NYDailyNews.com
Skechers Shape-up shoes may the all the rage among ladies looking to sculpt their rear ends without hitting the gym, but they’re falling flat with parents.
Ads for the Skechers Shape-ups for Girls are running on the Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon during programming aimed at kids as young as preschool age.
The sneakers have a big celebrity fan in spokeswoman Kim Kardashian, who credits the shoes with toning her legs and world-famous behind, but ads for a glittery pink youth version are causing alarm with parents worried over the message they may send to young girls when it comes to body image.
The animated commercial shows a girl band playing a concert for a mass of screaming fans.
"Heidi's got new Shape-ups, got everything a girl wants. She's got the height, got the bounce, yes, she's looking good and having fun," one girl sings.
"By not only marketing a shoe line to young girls, but also not even having an equivalent for boys Skechers is sending a clear message to girls and women – you're never too young to start hating your body," Change.org wrote in a petition.
Skechers does not make Shape-ups in styles for boys.
Parents are not pleased that their young children are being exposed to commercials that link being thin with being happy – nor do they appreciate the marketing for a product aimed at toning your glutes.
A Skechers spokesperson said the shoes are not made in preschooler size – they start at size 2, the average size of a 7-year-old.
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