Skechers Shape-up with the Kardashians  I was asked by Brazil's
most respected business magazine Exame to explain how Skechers
and their toning shoes have become such a huge sales success.
Market Situation  "Although Nike has held on to its top spot in
the U.S. woman's athletic footwear market, its share slipped 7.2
percentage points, to 31 percent, or $412 million, in the first
quarter from a year ago, according to researcher
SportsOneSource. Reebok share more than doubled, to 6.7 percent,
or $90.3 million, and Skechers tripled to 17 percent, or $225.7
million." reports Businessweek.  The Interview  Is it possible
to explain the phenomenon of toning shoes? Is this a relatively
new phenomenon? Why are they such a hit?  Toning shoes are such
a massive hit because they score high in both the functional and
social aspects of the human decision making process; people’s
perception of what the product does for them and their
perception of what the product says about them.  As a functional
product the toning shoe p