Latest news with #SkechersHandsFreeSlip-ins
Fashion United
29-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Skechers responds to Kizik's ‘baseless' lawsuit
Footwear giant Skechers USA has said it plans to 'vigorously defend the patent suit' launched against it by HandsFree Lab (HFL), the parent company of Kizik. In a press release, Skechers said HFL's allegations, pertaining to its line of Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins, were 'baseless' and rooted in the 'assertion that Kizik created the hands-free footwear category and is the only company that can legally use that century-old idea'. In the lawsuit, filed with a Texas court, Kizik alleges that Skechers 'knowingly' infringed on four HFL utility patents and two design patents for its slip-in footwear, a line that, according to HFL, was launched without licensing or acknowledging the Kizik brand. The suit goes on to state that a number of related patents pursued by Skechers have been rejected, a claim Skechers calls 'false', with the company underlining that it has 'obtained more than 140 utility and design patents worldwide, including in the US'. In a statement, Skechers' president, Michael Greenberg, expressed suspicion over the timing of the lawsuit, which he notes comes shortly after Skechers announced a 9.42 billion dollars merger with 3G Capital. Despite not receiving 'so much as a letter from Kizik' since launching its Slip-ins line in 2021, Greenberg states that upon the merger's announcement, 'Kizik hires a law firm also used by Nike and attacks our whole Slip-ins product line'. Greenberg continues: 'We believe that, after all these years of silence, the true motivation for this lawsuit might be found right on the face of Kizik's complaint, where they state that they are looking for a share of the 9.42 dollars billion being paid for Skechers, money Kizik did not earn and does not deserve.' According to Greenberg, Skechers has become a 'market leader in the hands-free footwear space' through innovating with technology and investing into research and development. As such, Skechers 'will aggressively challenge both the validity of the patents and the infringement claims', he adds.
Fashion Network
19-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Skechers names Kartik Aaryan as India brand ambassador
Skechers has announced the appointment of Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan as its new brand ambassador for India. In his new role, Aaryan will front the brand's latest campaign for 'Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins,' a footwear line designed for hands-free wear. 'Kartik Aaryan embodies the spirit of Skechers- bold, versatile, stylish and innovative,' said Skechers South Asia Pvt Ltd's chief executive officer Rahul Vira in a press release. 'As a prominent contemporary youth icon, his broad appeal and dynamic persona will help keep Skechers in the mind of consumers shopping for our in-demand lifestyle and athletic footwear across India.' The announcement marks Skechers' continued focus on youth-centric positioning and innovation-led marketing in India. The brand said the partnership aims to strengthen its connection with younger consumers seeking comfort-driven lifestyle and performance footwear. 'What truly impressed me is their relentless focus on innovation, especially the Slip-ins technology, which redefines convenience without compromising on design," said Aaryan. "I'm always on the move, so I love that I can just slip in and go.' The Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins collection features the brand's patented Heel Pillow technology and is available at select retail outlets and online. Aaryan joins a growing Skechers India roster, including Ananya Panday and athletes from cricket, football, basketball, and pickleball.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Skechers signs Kartik Aaryan as new brand ambassador for India
Skechers has announced Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan its new brand ambassador for India. The actor will first appear in a marketing campaign supporting the brand's signature Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins footwear, the press note stated. Rahul Vira , chief executive officer of Skechers South Asia Pvt., said, "As a prominent contemporary youth icon, Aaryan's broad appeal coupled with his dynamic persona will help keep Skechers in the mind of consumers shopping for our in-demand lifestyle and athletic footwear across India. We believe Kartik's influence will amplify our connection with his fans who value the innovation and comfort that is only offered by Skechers.' Aaryan said, 'I am excited to collaborate with Skechers—a brand that stands at the intersection of cutting-edge performance and contemporary style. What truly impressed me is their relentless focus on innovation, especially the Slip-ins technology, which redefines convenience without compromising on design.' Aaryan joins a Skechers roster that includes Indian actress Ananya Panday , along with elite athletes including footballers Sunil Chhetri, Harry Kane, Baris Alper Yilmaz, Isco Alarcón and Mohammed Kudus; cricket players Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia; pickleball pros Sonu Vishwakarma, Vrushali Thakare, Vanshik Kapadia and Mayur Patil; as well as basketball stars Julius Randle, Joel Embiid, Norman Powell and Rickea Jackson.
Fashion Network
19-06-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Skechers names Kartik Aaryan as India brand ambassador
Skechers has announced the appointment of Bollywood actor Kartik Aaryan as its new brand ambassador for India. In his new role, Aaryan will front the brand's latest campaign for 'Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins,' a footwear line designed for hands-free wear. 'Kartik Aaryan embodies the spirit of Skechers- bold, versatile, stylish and innovative,' said Skechers South Asia Pvt Ltd's chief executive officer Rahul Vira in a press release. 'As a prominent contemporary youth icon, his broad appeal and dynamic persona will help keep Skechers in the mind of consumers shopping for our in-demand lifestyle and athletic footwear across India.' The announcement marks Skechers' continued focus on youth-centric positioning and innovation-led marketing in India. The brand said the partnership aims to strengthen its connection with younger consumers seeking comfort-driven lifestyle and performance footwear. 'What truly impressed me is their relentless focus on innovation, especially the Slip-ins technology, which redefines convenience without compromising on design," said Aaryan. "I'm always on the move, so I love that I can just slip in and go.' The Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins collection features the brand's patented Heel Pillow technology and is available at select retail outlets and online. Aaryan joins a growing Skechers India roster, including Ananya Panday and athletes from cricket, football, basketball, and pickleball.
Business Wire
08-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
First European Performance-Focused Skechers Store Opens in Belgium
WAALWIJK, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Following the opening of Skechers' first performance store in Canada earlier this year, the global brand is exporting the innovative retail format to Europe with a newly opened store in Ghent. At the store on the city's famed Veldstraat, consumers can try the latest product from The Comfort Technology Company ®, including its tech performance footwear worn by leading athletes across sports and renowned lifestyle innovations like Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins ®. 'Skechers Performance has been a game-changer with our advancements and comfort features, as elite pros sign up to play and win in our product on the pitch, court, and green,' said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. 'We opened our first-ever performance flagship store in Canada in January to huge fanfare—a new concept with our latest performance product gallery in Ghent. This will enable more athletes and enthusiasts to discover our signature comfort that performs, alongside consumers of every age who wear our lifestyle product.' Designed to offer a complete Skechers experience, the new 7,700+-square-foot store at Veldstraat 94 will showcase the brand's extensive offering of footwear, coordinating apparel and accessories, supported by specialists and educators. Surrounded by state-of-the-art digital LED screens, the modern architectural space will showcase Skechers' commitment to product for all walks of life and interests. Consumers can shop the Company's signature innovations like Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins ® Technology, Skechers Glide-Step ® Technology, Skechers Hyper Burst Pro ™ Technology, Skechers Performance FitKnit ® Technology, Skechers Arch Fit ® Technology, Skechers Max Cushioning ® Technology and Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam ® Technology. The store also features Skechers' specialized football, running, golf, basketball and pickleball collections. 'Located on a pedestrianized street trafficked by eight million visitors each year, our new store in the heart of Ghent is an ideal space for locals and tourists to experience our popular Glide-Step ® and new Skechers Cozy Fit™ styles as well as football boots worn by elite athletes,' said Maurice van Berkel, general manager of Skechers USA Benelux B.V. 'Consumers in Belgium are familiar with our brand and its comfort—and with this store joining our current locations in Brussels, Antwerp and other destinations, we now have a retail presence in our three largest cities and beyond—offering more access than ever to the product portfolio that Skechers is known for around the world.' Skechers' global roster of elite pros competing in Skechers footwear includes KAA Gent attacking midfielder Max Dean as well as football players Harry Kane, Isco Alarcón, Mohammed Kudus, Matt O'Riley, Niccolò Pisilli, Misa Rodríguez, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Barış Alper Yılmaz among many others; basketball stars Julius Randle, Norman Powell, Terance Mann, Joel Embiid, Rickea Jackson and Kiki Iriafen; golfers Matt Fitzpatrick, Brooke Henderson and Bernhard Langer; pickleball pros Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau; Indian Premier League cricket stars Jasprit Bumrah, Ishan Kishan and Yastika Bhatia; and baseball players Clayton Kershaw, Chris Taylor, Brendan Donovan, Aaron Nola, Wade Miley and Jake Burger. The new Skechers store joins eight retail locations across Belgium, with an additional location opening in Messancy this summer. Consumers can also shop at and and leading retailers across the country. About Skechers U.S.A. Benelux B.V. and Skechers U.S.A., Inc. Skechers USA Benelux B.V. is a subsidiary of Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company ® based in Southern California. Skechers designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company's collections are available in 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through and more than 5,300 Skechers retail stores. A Fortune 500 ® company, Skechers manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers' future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'expect,' 'estimate,' 'intend,' 'plan,' 'project,' 'will,' 'could,' 'may,' 'might,' or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; delays or disruptions in our supply chain; international economic, political and market conditions including the effects of inflation, tariffs and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations around the world, the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States, and the impact of wars, acts of war and other conflicts around the world; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers' annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q in 2025. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.
