Alright, folks. Look. Before we get started here, I have to be clear: I know how we all feel about Skechers.
That brand’s shoes are capital U ugly. I don’t mean any disrespect by that — to be honest, Skechers knows what it’s doing. It does it on purpose. And it’s largely worked out. That’s why it’s a multi-billion dollar brand. It’s just not the coolest.
That’s why it was so weird to see all of these Skechers popping up on the feet of NBA athletes. I mean, what in the world? What are we doing, folks? Skechers? In the NBA? That’s wild.
But, listen. Yes, it’s extremely weird. But we’ve got to admit it’s also a pretty smart business move on the brand’s part.
Let’s talk about that for a second.
Wait, excuse me? Skechers in the NBA?
Yes, folks. Skechers in the NBA. This is a thing that is happening.
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, Skechers is a sneaker brand that prioritizes itself on being affordable and accessible, which is really cool and good!
But the shoes are generally, uh, not the prettiest. Plus, the brand has been accused of stealing designs from some of its competitors in the past, too. But that’s neither here nor there.
Either way, that brand is coming to the NBA.
Skechers is making basketball shoes now? Are we being serious?
Super serious, folks. The brand already has a basketball model out there, according to ESPN’s Nick DePaula.
The brand’s basketball shoe is called the SKX Resagrip. Does it look bad? No. Does it look good? I’ll let you be the judge of that, folks.
FIRST LOOK: The Skechers SKX Resagrip, the brand’s new hoop shoe expected to be worn this NBA season. 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/gtEdjEdlW9
— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) October 19, 2023
Yup. Those are Skechers.
Wow. So who is going to wear these?
That’s a great question! So we’ve already seen a couple of NBA athletes wearing Skechers so far this season.
Julius Randle has been wearing them and even dunked the ball in them against the Wizards on Wednesday. That’s got to be history of some sort, right?
Julius Randle in the neon Skechers 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KNWBQ6KeCG
— Complex Sneakers (@ComplexSneakers) October 19, 2023
Terance Mann has been wearing pairs, too. We can firmly count him in on team Skechers.
The biggest twist, though, is that Joel Embiid might actually be signing with the brand soon and become its biggest athlete, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
Why is Skechers getting all of these athletes?
The same reason why companies like Nike and Adidas do it. To put it simply, this is a growth opportunity for the brand.
Sure, it’s fair to call it a bit strange. Skechers is already a multi-billion dollar footwear company. It didn’t really need to grow. But the company seems to be trying to expand its demographic.
Its audience still generally skews older, Business Insider writes.
“While more millennials and Gen Z are buying Skechers, older generations of consumers can largely be credited with the company’s evolving reputation in casual footwear. Skechers preference share among adults 55 or older was around three times higher than younger customers in 2022, according to Cowen’s study.”
By attaching itself to big-name athletes like Joel Embiid and Julius Randle Skechers attracts a new demographic that skews younger. It becomes a tad bit cooler so now, your nieces and nephews who are fans of Embiid and Randle will actually ask you for Skechers without getting roasted by classmates.
That’s new territory for Skechers.
Wow. That's actually wild. Skechers is making some pretty savvy moves
Yup. The brand is clearly trying to make a big move on the NBA just like it did in the soccer world with its lifetime deal with Harry Kane.
It’s paying off, too.
Skechers wants you to know they mean business
• August – sign Harry Kane
• October – sign Joel EmbiidOver the last year, company shares (+36%) have outperformed Nike (+15.5%) and the S&P (+15.8%) pic.twitter.com/UCqfhE3imF
— Morning Brew ☕️ (@MorningBrew) October 18, 2023
This Skechers thing is real, folks — even if the shoes don’t look that great. Get ready to see a lot more athletes running around in them whether you like it or not.
At the end of the day, clearly, somebody does. And that’s all that matters.
