Skechers

Skechers USA, Inc. is an American multinational footwear company. Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California, it was founded in 1992 and is now the third largest footwear brand in the United States.

History

Skechers was founded in 1992 by Robert Greenberg, who had previously founded LA Gear in 1983 (he stepped down as CEO of that company the same year he founded Skechers). Greenberg sought to focus on men's street shoes; Skechers' early products were utility-style boots popular in grunge fashion. The company quickly expanded to include women and children, with casual and athleisure styles, and went public in 1999. In 2011, Skechers launched its performance line for athletes and signed Meb Keflezighi as a spokesman.

Skechers is the third largest footwear brand in the United States. In January 2019, the company started an expansion of its corporate headquarters to double its office, design and showroom space in the South Bay.

Litigation

In 2012, Skechers agreed to settle a class action lawsuit for $40 million based on a U.S. Federal Trade Commission complaint that it had misled customers with its Shape-Ups ads. In 2019, Nike filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers because, according to Nike, Skechers had infringed on the design of their VaporMax and Air Max 270 sneakers.

Forced labor investigation

In 2021, French prosecutors launched an investigation into whether Skechers and other brands had concealed or profited from forced Uyghur labor. Skechers has found no evidence of forced labor taking place.

Products and advertising

The company designs, develops and markets a range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for adults and children; brands include Skechers Sport, Uno, D'Lites, the charity line Bobs, Our Planet Matters, Mark Nason, Skechers Work, Go Walk, Go Run, and Go Golf. Since 2020, select shoes have utilized Goodyear rubber.

Skechers has promoted its products with celebrities including musicians Ava Max and Willie Nelson; television personalities Martha Stewart, Brooke Burke, and Amanda Kloots; baseball player Clayton Kershaw and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard; footballers Jamie Redknapp and Michael Ballack; and American football players Tony Romo, Howie Long, and Cris Carter. Skechers Performance has featured distance runner Meb Keflezighi and professional golfers Brooke Henderson and Matt Fitzpatrick.

On March 1, 2019, Skechers launched a print and digital comparative advertising campaign titled "Just Blew It" to highlight the Zion Williamson failed shoe incident with rival Nike.

On February 3, 2021, Skechers launched a commercial campaign titled "To the Max" featuring Tony Romo to put into the Super Bowl. The brand returned to the game on February 13, 2022, with two commercials: "On the Road" and "Legalize" featuring Willie Nelson.

In 2022, the brand expanded into pickleball, signing several athletes and sponsoring the first nationally televised pickleball tournament in the U.S.

Sponsorships

Golf

* Brooke Henderson
* Emily Pedersen
* Matt Fitzpatrick
* Russell Knox
* Colin Montgomerie
* Belén Mozo
* Billy Andrade
* Matt Atkins
* Wesley Bryan
* Matt Kuchar
* Ashlan Ramsey

Philanthropy

Skechers launched its Skechers Foundation in 2010. Skechers and the Friendship Foundation host an annual walk in Manhattan Beach to raise money for a nonprofit that helps connect special-needs students with their peers.

Skechers has donated more than 16 million pairs of new shoes to children in need worldwide through its Bobs charity program. The shoes support Head Start programs, education foundations, homeless shelters, disaster relief and 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. The brand has also raised over $9 million to help Petco Love, Woodgreen Pets Charity, and other animal welfare groups.

Entertainment

Skechers has developed—with MoonScoop Group and animator/co-producer John Massé—an animated series, '' Zevo-3'', and several direct-to-DVD features produced by SD Entertainment:
*''Twinkle Toes'' (2012)
*''Hydee and the Hytops: The Movie'' (2013)
*''Twinkle Toes Lights Up New York'' (2016)

References

External links

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* (consumer)
* (corporate)

{{Authority control

1992 establishments in California
1999 initial public offerings
1990s fashion
2000s fashion
American companies established in 1992
Athletic shoe brands
Clothing brands of the United States
Clothing companies based in Los Angeles
Clothing companies established in 1992
Companies based in Los Angeles County, California
Companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange
Manhattan Beach, California
Manufacturing companies based in Greater Los Angeles
Manufacturing companies established in 1992
Shoe brands
Shoe companies of the United States
Sportswear brands