Skechers

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 firm quickly expanded to include women and children, with casual and athletic styles, and went public in 1999.

In 2011, it launched its performance sportswear line for athletes and signed Meb Keflezighi as a spokesman.

Skechers is the third largest footwear brand in the world by sales. In January 2019, the company started an expansion of its corporate headquarters to double its office, design and showroom space in the South Bay. In 2023, Skechers had its debut on the Fortune 500.

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 rocker bottom shoe advertisements.

In 2015, Adidas filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Skechers. Among the numerous infringements was the Skechers Onix, which was allegedly a copy of the Adidas Stan Smith. The parties reached a confidential settlement on May 30, 2018.

In 2019, Nike filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers because, according to Nike, Skechers had infringed on the design of its VaporMax and Air Max 270 sneakers.

In 2024, Skechers filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Authentic Brands Group, claiming the Rockport Tristen Step Activated Slip On shoes infringe on Skechers' Slip Ins design patent.

In 2025, European footwear company Kizik filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers. According to the lawsuit, Kizik holds a patent for a shoe design with a stabilizer for hands-free wear, and Skechers infringed on that patent with its Slip Ins.

Forced labor investigation

In 2021, French prosecutors launched an investigation into whether Skechers and other brands had concealed or profited from forced Uyghur labor. A December 2023 report by Sheffield Hallam University again found connections to forced Uyghur labor. Skechers has found no evidence of forced labor taking place. In September 2024, Skechers opened a store in Ürümqi, Xinjiang amid criticism from the Worker Rights Consortium.

Privatization

On May 5, 2025, Skechers announced that it would be acquired by private equity firm 3G Capital. Following the closure of the transaction within the third quarter of that year, pending regulatory approval, Skechers would delist from the New York Stock Exchange and become a privately held company. The acquisition was finalized in September 2025.

Products and advertising

Skechers designs, develops and markets a range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for adults and children. Its brands include Skechers Sport, Slip-ins, D'Lites, the charity line Bobs, 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 musicians including Ringo Starr, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Willie Nelson, and Snoop Dogg; television personalities Martha Stewart, Brooke Burke, and Amanda Kloots; baseball player Clayton Kershaw and boxer Sugar Ray Leonard; and American football players Joe Montana, Tony Romo, Howie Long, and Cris Carter. Since 2010, Skechers has been a regular Super Bowl advertiser.

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.

Skechers has been a partner of W Racing Team (WRT) in sports car racing, including former MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi, since 2021. WRT's parent company, Weerts Group, services Skechers' European distribution center in Liège, Belgium.

Skechers Performance has featured distance runner Meb Keflezighi and professional golfers Brooke Henderson and Matt Fitzpatrick. The brand expanded into pickleball in 2022, signing several of the sport's top players and sponsoring the first nationally televised pickleball tournament in the U.S. In 2023, Skechers announced a move into soccer and basketball, introducing new technical shoes worn and promoted by England national football team player Harry Kane and NBA players Julius Randle, Terance Mann, and Joel Embiid. In 2024, Skechers replaced Nivia Sports as the kit sponsor of one of India's oldest and most successful football teams, Mohun Bagan Super Giant.

File:Edward Cheserek running the indoor mile at the 2018 BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational (3).jpg|Edward Cheserek has endorsed Skechers Performance since 2017. File:A Skechers shoe store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.jpg|A Skechers retail store in the United States File:GT Masters 2021 Spielberg Nr. 32.jpg|Car #32 at the 2021 ADAC GT Masters in Austria File:Sketchers Sugarloaf Mills.jpg|An early 2000s Skechers store located in Georgia, Sugarloaf Mills.

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 donates 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) organizations. Bobs also supports animal welfare groups including Petco Love and Woodgreen Pets Charity. In 2024, Skechers donated $20,000 to Austin High School men and women's soccer teams.

Entertainment

Skechers has developed—with MoonScoop Entertainment and animator/co-producer John Massé—an animated series, Zevo-3, and several direct-to-DVD features produced by SD Entertainment:

• Hydee and the Hytops: The Movie (2011)
• Twinkle Toes (2012)
• Twinkle Toes Lights Up New York (2016)

References

References

1. (2025-02-28). "Form 10-K". Skechers U.S.A., Inc..
2. (February 6, 2025). "Skechers Announces 2024 Record Annual Sales of $8.97 Billion". Skechers U.S.A., Inc..
3. Bettner, Jill. (October 26, 1993). "Robert Greenberg, founder of L.A. Gear, has launched a company that's building sales from the popularity of trendy 'Doc' Martens".
4. Grant. (February 14, 2000). "International Directory of Company Histories". [[St. James Press]].
5. Trivedi, Kruti. (2000-07-18). "Trying a New Shoe on for Size; Can Owners of Skechers Learn From Their Mistakes?". [[The New York Times]].
6. Boren, Cindy. (April 22, 2014). "Skechers beats Nike in Boston Marathon". [[The Washington Post]].
7. Crumley, Bruce. (2025-01-13). "How Skechers' Business Model Built the Third-Best Selling Footwear Brand After Adidas and Nike". [[Inc. (magazine).
8. Carballo, Charlie. (2019-01-14). "Skechers Plans to Grow Talent, Categories After Breaking Ground on Corporate Office Expansion".
9. Ciment, Shoshy. (2023-06-05). "Lululemon and Skechers Join Fortune 500 List as Female CEOs Prove Staying Power".
10. Dina Elboghdady. (May 16, 2012). "Skechers agrees to $40 million settlement for claims about shoes' benefits". [[The Washington Post]].
11. (May 30, 2018). "Adidas, Skechers Settle Three-Stripe Trademark Row - Law360". www.law360.com.
12. Kish, Matthew. (October 4, 2019). "Nike again sues Skechers over alleged knockoff sneakers".
13. Deppen, Laurel. (September 12, 2024). "Skechers sues Marc Fisher, Authentic Brands Group over shoe design".
14. (September 22, 2025). "Skechers sued at UPC and in US over hands-free slip-on shoes".
15. Tronco, Fernanda. (July 29, 2025). "Skechers could be forced to drop huge shoe line".
16. (2021-07-02). "Fashion Retailers Face Inquiry Over Suspected Ties to Forced Labor in China". [[The New York Times]].
17. Henley, Jon. (July 2, 2021). "France investigates fashion brands over forced Uyghur labour claims". [[The Guardian]].
18. (December 2023). "Tailoring Responsibility: Tracing Apparel Supply Chains from the Uyghur Region to Europe". Uyghur Rights Monitor, the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University, and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights.
19. Chua, Jasmin Malik. (2021-04-19). "Inditex, Uniqlo, Skechers Battle Forced Labor Allegations".
20. (December 2023). "Tailoring Responsibility: Annex A Corporate Responses". Uyghur Rights Monitor, the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University, and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights.
21. Kashgar, Kasim. (2024-10-08). "Skechers opens store in Xinjiang amid scrutiny over Uyghur forced labor sanctions".
22. Fonrouge, Gabrielle. (2025-05-05). "Skechers to be acquired by 3G Capital in take-private deal, shares soar 25%". [[CNBC]].
23. (2025-09-12). "3G Capital Completes Acquisition of Skechers".
24. Goist, Robin. (2020-02-27). "Skechers partners with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. on line of sneakers".
25. Ng, Kate. (2023-06-15). "The Rolling Stones launches trainer collaboration with Skechers".
26. Garner, Stephen. (2022-03-28). "Martha Stewart Lands Another Shoe Gig as a Skechers Ambassador".
27. Bell, Jennie. (2023-02-07). "Skechers & Snoop Dogg Get Sky-High in Super Bowl 2023 Ad".
28. Chochrek, Ella. (2 March 2019). "Skechers Takes a Direct Hit at Nike's Shoe Explosion Incident With New Ad".
29. Clay, Jennifer. (17 March 2022). "Skechers Expands Sponsorship With Team WRT in Second Year of High-Speed Deal". Skechers USA, Inc..
30. Chen, I-Chun. (Aug 9, 2022). "Skechers sponsoring nationally televised professional pickleball tournament".
31. Ciment, Shoshy. (2024-07-26). "Skechers Says Push Into Performance Athletic Will Convert More Consumers".
32. "Skechers is going to Mohun Bagan's Official Kit Sponsor for the upcoming season 2024/25".
33. Mack, Gordon. (September 6, 2017). "Edward Cheserek Signs With Skechers".
34. "About the Walk".
35. (2017-10-28). "Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk funds special student relationships". [[Daily Breeze]].
36. Polk, Andy. (8 October 2020). "BOBS From Skechers Footwear Donations Surpass 16 Million Pairs".
37. Stabile, Angelica. (2022-11-02). "BOBS from Skechers donates to North American animal shelters with every purchase".
38. "Skechers’ Philanthropy Program".
39. Keslassy, Elsa. (2010-04-20). "Skechers makes strides into film".
40. "Twinkle Toes Franchise Box Office History".