Skechers
American multinational footwear and apparel brand known for casual, comfort, lifestyle, and performance products.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Skechers is an American multinational footwear and apparel brand founded in 1992 by Robert Greenberg and headquartered in Manhattan Beach, California. The company began with a narrow focus on men's utility-inspired street footwear, particularly boots associated with the grunge and alternative-fashion environment of the early 1990s. It expanded rapidly into women's and children's footwear, then broadened its assortment to include casual shoes, athletic footwear, work shoes, clothing, and accessories. The brand's development has been shaped by its ability to combine accessible pricing, extensive retail distribution, comfort technologies, celebrity promotion, and frequent product refreshes. Its portfolio includes lifestyle families such as D'Lites and Mark Nason, comfort and walking ranges such as GO WALK and Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins, performance categories including running and golf, and occupational footwear sold under Skechers Work. BOBS, a charitable footwear line, links selected sales and product activity with donations supporting children, families, and animal-welfare organizations. Skechers became a publicly traded company in 1999. During the 2000s and 2010s it invested heavily in national advertising, celebrity partnerships, and sports sponsorship. A major turning point came with the growth of performance and comfort-oriented products. In 2011, the company introduced its performance sportswear line and signed distance runner Meb Keflezighi. It later expanded its athlete roster to include golfers, football and basketball players, pickleball professionals, and motorsport partners. The company has also been a regular Super Bowl advertiser since 2010. The brand has faced legal and reputational challenges. Its Shape-Ups advertising resulted in a Federal Trade Commission complaint and a 2012 class-action settlement. It has also been involved in trademark and patent disputes with Adidas, Nike, Authentic Brands Group, and Kizik. Human-rights organizations and French prosecutors examined possible links between its footwear supply chain and alleged forced Uyghur labor; Skechers has said it found no evidence of forced labor in its operations. These issues have increased scrutiny of the company's sourcing and retail activity. Skechers entered the Fortune 500 in 2023. In May 2025, the company announced it had agreed to be acquired by private-equity firm 3G Capital. The transaction closed in September 2025, after which Skechers became privately held and was no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Its business remains focused on designing, developing, marketing, and distributing footwear, apparel, and accessories through company-owned stores, e-commerce, wholesale partners, and international distributors.
History
Robert Greenberg founded Skechers in 1992 after previously establishing LA Gear. The new company initially concentrated on men's street footwear, with utility-style boots benefiting from the period's grunge and alternative-fashion trends. Its early success encouraged a rapid expansion into women's and children's products, casual shoes, and athletic styles. Skechers became publicly traded in 1999 and continued building a broad, multi-channel business. Rather than relying on one narrow technical category, it developed a large assortment spanning lifestyle sneakers, walking shoes, work footwear, performance products, apparel, and accessories. Its retail strategy combined company-operated stores with wholesale and international distribution, while advertising emphasized recognizable personalities and mass-market visibility. During the 2000s and early 2010s, the company increased its use of celebrity endorsements. It promoted products through musicians, television personalities, professional athletes, and sports commentators. The Shape-Ups rocker-bottom shoe became one of its most visible products, but its advertising claims generated regulatory and class-action litigation that culminated in a 2012 settlement. The episode illustrated both the commercial reach of Skechers' marketing and the risks of making health-related claims for footwear. In 2010, Skechers became a regular Super Bowl advertiser and established the Skechers Foundation. The foundation and the Friendship Foundation have supported an annual Manhattan Beach walk benefiting programs that connect students with special needs to their peers. The company also developed BOBS as a charitable line, donating shoes and supporting organizations serving children, families, disaster-relief efforts, education, homelessness, and animal welfare. The company strengthened its performance identity in 2011 by launching a performance sportswear line and signing distance runner Meb Keflezighi. Subsequent activity extended into golf, motorsport, pickleball, soccer, and basketball. It partnered with W Racing Team from 2021 and entered pickleball in 2022, followed by a broader move into soccer and basketball in 2023. Selected footwear has used Goodyear rubber since 2020. Skechers also expanded its corporate and international infrastructure. In 2019 it began enlarging its Manhattan Beach headquarters to increase office, design, and showroom capacity. Its European business uses company stores, authorized retailers, e-commerce platforms, and distributors, including operations connected with a distribution center in Liège, Belgium. Alongside growth, Skechers faced continuing intellectual-property disputes. Adidas settled a trademark case with the company in 2018, while Nike brought a patent action in 2019. Skechers later pursued its own patent claim against Authentic Brands Group over Rockport footwear and faced a patent lawsuit from Kizik concerning hands-free shoe technology. Supply-chain practices also attracted scrutiny after a French investigation into possible links to alleged forced Uyghur labor and later criticism of a store opening in Xinjiang. Skechers has denied finding evidence of forced labor. Skechers appeared on the Fortune 500 for the first time in 2023. In 2025, 3G Capital agreed to acquire the company. Completion of the transaction in September 2025 made Skechers privately held and ended its period as a New York Stock Exchange-listed company. The brand continues to operate as a global footwear and apparel business with a portfolio balanced between everyday comfort, lifestyle products, and performance categories.
- 2025
Acquisition by 3G Capital
[1]3G Capital completes its acquisition of Skechers, taking the company private.
- 2023
Fortune 500 debut and team-sports expansion
[1]Skechers appears on the Fortune 500 and announces technical footwear initiatives in soccer and basketball.
- 2022
Pickleball entry
[1]The brand expands into pickleball products, athlete partnerships, and event sponsorship.
- 2020
Goodyear rubber collaboration
[1]Selected Skechers shoes begin incorporating Goodyear rubber.
- 2019
Headquarters expansion begins
[1]Skechers starts an expansion intended to increase its Manhattan Beach office, design, and showroom space.
- 2012
Shape-Ups settlement
[1]The company agrees to a $40 million settlement related to regulatory and class-action claims over Shape-Ups advertising.
- 2011
Performance sportswear expansion
[1]Skechers launches a performance sportswear line and signs distance runner Meb Keflezighi.
- 2010
Foundation and Super Bowl advertising activity
[1]The Skechers Foundation is launched, and the brand begins regular Super Bowl advertising.
- 1999
Public listing
[1]Skechers becomes a publicly traded company.
- 1992
Skechers is founded
[1]Robert Greenberg establishes Skechers in the United States, initially targeting men's street and utility-inspired footwear.
Products and positioning
A globally distributed, accessible footwear and apparel brand positioned around comfort, casual style, everyday versatility, and increasingly technical sports performance.
Hands-free lifestyle footwear
Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins
Hands-free shoes designed to be put on without using the hands. The line is central to Skechers' comfort and convenience positioning and has also become the subject of patent disputes involving competing hands-free footwear designs.
Walking footwear
GO WALK
A major comfort and walking franchise built around lightweight construction, cushioning, and everyday wearability. GO WALK products extend from basic walking shoes to lifestyle variants intended for travel, casual use, and prolonged standing.
Running footwear
GO RUN
Skechers' running-oriented product family, developed as part of its broader performance business. The range supports the brand's efforts to compete in technical athletic footwear while retaining its emphasis on accessible comfort.
Lifestyle sneakers
D'Lites
A lifestyle sneaker franchise associated with a chunky, retro-inspired silhouette. D'Lites has served as one of Skechers' recognizable fashion-led offerings and is marketed across women's and broader lifestyle assortments.
Occupational footwear
Skechers Work
A workwear footwear range for occupational settings. Products are designed around practical requirements such as comfort, traction, durability, and workplace-oriented construction, with styles spanning service, healthcare, and other employment environments.
Golf footwear
GO GOLF
A golf footwear franchise supporting Skechers' performance-sports strategy. The range has been promoted through professional golfers and combines sport-specific outsole and stability requirements with the company's comfort-focused design language.
Charitable lifestyle footwear
BOBS
A charitable footwear line through which Skechers supports organizations serving children, families, education programs, shelters, disaster relief, and animal welfare. Donations have included new shoes and financial support for nonprofit partners.
Sport and lifestyle footwear
Skechers Sport
A broad sport-oriented label covering casual athletic and active lifestyle footwear. It sits between everyday lifestyle products and more specialized performance categories in Skechers' portfolio.
Controversies
2024
Xinjiang store opening criticism
Skechers opened a store in Ürümqi, Xinjiang, drawing criticism from the Worker Rights Consortium amid continuing scrutiny of alleged forced labor in the region.
2021
Alleged forced-labor supply-chain connections
French prosecutors investigated whether Skechers and other footwear brands concealed or profited from alleged forced Uyghur labor. A later academic report also identified possible supply-chain connections. Skechers has said it found no evidence of forced labor.
2012
Shape-Ups advertising claims
U.S. regulators and consumers challenged advertising claims that Shape-Ups rocker-bottom shoes could produce health, fitness, or toning benefits. Skechers agreed to a $40 million settlement.
Marketing campaigns
- 2019Just Blew It
United States
A comparative print and digital campaign used the incident involving Zion Williamson's Nike basketball shoe to promote Skechers as an alternative footwear brand. It increased comparative visibility for Skechers during a widely discussed sports-footwear news cycle.
Outcome. Increased comparative visibility for Skechers during a widely discussed sports-footwear news cycle.
- 2010Super Bowl advertising
United States
Skechers began regular Super Bowl advertising, using high-reach television exposure and celebrity-led creative to build mass-market recognition. It established the Super Bowl as a recurring platform for the brand.
Outcome. Established the Super Bowl as a recurring platform for the brand.
- 2010Skechers Foundation and Friendship Foundation walk
United States
Skechers and the Friendship Foundation host an annual Manhattan Beach walk to raise funds for programs connecting students with special needs to their peers. It created a recurring community and philanthropic platform.
Outcome. Created a recurring community and philanthropic platform.
Brand decisions
2025
Accept acquisition by 3G CapitalM&ABackground
Skechers announced a transaction intended to move the company from public ownership to private-equity ownership.
Action taken
3G Capital acquired Skechers, with the transaction completed in September 2025 after regulatory and closing processes.
Aftermath
Skechers became privately held and was no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
2023
Move into soccer and basketballStrategyBackground
Skechers aimed to expand its technical performance offering and gain visibility in globally prominent team sports.
Action taken
The company introduced technical soccer and basketball footwear promoted or worn by Harry Kane, Julius Randle, Terance Mann, and Joel Embiid.
Aftermath
The initiative positioned Skechers more directly against established performance-footwear competitors.
2022
Enter pickleballProduct launchBackground
Pickleball was growing rapidly in the United States and offered a new category for footwear, athlete marketing, and event sponsorship.
Action taken
Skechers signed leading pickleball players and sponsored the first nationally televised U.S. pickleball tournament.
Aftermath
The move broadened the brand's performance-sports footprint beyond established running and golf categories.
2011
Build a dedicated performance-sports businessStrategyBackground
Skechers sought to extend its reputation beyond casual footwear and participate more directly in technical athletic categories.
Action taken
The company launched a performance sportswear line and recruited Meb Keflezighi as a prominent spokesman.
Aftermath
The strategy expanded into running, golf, pickleball, soccer, basketball, and other sports partnerships.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Skechers sues HDI Global over insurance coverage[4]
Skechers sued HDI Global Insurance Co., alleging that the insurer breached its contract by failing to pay for Skechers' defense against Easy Spirit's lawsuit. Skechers is seeking at least $3 million, punitive damages, a declaration of the parties' rights and obligations, and an injunction.
- Unconfirmed
Tmall and footwear brands launch single-shoe sales service[5]
The China Foundation for Disabled Persons and participating brands, including Tmall, Skechers, Reebok, Jordan, Camel, Semir and ECCO, jointly launched the “One Shoe Plan,” offering single-shoe sales to people with disabilities at half price.
Reported
Skechers features Ananya Panday in campaign and collection[6]
Skechers expanded its #OriginalsKeepMoving campaign with a new collection featuring actress Ananya Panday.
Reported
Skechers launches Originals Keep Moving campaign in India[7]
Skechers launched its “Originals Keep Moving” campaign in India, featuring Ananya Panday and beginning with a television commercial created specifically for that market.
Reported
Skechers launches newest D’Lites collection[7]
Skechers said it had launched the newest collection in its flagship lifestyle range, Skechers D’Lites.
Reported
Skechers opens flagship store in Paris[8]
Skechers opened a flagship retail store on Rue de Rivoli in Paris, offering its footwear and apparel collections.
Reported
XPO to provide free logistics services to Soles4Souls[9]
XPO announced it would provide free multinational logistics services to Soles4Souls, shipping four ocean containers of shoes donated by Skechers from China to distribution hubs in the US, Canada and the Netherlands.
Reported
Skechers reports first-quarter 2020 results[10]
Skechers reported first-quarter 2020 sales of US$1.24 billion, down 2.7% year over year; domestic wholesale sales rose 9% and international wholly owned subsidiary sales rose 9.4%.
Reported
Skechers named Men's Footwear Brand of the Year[11]
Skechers was named Men's Footwear Brand of the Year at the 2020 Footwear Industry Awards and was also highly commended in the Fashion Footwear Brand of the Year category.
Sources12 sources
- 1Skechersen.wikipedia.org
- 2Skechers consumer websiteskechers.com
- 3Skechers corporate websiteabout.skechers.com
- 4Skechers因保险承保争议起诉HDI Globalkfiam640.iheart.com
- 5天猫等推出单只鞋销售服务chinaz.com
- 6Skechers邀请Ananya Panday参与活动及系列aninews.in
- 7Skechers在印度推出“Originals Keep Moving”营销活动archive.siasat.com
- 8Skechers在巴黎开设旗舰店finanznachrichten.de
- 9XPO将为Soles4Souls提供免费物流服务finance.yahoo.com
- 10斯凯奇发布2020年第一季度财报finance.sina.com.cn
- 11Skechers获评年度男士鞋履品牌finanznachrichten.de
- 12Skechers Singapore opens more stores despite Covid-19insideretail.asia
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