Productopia | Love It or Hate It

Touted as a "gym-free" way to trim down, sales for Skechers Shape-Ups continue to soar. In fact, earlier this year, the company even launched a men's and more conservative work-shoe line. So what's the real scoop on these shoes?

Skechers claims that its Shape Up shoe line, which features rocking, slanted soles, naturally activate more muscle fibers to quickly and better tone a walker's thighs, buttocks and core. Some enthusiastic striders even say the shoes improved their posture and decreased cellulite. Reviews we found said the shoes "took a little getting used to" but were generally comfortable to wear. Sound appealing? Sure. Is the science solid? Skechers says yes.

One new infomercial offering, the "Your Baby Can Read!" program, continues to catch many a parent's eye. Its claim: For 200 bucks, Dr. Robert Titzer, (who possesses a PhD. in human performance--he's not an MD) promises that his program can teach children as young as 3 months to read.

 A quick peek at the product's web site reveals the infamous kit, which includes five movies, several books and a deck of "Word" flash cards--oh, and yes, a lengthy list of glowing parent reviews.

Are Bumpits the next Snuggie?

We wrote our review of Bumpits a couple of months ago, but something is in the air. Real beauty magazines seem to be embracing the Bumpits (for those who aren't watching enough TV, Bumpits are half-moon-shaped combs that give you a "big hair" look). And from early reactions of chintzy horror, a slow acceptance seems to be taking hold.