and problems with the Achilles heel.  The nonprofit group American Council on Exercise said that the shoes, “are not the magic solution consumers were hoping they would be, and simply do not offer any benefits that people cannot reap through walking, running, or exercising in traditional athletic shoes.”

Nike chose not to go the toning route. Instead, they developed creative advertising mocking it.

The toning craze, which brands like Skechers and Fila marketed on, has been largely supported by research which has been privately funded by the brands.

CNBC’s Darren Rovell reported toning was a $1.1 billion market last year, and hasn’t slowed down much since.

If you bought toning shoes or apparel from Reebok, check out your refund rights on the FTC website.

Also, let us know: if you’ve purchased any toning gear, do you think it works? Have you noticed a difference? If you haven’t bought toning gear, why did you decide not to?

Kim Kardashian Appearing In Skechers ShapeUps Commercial Airing During Super Bowl

Kim Kardashian has revealed she will be appearing in a commercial for Skechers’ toning ShapeUps shoes. The commercial, which will air during the Super Bowl, is supposedly going to feature Kim breaking someone’s heart in the end. Skechers president Leonard Armato said the commercial is  ”a little racy” but it will air on one of the most watched slots for commercials, so they have to keep things family friendly.

Who is willing to bet Kim does not wear Skechers in her real everyday life? She’s always seen sporting Nikes and just recently owned up to getting paid big bucks to tweet about Reebok’s EasyTone shoes. She really knows how to pimp those toning sneakers.

Photo: Skechers

Lady Foot Locker Focusing On Light Athletic Shoes

Lady Foot Locker is selling the idea of lightness when it comes to shopping for athletic footwear. Knowing that many women are about to make their New Years resolutions to work out more, lose weight, and get to the gym, they are suggesting that “an easy way to keep fit is to keep it light.” Lightweight running shoes weigh less than their technical footwear partners, and come in many different styles by various brands. The Nike Free is supposed to make you feel like you’re running barefoot, for instance. Another Nike shoe, the Lunar Glide utilizes the brand’s Flywire technology for lightweight support and a comfortable fit. While lightness is in for the New Year, don’t think toning shoes are a thing of the past. The store is still heavily promoting toning shoes like Reebok’s EasyTone.

Photo: PR Newswire

Fila Marketing Body Toning Apparel

It seems the toning craze in sportswear is not going anywhere anytime soon, instead it’s being expanded upon. In a market saturated with toning footwear, Fila has decided to step it up a notch. They have introduced body toning apparel to the market. Claiming to make you look one size smaller, smooth your figure, increase your muscle workouts by 50% and provide you with 41% more support, the apparel is targeting women and their body conscious minds while promising more results in a workout. The apparel uses Lycra Sport, along with “ergonomically cut lines” to give the appearance of a slimmer figure. Their own patented “Body Toning System” is meant to smooth and reduce the appearance of cellulite. The company’s Facebook page says the Toning System is targeted for any woman who has ever “stopped to look at her butt in the mirror.” To make the ad campaign even more attractive to women, they chose real women instead of professional models. While I choose to remain skeptical as a consumer, you never know until you try. The apparel is being sold exclusively at select Dick’s Sporting Goods stores starting on the 15th.

Kelly Brook Poses Nude For Reebok EasyTone Billboard

Wearing nothing but Reebok EasyTone sneakers, model Kelly Brook will be appearing on billboards and distracting male drivers. Unveiled in London yesterday, Kelly Brook was on hand to promote the campaign, wearing a tiny crop top and athletic pants with her EasyTones, of course. Kelly Brook will be appearing alongside Jerry O’Connell this month in the thriller Piranha 3D wearing a bikini for most of the movie, and she just finished shooting a nude cover for Playboy set to hit shelves in September.

The billboard had to have been an airbrushing field day, and Kelly Brook maintains her support for airbrushing, saying, “Airbrushing has been around since the ’50s. It’s what Hollywood was built on and I’m a big fan of Hollywood and that whole era.” She says the shoes have helped her tone and tighten, but in response to the debate as to whether or not they actually work, it’s important consumers recognize these models don’t put these shoes on and magically have amazing bodies. Brook said, ‘EasyTones are fantastic. You can wear them whatever you’re doing and know that you are toning and tightening with every step! I wear them to walk my dog Rocky, when I’m doing the housework, when I pop to the shops… it’s a great, easy way to stay in shape and they look stylish too so no-one needs to know that you’re wearing toning trainers!”

There’s no way you’re going to get that body just by wearing some sneakers and doing mundane daily tasks, however. I guarantee Kelly Brook spends hours and hours in a gym on a weekly basis with a trainer. Not to mention, she eats right. On her diet she said, “I enjoy healthy food and it makes me feel good. But it’s definitely not a crazy diet, I’m not going to deny myself desserts. I always try to have three meals a day and don’t snack on bad stuff.” There’s no word on whether or not the billboards will be appearing in the States, but keep your eyes peeled…to the road if you’re driving.

Photo: Reebok

Nike Provides An Alternative To The Toning Shoe Trend

We mentioned previously Nike Women’s ad campaign that glorifies big butts, but they have been one of the few athletic shoe brands to not jump on the toning shoe bandwagon. CNBC’s Sports Business Reporter Darren Rovell noted that the toning shoe market “is projected to surpass $1 billion in sales in 2010.” However, Nike was unsure about the actual effects the shoe’s were said to have. New reports have just come out that support Nike’s uneasiness, which may also mark the decline of the toning trend as consumers catch on. The study was released by the nonprofit group American Council on Exercise, and the chief science officer said that the shoes, “are not the magic solution consumers were hoping they would be, and simply do not offer any benefits that people cannot reap through walking, running, or exercising in traditional athletic shoes.” More concerning is the fact that the shoes might lead to injury including strained Achilles tendons. Brands like Sketchers still stand by the research they privately commissioned, but Nike has come up with a shoe to compete with the toning trend. The Nike Trainer One is not a toning shoe, but is a trainer that is designed to decrease the damaging effects of training activities women typically participate in. They’ve come up with their own ads that will get women to think twice about the effectiveness of toning shoes. They say it straight up, and it makes sense: “This shoe works if you do.”