Few brands have had a history as eventful, or at moments as awkward, as Skechers. It went from a niche player to a giant known for one thing: comfort at a price nobody has to think twice about.
1992: the start
Robert Greenberg, the man behind L.A. Gear, sold his stake and started again. The first idea was not soft everyday shoes at all: it was men’s styles and work boots aimed at the skate and grunge culture then taking shape. Models like the Chrome found their audience quickly.
The turn to the mass market
Skechers spotted the bigger gap: comfortable, affordable, reasonably fashionable shoes for the whole family. Rather than fight Nike and Adidas on performance, they made comfort the mass-market product.
Their first real contribution was putting memory foam insoles into shoes at scale — foam that takes the shape of the foot. The comfort is immediate, in the shop, on the first step, and that won them millions of customers.
Shape-Ups: the success and the bill
In the late 2000s a shoe with a rounded sole, sold on the promise that it would tone your legs and take weight off while you walked to the shops, became a worldwide phenomenon. The adverts with Kim Kardashian and Stacy Keibler worked: there were queues.
The bill arrived in 2012. The US Federal Trade Commission brought a case over misleading claims; Skechers settled for $40 million and pulled the advertising.
The episode was expensive, and it forced the company to replace promises with things it could actually stand behind.
The way back: technology
- Goga Mat — taken from yoga mats; cushioning with some return, for the everyday range.
- Arch Fit — an arch support system developed with podiatrists.
- Hyper Burst — a midsole material foamed with supercritical CO₂: very light, and livelier than it has any right to be at the price.
- Max Cushioning — the maximum-cushioning line, for long hours standing up.
On the back of these the brand came back seriously — not only in everyday shoes, but in running and golf.
Why it works
- Comfort comes first — at a price that does not require a decision.
- There is a model for everyone — teenagers, older customers, children, sport. Hence the reach.
- Marketing that moves — from Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera to Ringo Starr, Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart. Different generations, different faces.
- It learns — Shape-Ups cost the company dearly, and left it more credible than before.
Skechers is now among the largest shoemakers in the world — the same company that once paid $40 million over the claim that a curved sole would make you thinner.