iamsurly

iamsurly
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ex-heiress
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Charming young lady, with sharp tongue and vocabulary of a seasoned longshoreman, who carries in her handbag worn and tattered membership cards to the Mayflower Society and Daughters of the American Revolution, for which her dues are in arrears.

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NOVEMBER 5, 2010 2:47PM

From the Realm of Bad Judgement: Scalers Shoes

Rate: 37 Flag

Okay. Really. I'm sensitive about my weight. I know this. You know this. I'm usually working from the assumption that you're calling me fat. I'm always calling me fat, so why shouldn't you?

It must be a fall thing. Last year in November I wrote a post about a hideous new gadget that would Tweet your weight to the world every time you got on the scale. We all pretty much agreed that this was a bad idea. But clearly the world wasn't listening. Perhaps I need to screech a wee bit louder this time? Donny Deutsch are you listening?

 Courtesy of Scalers USA
Image © Scalers USA

Meet Scalers Shoes. These adorable little sneakers come complete with built-in scales, that when you stop for 60 seconds will display your current body weight for 10 seconds for you and all the world to see. Yes. You read that correctly. It's going to constantly say to you "Do you really want to eat that you fat cow?" and "Get moving you lazy fat slob, if you stop people will know how fat you are." Okay, so it doesn't have sound files... yet. But you see where I'm coming from here don't you?

When you're an overweight woman, the one thing you can always count on is that your shoe size will always be comparatively petite. You're in a size 22 dress? Well, sure, that sucks. But you're sporting some really cute, small size 7 shoes. A lot of women with weight issues put their fashion dollars into their shoes. However, I garontee (said in a perfect Justin Wilson Cajun accent) that I will not be spending $75 to buy a fancy pair of implements of insecurity. Forget "fuck me" shoes, these are "fuck off" shoes.

What kind of sadistic moron came up with this idea? And how could you make this bad idea even worse? Make a kids version. Oh. Yeah. That will really help your obese child slide right into a welcome eating disorder. Heck, kids you can check your body weight before you binge and after you purge. Awesome.

For the love of all trans fats, what will they come up with next? 

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I thought a size 7 women's shoe was average...not small.
Are you kidding me? Who on earth would think this is a good idea other than treatment centers for eating disorders? What a way to cement an obsession!
Yikes. I am starting a draconian new program on Monday - a 2 week boot camp thing, with 'eating plan'. Those shoes will NOT be a part of it!
i think i just cried a little. or my coffee just came out my nose and i mistook it for crying because my hand is now a little wet. um, SO FREAKIN FUNNY!!!
Problem is, if someone's that overweight, he or she won't be able to see the shoes anyway. (I'm operating on the perhaps false assumption that they come in men's sizes too.)
Hmmm, interesting. I wouldn't wear them....unless I was in skinny mode, which is never, but I can see how these shoes could be successful with all the obsessive personality types out there. I'm not saying it's healthy, only that people will buy them.
This is so horrible I can't even think of a comment!
WRONG on every conceivable level.
This is among the worst ideas I've seen, yet . . . trust you, surly, to bring it to our attention!
sweet jebbuz :(
"kids you can check your body weight before you binge and after you purge" exactly
It will take a lot of bioengineering and some plastic surgery, but I envision ticker tape symbols going across your forehead or backside indicating what you have put in your mouth (food wise) over the past 24 hours, replete with German WWII vintage "A-Hoo-Ga" sirens when you cross over the AMA's recommended calorie intake for you height and weight on the Biafran Mass Index, or BMI.
Well they will be bankrupt in no time! r
OMG! As my great-grandmother used to say: If that don't beat all!

Lezlie

@Larry: I believe average is closer to size 9, but I could be wrong.
OMG. I'm sure if was a man's idea...A Republican man, for that matter!
Holy crap, i'm surprised my mother hasn't tried to give me a pair. Shit! Christmas is just around the corner and nothing says happy holidays like a satanic red pair of fuck off fat ass shoes!!! ;-)
These were clearly inspired by The Biggest Loser, which is equally insulting and gag-worthy. OTOH, it's possible scads of Nipped and Tucked Housewives of Liposuction Counties will be buying them just to show off.
Jeez Louise, if the product is no good for you and makes you feel bad and do bad things to yourself, then don't buy it. Don't write off the possibility that someone else might like it. Frankly, I might buy something like this if it worked as an insert into my existing shoes and exported the weight to my phone instead of with ugly (and indiscreet) little screens. There are people who aren't conscious enough of their weight at times, and who don't have eating disorders or body perception issues. There are people who have more problems with their physical health than with their mental health. Not everybody is trendy enough to have the currently popular problems they're supposed to have.

And did it occur to you that the target market might be prideful show-offs instead of insecure overweight people? It's a sick reason to wear them, but it wouldn't be much of a departure for some people.
I cringe thinking of all the young women who might think this is a great idea.
Where did you find these horrible things? I love California dearly, I do, but this seems a product dreamed up by those who drive through Malibu and Santa Monica on their way to work.
I threw out my bathroom scale years ago; I hated giving an inanimate object so much power to ruin my day. now I want to strangle the inventor of these shoes with his own shoelaces.

rated
I have long suspected that the Marquis de Sade is well and alive, designing women's shoes. Now I'm convinced.
I have enormous feet, no way would I buy those hot pink clunkers. I don't know who Donny Deutsch is, is that a good or bad thing?

Great post, stupid shoes.
Great post, but I'll just pass on those "shoes." -R-
Well, isn't this just as scary as hell. Pretty sure I would adopt barefootedness except for occasional wearing post-intestinal flu episodes. Thanks for sharing this latest horror! I am sooo with you! rated...
Justin Wilson!! I loved that low-rent cooking show of his, I 'garontee' it! He make dat gumbo wit dat feeee lay, whooooo weee!

Were he still around, I'm sure he would say, "eff off, cher!"
These comments are too funny but I have a pair of Scalers Shoes and they are great and work very good for what I needed them for, they are for people trying to stay on top of their progress and it is a weightloss too like anything else that is sold out there in weightloss land. Clearly they are not for everyone but first things first, learn what they do and how they work, the weight display for 10 seconds after you stop moving to update you and there is an on and off button ladies. Just a tip for you but I loss quite a bit of weight wearing Scalers Shoes, so not a bad idea at all, I think that they are wonderful because they helped me and many other people that got test pairs.
As Mentioned before (Stella), America already has an eating disorder and it's called "Obesity" and I see many have trouble reading and undertsanding concepts. You don't wear the shoes to weigh yourself every 5 minutes (how simple of you Stella) you wear the shoes to keep tabs when every you choose on your weight loss progress or lack thereof, so if you need to adjust something you can. I don't expect small minded people to get this but the world needs all kinds even you, and by the way, this constant bantering about the Scalers Shoes I am sure is upping their sales and not reducing them.
I am the only person that knows that "Obesity" is an Eating Disorder and can be retified through many methods and there are some weight loss apparatus's that can help to do this but that choice is up to the individual user and not bloggers.
Stella, I am not in fear of anything....I don't own this company and nor do you, so I am not worried about that! The bottom line is you don't like them then don't buy them but you are not stopping a show from going on (apparently) so who cares and again the more you blog the more people that are running (not walking) but running to the site! So this is really moot... you can't control nor dictate who makes what and who buys what and luckily people don't have to get your opinion before they buy something.
And Stella, Track Away!
Stella you are too silly, I am proving a point about the traffic, it is human nature that when you kick up dust about something the more someone wants to find out about it. I have a pair of the shoes and they work great for me but let's dig really deep "You are a Fat-Ass" and you are too lazy to fix it and you want to attack anything or anybody who wants to get fit! So let's keep it real about that other than that your agenda is very week and obvious that those who can't wont....ya dig that!
Just because I am an advocate for Scalers Shoes does not make me part of Scalers Shoes no more that you being a zealot opposer and slanderer make you a Fired Ex-Employee (now does it?).
I'm curious as to why Laura felt the need to disable comments on her blog post in response to this one...chicken ?
Whatever Stella. I am neither scared or impressed by you, like I said if you don't like them, don't buy them, or maybe you should go to their site and complain to their office or ask for the owner, or how about call them. I am sure they will be happy to hear from you.....not, lol!
lol! Funny you don't seem like a customer to me and I do believe that I am on a blog that potential customers for Scalers are (guess what) are attacking Scalers, so sounds like a wash to me.
Well, Stella...it's been fun but I have to go now and finish getting fit wearing my Scalers Shoes and lose those last 5 pounds so that I can actually fit into my size 7 dress this New Year's Eve, how about you? I thik they have Scalers in Double-Width for people like you. TTFN!
WOW! Laura??? how did you get your blog post on the scalers cheap home-made website so fast?? hmm now I know why u disabled the comments... afraid of the truth much??
I'm confused, so these shoes like make you lose weight? How?

Oooooh, they call you FAT ASS every two minutes until you start walking again.

Best product ever!! Surly, you should be asham...oh who am I talking to!!! Love ya!!! :D

(How do scales in your shoes help you lose weight???? Seriously, please.....Sheesh!!!)

Rated.
Excellent. The post, that is. I wonder if the shoes could be hacked to display offensive 8-character messages to people staring at your feet?
Thanks surly, I think.
Now B&W's done a follow-up post, and Laura's acheived her promo, I wonder ( @ Stellaa ) : "a promise of something that is dubious."
Aren't they all "dubious" ?
Isn't the only way to lose weight to eat less and exercise more?
Or am I missing something here ?
Also, hitting on the OS demographic is ridiculous - we all love eating and writing, simultaneously.
Laura flog us a product that keeps food and drink out of the keyboard ( I use cling-wrap myself ) or just report back to head office and face the music. You're an idiot.
this is such a silly idea of a shoe... *R*
Have you got a black magic marker or black electrical tape? These are simple solutions for you, fatso!
I hate these f*@g shoes!
WOW! I don't usually post on blogs but I really feel compelled after reading all the comments. I must admit that I was really excited when I saw them on the Today show and couldn't wait to get a pair to help me loose the last 20 lbs before I reach my goal. I understand all your concerns about the body image thing and the compulsive behavior that so many people deal w/ but in my opinion these shoes are NO DIFFERENT from any of the other weight loss products out there on the market. Also, I don't think it's fair to blame these shoes that aren't even in stores yet on contributing to this countries weight issues. Obviously Scalers shoes aren't for everybody but there is certainly a market for them. When I went to the website I learned that your weight is not continuously displayed on the shoe. You can turn the feature on or off as you please and when it's on it only displays your weight when you stand still for 60 secs. Something that I welcome because when I CHOOSE to wear them, the scale might be a constant reminder to behave myself when it comes to my choice of food at the time. Anyway, everybody has a right to their own opinion but I don't think that ppl have to be so vicious when expressing their thoughts & concerns...and NO, I don't work for them, nor am I being paid by them, lol! Just want my scaler shoes NOW!
Wow! I always comment on blogs.. Misstory you are a real idiot aren't you..? (rhetorical) You guys just don't get it do ya? The more you comment on this blog, the dumber you look.. you guys over there at scalers obsessive compulsive shoes for bulimic anorexics should take a class in search engine optimization... better yet take a class in ethics and honesty... oh and I don't work for Open Salon or Surly.. unless she is paying this week..
Oh this is just too sick. Maybe someone will figure out to make a cap with a built-in psychiatrist.
Hey Surly, the not paid by the company commenter wrote another blog spot on your "review" in which she referred to you and anyone who agrees with u as a closet pound hound who is against pap smears, mammograms, eye exams, airport screening, emissions test ect.. Lol
Which present would be worse?
Purchasing these shoes or a vacuum cleaner?
Larry, buy me the vacuum !!! Twice! Donate the shoes to a women's prison or the nearest dumpster!
I want my BassOMatic 10K now!!!!! It's awesome, it slices, it dices, it makes milk shakes out of bass! I know, awesome right?

;D

Thank you surly for inspiring my lastest post.

Also white and black.

And especially Yvette!!! The greatest inventor EVER!!!!

Oh yeah, and the Today Show.

Gawd, you people will put anything on your show so Joel Mchale from The Soup will have something to mock you about!! Teeheehee!!
I've heard that the deluxe models will deliver electrical shocks to your feet whenever you look at food and electrocute (not fatally, think Taser) you if you eat any. This will really keep you "on point" Laura!