Skechers USA, Inc. is an American multinational footwear and apparel company. Headquartered in
Manhattan Beach, California, it was founded in 1992 and is 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.[3] The company quickly expanded to include women and children, with casual and athletic styles, and went
public in 1999.[4][5] In 2011, Skechers launched its performance
sportswear line for athletes and signed
Meb Keflezighi as a spokesman.[6]
Skechers is the third largest footwear brand in the United States by revenue.[7][8] In January 2019, the company started an expansion of its corporate headquarters to double its office, design and showroom space in the
South Bay.[9] In 2023, Skechers had its debut on the
Fortune 500.[10]
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 ads.[11] 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.[12]
Forced labor investigation
In 2021, French prosecutors launched an investigation into whether Skechers and other brands had concealed or profited from forced
Uyghur labor.[13][14] A December 2023 report by
Sheffield Hallam University again found connections to forced Uygher labor.[15] Skechers has found no evidence of forced labor taking place.[16][17]
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.[1] Since 2020, select shoes have utilized
Goodyear rubber.[18]
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.[23]
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.[24]
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.[29][30]
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.[31] Bobs also support animal welfare groups including
Petco Love and
Woodgreen Pets Charity.[32]
^"Tailoring Responsibility: Annex A Corporate Responses"(PDF). Uyghur Rights Monitor, the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice at Sheffield Hallam University, and the Uyghur Center for Democracy and Human Rights. December 2023. p. 17. ...you are incorrect to allege that Skechers is "at risk of importing textile and/or apparel goods made wholly or in part in Xinjiang" – an allegation for which you provided no evidence.