c

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017

OR

For the transition period from              to             

Commission File Number 001-14429

SKECHERS U.S.A., INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (310) 318-3100

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

None

(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K(§ 229.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

As of June 30, 2017, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting Class A and Class B Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant was approximately $3.9 billion based upon the closing price of $29.50 of the Class A Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

The number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding as of February 15, 2018: 135,670,030.

The number of shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of February 15, 2018: 24,545,188.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s Definitive Proxy Statement issued in connection with the 2018 Annual Meeting of the Stockholders of the Registrant are incorporated by reference into Part III.

Skechers U.S.A., INC. and subsidiaries

table of contents TO ANNUAL REPORT ON form 10-k

for the year ended DECEMBER 31, 2017

This annual report includes our trademarks including Skechers^®, Skechers Performance^™, Skechers GOrun^®, Skechers GOwalk^®, Skechers GOgolf^®, You by Skechers™, ^®, ^®, ^®, Skechers Cali^™, Relaxed Fit^®, Skecher Street™, D’Lites^®, DLT-A™, Skechers Memory Foam™, BOBS^®, Energy Lights^®, and Twinkle Toes^®, each of which is our property. This report contains additional trademarks of other companies. We do not intend our use or display of other companies’ trade names or trademarks to imply an endorsement or sponsorship of us by such companies, or any relationship with any of these companies.

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SPECIAL NOTE ON Forward-looking Statements

This annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements with regards to future revenue, projected 2018 operating results, earnings, spending, margins, cash flow, orders, expected timing of shipment of products, inventory levels, future growth or success in specific countries, categories or market sectors, continued or expected distribution to specific retailers, liquidity, capital resources and market risk, strategies and objectives. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or simply state future results, performance or achievements, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, and reported results shall not be considered an indication of our company’s future performance. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include:

The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. 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 inherent and changing risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this annual report, as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements after the date of this document, except as otherwise required by reporting requirements of applicable federal and states securities laws.

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PART I

We were incorporated in California in 1992 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. Throughout this annual report, we refer to Skechers U.S.A., Inc., a Delaware corporation, its consolidated subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities (“VIE’s”) of which it is the primary beneficiary, as “we,” “us,” “our,” “our Company” and “Skechers” unless otherwise indicated. Our internet address is www.skechers.com. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Form 3’s, 4’s and 5’s filed on behalf of directors, officers and 10% stockholders, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 are available free of charge on our corporate website, www.skx.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). You can learn more about us by reviewing such filings at www.skx.com or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

GENERAL

We design and market Skechers-branded lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, and performance footwear for men and women under the Skechers Performance brand name. Our footwear reflects a combination of style, comfort, quality and value that appeals to a broad range of consumers. Our brands are sold through department and specialty stores, athletic and independent retailers, boutiques and internet retailers. In addition to wholesale distribution, our footwear is available at our e-commerce websites and our own retail stores. As of February 15, 2018, we owned and operated 117 concept stores, 170 factory outlet stores and 162 warehouse outlet stores in the United States, and 120 concept stores, 67 factory outlet stores, and 9 warehouse outlet stores internationally. Our objective is to profitably grow our operations worldwide while leveraging our recognizable Skechers brand through our diversified product lines, innovative advertising and diversified distribution channels.

We seek to offer consumers a vast array of stylish and comfortable footwear that satisfies their active, casual, dress casual and athletic footwear needs. Our core consumers are style-conscious men and women attracted to our relevant brand image, fashion-forward designs and affordable product, as well as athletes and fitness enthusiasts attracted to our performance footwear. Many of our best-selling and core styles are also developed for children with colors and materials that reflect a playful image appropriate for this demographic. Further, we offer children a unique collection of footwear designed just for them, including those with innovative light technology.

We believe that brand recognition is an important element for success in the footwear business. We have aggressively marketed our brands through comprehensive marketing campaigns for men, women and children. During 2017, the Skechers brand was supported by print, television, digital and outdoor campaigns for men and women; animated and live action kids’ television and digital campaigns; marathons and other events for Skechers Performance and BOBS from Skechers divisions. To further drive recognition, we have enlisted numerous celebrities, former and current athletes, and influencers to appear in our campaigns, including globally-known recording artists Camila Cabello; sports legends Sugar Ray Leonard, Howie Long, David Ortiz, Tony Romo and Joe Montana; and television personalities and actresses Brooke Burke-Charvet and Kelly Brook. For the Skechers Performance Division, we also had Olympians Meb, Kara Goucher, and Matt Kuchar; and professional golfers Ashlan Ramsey, Belen Mozo, Brooke Henderson, Billy Andrade and Colin Montgomerie as well as the newly signed Edward Cheserek, who won 17 National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) distance titles before graduating from college in 2017.

Since 1992, when we introduced our first line, Skechers USA Sport Utility Footwear, we have expanded our product offering and grown our net sales while substantially increasing the breadth and penetration of our account base. Our men’s, women’s and children’s product lines benefit from the Skechers reputation for styling, quality, comfort, innovation and affordability. Our performance lines benefit from our marketing, product development, manufacturing support, and management expertise. To promote innovation and brand relevance, we manage our product lines separately by utilizing dedicated sales and design teams. Our product lines share back office services in order to limit our operating expenses and fully utilize our management’s vast experience in the footwear industry.

SKECHERS LINES

We offer a wide array of Skechers-branded footwear lines for men, women and children, many of which have categories that have developed into well-known names. Most of these categories are marketed and packaged with unique shoe boxes, hangtags and in-store support, and are generally sold through department stores, footwear specialty stores, athletic retailers, Skechers retail stores as well as skechers.com and numerous online accounts. Management evaluates segment performance based primarily on net sales and gross margins; however, sales and costs are not allocated to specific product lines.

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In addition, Skechers designs and markets running and golf apparel under the Skechers Performance brand. The apparel is primarily available at Skechers retail stores, but is also available to domestic wholesale accounts and select international partners.

Lifestyle Brands

Skechers USA. Our Skechers USA category for men and women includes: (i) Dress Casuals and Modern Comfort, (ii) Casuals, (iii) Casual Athletic, and (iv) seasonal sandals and boots. Styles are available in several fits including Classic Fit, Relaxed Fit and Wide Fit.

Skechers Sport. Our Skechers Sport footwear collection for men and women includes: (i) lightweight sport athletic lifestyle products, (ii) classic athletic-inspired styles, (iii) sport sandals and booties, and (iv) retro and fashion. Many Skechers Sport styles are enhanced with comfort features such as Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam^™ insoles, lightweight designs, flexible outsoles and soft uppers such as bio-engineered mesh, soft knit fabrics and stretchable woven materials. Known for bright, multi-colored and solid basic-colored uppers, Skechers Sport is distinguished by its technical performance-inspired looks; however, we generally do not promote the technical performance features of these shoes. Styles are available in several fits including Classic Fit, Relaxed Fit and Wide Fit.

Skechers Active and Skechers Sport Active. A natural companion to Skechers Sport, Skechers Active and Skechers Sport Active have grown from a casual everyday line into two complete lines of sneakers and casual sneakers for active females of all ages. The Skechers Active line, with lace-ups, Mary Janes, sandals and open back styles, is available in a multitude of colors as well as solid white or black, in knits, fabrics, leathers and meshes, and with various closures — traditional laces, zig-zag and cross straps, among others. The Skechers Sport Active line includes low-profile, lightweight, flexible and sporty styles, many of which have Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam^™.

Skecher Street™. A bold urban street-inspired sneaker collection for millennials, Gen Y’s and young women, Skecher Street™ Los Angeles delivers sneakers, platforms and fashion trainers with premium metallic finishes, sophisticated takes on glimmer

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embellishments and playful embroidered pairs with star and graphic treatments. Skecher Street™ styles pair the latest trends with comfort features including Air Cooled Memory Foam insoles, the brand’s patented Rise Fit technology and contoured barefoot liners.

BOBS from Skechers. At the core of the BOBS from Skechers line is its vast collection of colorful, playful as well as basic espadrilles. The line now also includes wedges, vulcanized looks and comfortable faux fur styles for home.  Many styles also include Skechers Memory Foam^™.

For each pair of specially packaged BOBS from Skechers sold in the United States from September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2018, twenty-five cents is donated to Best Friends to help save the lives of dogs and cats in America’s shelters. Skechers has committed to donating at least $3.0 million dollars to Best Friends Animal Society during the promotion period. Skechers also continues to donate new shoes to children in need through the BOBS program for which more than 15 million pairs of new kids’ shoes have been donated, including one million pairs in 2017.  The charitable shoes are primarily donated to charity partner Delivering Good, which then donates the shoes to various reputable charity organizations in the United States and around the world.

Mark Nason. Inspired by classic rock and roll and its trends, the Mark Nason Collection originally started in Italy with an exotic offering of boots and accessories. The high-end collection has evolved into Mark Nason Los Angeles, an expanded offering of dress, casual and active styles for style-conscious men, with many featuring Premium Relaxed Fit construction and Memory Foam Lux insoles for enhanced comfort.

Performance Brands

Skechers Performance. Skechers Performance is a collection of technical footwear designed with a focus on a specific activity to maximize performance and promote natural motion. Developed by the Skechers Performance Division, the footwear utilizes the latest advancements in materials and innovative design, including ultra-lightweight Resalyte or the latest 5GEN midsole compounds for comfort and an outsole that delivers responsive feedback.  Limited edition features such as Skechers Nite Owl glow-in-the-dark technology or special colorways are featured across multiple product lines.

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Skechers Kids

The Skechers Kids line includes: (i) Skechers Kids, which is a range of infants’, toddlers’, boys’ and girls’ boots, shoes, high-tops, sneakers and sandals, (ii) Skechers’ athletic-inspired sneakers with Memory Foam, (iii) Twinkle Toes, (iv) character supported collections, (v) Lighted footwear, (vi) Game Kicks.

Skechers Kids lines include shoes that are designed as “takedowns” of their adult counterparts, allowing the younger consumers the opportunity to wear the same popular styles as their older siblings and schoolmates. This “takedown” strategy maintains the product’s integrity by offering premium leathers, hardware and outsoles without the costs involved in designing and developing new products. In addition, we adapt current fashions from our men’s and women’s lines by modifying designs and choosing colors and materials that are more suitable for the playful image that we have established in the children’s footwear market. Each Skechers Kids line is marketed and packaged separately with a distinct shoe box.

Skechers Work

Skechers Work offers a complete line of men’s and women’s casuals such as field boots, hikers and athletic shoes, many of which may also include Skechers Memory Foam^™. The Skechers Work line includes athletic-inspired, casual safety toe and non-slip safety toe categories that may feature lightweight aluminum safety toe, electrical hazard and slip-resistant technologies, as well as breathable, seam-sealed waterproof membranes. Designed for men and women working in jobs with certain safety requirements, these durable styles are constructed on high-abrasion, long-wearing soles, and feature breathable lining, oil- and abrasion-resistant outsoles offering all-day comfort and prolonged durability. The Skechers Work line incorporates design elements from other Skechers men’s and women’s lines. The uppers are comprised of high-quality leather, nubuck, trubuck and durabuck. Our safety toe athletic sneakers, boots, hikers and casuals are ideal for environments requiring safety footwear, and offer comfort and safety in dry or wet conditions. Our slip-resistant boots, hikers, athletics, casuals, clogs and comfortable Shape-ups are ideal for the service industry. The new Skechers Healthcare Pro SR Series offers slip and stain resistant footwear with air-cooled memory foam in a wide range of colors for medical professionals.  Our safety toe products have been independently tested and certified to meet ASTM standards, and our slip-resistant soles have been tested pursuant to the Mark II testing method for slip-resistance. Skechers Work is typically sold through department stores, athletic footwear retailers and specialty shoe stores, and is marketed directly to consumers through business-to-business channels.

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PRODUCT DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

Our principal goal in product design is to generate fresh and innovative footwear in all of our product lines. Targeted to the active, youthful and style-savvy, we design our lifestyle line to be comfortable, fashionable and marketable to the 12- to 24-year-old consumer, with broader appeal to 5- to 50-year olds, and an exclusive selection for infants and toddlers. Designed by the Skechers Performance Division, our performance products are for professional and recreational athletes who want a technical fitness shoe.

We believe that our products’ success is related to our ability to recognize trends in the footwear markets and to design products that anticipate and accommodate consumers’ ever-evolving preferences. We are able to quickly translate the latest fashion trends into stylish, quality footwear at a reasonable price by analyzing and interpreting current and emerging lifestyle trends. Lifestyle trend information is compiled and analyzed by our designers in various ways, including reviewing and analyzing pop culture, clothing, and trend-setting media; traveling to domestic and international fashion markets to identify and confirm current trends; consulting with our retail and e-commerce customers for information on current retail selling trends; participating in major footwear trade shows to stay abreast of popular brands, fashions and styles; and subscribing to various fashion and color information services. In addition, a key component of our design philosophy is to continually reinterpret and develop our successful styles in our brands’ images.

The footwear design process typically begins about nine months before the start of a season. Our products are designed and developed primarily by our in-house design staff. To promote innovation and brand relevance, we utilize dedicated design teams, who report to our senior design executives and focus on each of the men’s, women’s and children’s categories. In addition, we utilize outside design firms on an item-specific basis to supplement our internal design efforts. The design process is extremely collaborative, as members of the design staff frequently meet with the heads of retail, merchandising, sales, production and sourcing to further refine our products to meet the particular needs of the target market.

After a design team arrives at a consensus regarding the fashion themes for the coming season, the designers then translate these themes into our products. These interpretations include variations in product color, material structure and embellishments, which are arrived at after close consultation with our production department. Prototype blueprints and specifications are created and forwarded to our manufacturers for design prototypes. The design prototypes are then sent back to our design teams. Our major retail customers may also review these new design concepts. Customer input not only allows us to measure consumer reaction to the latest designs, but also affords us an opportunity to foster deeper and more collaborative relationships with our customers. We also occasionally order limited production runs that may initially be tested in our concept stores with our test and react program, which gives us further insight into the strength of particular styles and allowing our design teams to quickly modify and refine our designs. Generally, the production process can take six to nine months from design concept to commercialization.

For disclosure of product design and development costs during the last three fiscal years, see Note 1 - The Company and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this annual report.

SOURCING

Factories. Our products are produced by independent contract manufacturers located primarily in China and Vietnam. We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. We believe that the use of independent manufacturers substantially increases our production flexibility and capacity, while reducing capital expenditures and avoiding the costs of managing a large production work force. For disclosure of information regarding the risks associated with having our manufacturing operations abroad and relying on independent contract manufacturers, see the relevant risk factors under Item 1A of this annual report.

When possible, we seek to use manufacturers that have previously produced our footwear, which we believe enhances continuity and quality while controlling production costs. We source product for styles that account for a significant percentage of our net sales from at least five different manufacturers. During 2017, five of our contract manufacturers accounted for approximately 47.5% of total purchases. One manufacturer accounted for 17.9%, and another accounted for 11.1% of our total purchases. To date, we have not experienced difficulty in obtaining manufacturing services or with the availability of raw materials.

We finance our production activities in part through the use of interest-bearing open purchase arrangements with certain of our Asian manufacturers. These facilities currently bear interest at a rate between 0.0% and 0.5% for 30- to 60-day financing, depending on the factory. We believe that the use of these arrangements affords us additional liquidity and flexibility. We do not have any long-term contracts with any of our manufacturers. However, we have long-standing relationships with many of our manufacturers and believe our relationships to be good.

We closely monitor sales activity after initial introduction of a product in our concept stores to determine whether there is substantial demand for a style, thereby aiding us in our sourcing decisions. Styles that have substantial consumer appeal are highlighted in upcoming collections or offered as part of our periodic style offerings, while less popular styles can be discontinued

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after a limited production run. We believe that sales in our concept stores can also help forecast sales in national retail stores, and we share this sales information with our wholesale customers. Sales, merchandising, production and allocations management analyze historical and current sales, and market data from our wholesale account base and our own retail stores to develop an internal product quantity forecast that allows us to better manage our future production and inventory levels. For those styles with high sell-through percentages, we maintain an in-stock position to minimize the time necessary to fill customer orders by placing orders with our manufacturers prior to the time we receive customers’ orders for such footwear.

Production Oversight. To safeguard product quality and consistency, we oversee the key aspects of production from initial prototype manufacture, through initial production runs, to final manufacture. Monitoring of all production is performed in the United States by our in-house production department and in Asia through a 367-person staff working from our offices in China and Vietnam. We believe that our Asian presence allows us to negotiate supplier and manufacturer arrangements more effectively, decrease product turnaround time, and ensure timely delivery of finished footwear. In addition, we require our manufacturers to certify that neither convicted, forced nor indentured labor (as defined under U.S. law), nor child labor (as defined by law in the manufacturer’s country) is used in the production process, that compensation will be paid according to local law, and that the factory is in compliance with local safety regulations.

Quality Control. We believe that quality control is an important and effective means of maintaining the quality and reputation of our products. Our quality control program is designed to ensure that not only finished goods meet our established design specifications, but also that all goods bearing our trademarks meet our standards for quality. Our quality control personnel located in China and Vietnam perform an array of inspection procedures at various stages of the production process, including examination and testing of prototypes of key raw materials prior to manufacture, samples and materials at various stages of production and final products prior to shipment. Our employees are on-site at each of our major manufacturers to oversee production. For some of our lower volume manufacturers, our staff is on-site during significant production runs, or we will perform unannounced visits to their manufacturing sites to further monitor compliance with our manufacturing specifications.

ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

With a marketing philosophy of “Unseen, Untold, Unsold,” we take a targeted approach to marketing to drive traffic, build brand recognition and properly position our diverse lines within the marketplace. Senior management is directly involved in shaping our image and the conception, development and implementation of our advertising and marketing activities. Our marketing plan has a multi-pronged approach: traditional print and television advertising, supported by digital, outdoor, trend-influenced marketing, public relations, social media, promotions, events and in-store. In addition, we utilize celebrity endorsers in some of our advertisements. We also believe our websites and trade shows are effective marketing tools to both consumers and wholesale accounts. We have historically budgeted advertising as a percentage of projected net sales.

The majority of our advertising is conceptualized by our in-house design team. We believe that our advertising strategies, methods and creative campaigns are directly related to our success. Through our performance-inspired and image-driven advertising, we generally seek to build and drive brand awareness, create purchase intent and inform the consumer about new innovations and lines. Our campaigns are designed to provide merchandise flexibility and to facilitate the brand’s direction.

To further build brand awareness and influence consumer spending, we have selectively signed endorsement agreements with celebrities whom we believe will reach new markets. In 2017, our Skechers lifestyle endorsees included Camila Cabello, Brooke Burke-Charvet, Kelly Brook, Joe Montana, Sugar Ray Leonard, Howie Long, David Ortiz, and Tony Romo. Our Skechers Performance Division 2017 endorsees included elite runner and Olympic medalist Meb, elite runners Kara Goucher and Edward Cheserek, and professional golfers Matt Kuchar, Belen Mozo, Brooke Henderson, Ashlan Ramsey, Billy Andrade and Colin Montgomerie. Additionally, several international markets signed local ambassadors for marketing campaigns. Along with these global ambassadors, we also had local or regional ambassadors including Korean pop groups for numerous countries in Asia.  From time to time, we may sign other celebrities to endorse our brand name and image in order to strategically market our products among specific consumer groups in the future.

With a targeted approach, our print ads appear in popular fashion, lifestyle and pop culture publications in the United States and around the world.

Our television commercials are produced both in-house and through producers that we have utilized in the past who are familiar with our brands. In 2017, we developed commercials for men, women and children for our Skechers brands, including our animated spots for kids featuring our own action heroes, as well as live action commercials that appeal to older kids and tweens. We also have commercials for our performance lines that feature elite athletes, and for our lifestyle lines that feature musicians, actors and retired athletes. We have found these to be cost-effective ways to advertise on key national and cable programming during high-selling seasons. In 2017, many of our television commercials were translated into multiple languages and aired in numerous markets around the world. Further, select markets have created television commercials specific to their market with local celebrities, and many international Skechers teams have translated our television commercials and aired in their markets around the world.

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Outdoor. In an effort to reach consumers where they shop and in high-traffic areas as they travel to and from work, at times we execute outdoor campaigns that may include mall and telephone kiosks, billboards, transportation systems and airports, and the covering of large stadiums and buildings around the world. In many markets these now include LED billboards that broadcast our commercials. In addition, we advertised on perimeter boards at soccer matches and professional sporting events in Europe, Latin America and Canada. We believe these mediums are an effective and efficient way to target specific consumers.

Public Relations/Trend-Influenced Marketing. Our public relations objectives are to accurately position Skechers as a leading footwear brand within the business, general news and trade publications as well as to secure product placement in key fashion and lifestyle magazines and television shows, and place our footwear on the feet of trend-setting influencers, celebrities and their families. We have been featured on leading business shows with interviews of our executives discussing our business strategy and position within the footwear market. We have amassed an array of prominent product placements in leading fashion, lifestyle, sports and pop culture magazines and websites. Additionally, we have partnered with influencers, bloggers and vloggers who have both appeared at events and posted on their social media channels about our footwear.  

Social Media. With the goal of engaging with consumers, showcasing our product in relatable settings and relaying the latest news, we have built communities on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat in the United States and in countries around the world where our product is sold. To promote both our lifestyle and performance brands, we have developed several unique channels under Skechers^®, Skechers Performance™, Skecher Street™ and Mark Nason. The social platforms are divided into Skechers and Skechers Performance sites, as well as a BOBS page to feature our charitable footwear line. The online communities also connect consumers around the world, allowing an easy glimpse into trends and events in other countries. Additionally, many countries also utilize platforms specific to their market, such as Weibo in China.

Promotions and Events. By applying creative sales techniques via a broad spectrum of media, our marketing team seeks to build brand recognition and drive traffic to Skechers retail stores, websites and our retail partners’ locations. Skechers’ promotional strategies have encompassed in-store specials, charity events, product tie-ins and giveaways and collaborations with national retailers and radio stations. In 2017, we appeared at walks and at numerous marathons in Boston, New York, London, Paris, Santiago and other cities with Skechers Performance branded booths to allow runners the ability to try on and often buy our products. In 2017, the Skechers Performance Division was the footwear and apparel sponsor for the Houston Marathon, the title sponsor of The Skechers Performance Los Angeles Marathon, and the footwear sponsor for Ironman across Europe. Our products were made available to consumers directly or through key accounts at many of these events. In addition, we partnered with key accounts by donating BOBS footwear to children in need at donation events in cities throughout the United States which built our relationships with these accounts as well as the local communities.  As part of our BOBS for Dogs charity program we also partnered with Best Friends Animal Society, an organization dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats, in Strut your Mutt Dog donation events across the country.

Visual Merchandising. Our in-house visual merchandising department supports wholesale customers, distributors and our retail stores by developing displays that effectively leverage our products at the point of sale. Our point-of-purchase display items include signage, graphics, displays, counter cards, banners and other merchandising items for each of our brands. These materials mirror the look and feel of each brand and reinforce the image, and draw consumers into stores.

Our visual merchandising coordinators (“VMC’s”) work with our sales force and directly with our customers to ensure better sell-through at the retail level by generating greater consumer awareness through Skechers brand displays. Our VMC’s communicate with and visit our wholesale customers on a regular basis to aid in proper display of our merchandise. They also run in-store promotions to enhance the sale of Skechers footwear and create excitement surrounding the Skechers brand. We believe that these efforts help stimulate impulse sales and repeat purchases.

Trade Shows. To showcase our diverse products to footwear buyers in the United States and Europe and to distributors around the world, we regularly exhibit at leading trade shows. Along with specialty trade shows, we exhibit at FFANY, The Licensing Show and Outdoor Retailer in the United States; MICAM and ISPO in Europe; and many other international shows. Our state-of-the-art trade show exhibits showcase our latest product offerings in a setting reflective of each of our brands.  

Digital. In 2017, we launched marketing campaigns on YouTube, and launched digital campaigns in many international markets to coincide with key selling time periods.  We promote and sell our products through our e-commerce sites in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Chile and China, among other countries, as well as through non-ecommerce sites in many other countries. Our websites are a venue for dialog and feedback from customers about our products, which enhances the Skechers brand experience while driving sales through all our retail channels.

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PRODUCT DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

We have three reportable segments: domestic wholesale sales, international wholesale sales, and retail sales, which includes e-commerce sales. In the United States, our products are available through a network of wholesale customers comprised of department, athletic and specialty stores and online retailers. Internationally, our products are available through wholesale customers in more than 170 countries and territories via our global network of distributors, in addition to our subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, Canada, Central America and South America. Skechers owns and operates retail stores both domestically and internationally through three integrated retail formats—concept, factory outlet and warehouse outlet stores. Each of these channels serves an integral function in the global distribution of our products. In addition, 18 distributors and 46 licensees have opened and operate 616 distributor-owned or -licensed Skechers retail stores and 1,047 licensee-owned Skechers retail stores, respectively, in over 170 countries as of December 31, 2017.

Domestic Wholesale. We distribute our footwear through the following domestic wholesale distribution channels: department stores, specialty stores, athletic specialty shoe stores, independent retailers, and internet retailers. While department stores and specialty retailers are the largest distribution channels, we believe that we appeal to a variety of wholesale customers, many of whom may operate stores within the same retail location due to our distinct product lines, variety of styles and the price criteria of their specific customers. Management has a clearly defined growth strategy for each of our channels of distribution. An integral component of our strategy is to offer our accounts the highest level of customer service so that our products will be fully represented in existing and new customer retail locations.

In an effort to provide knowledgeable and personalized service to our wholesale customers, the sales force is segregated by product line, each of which is headed by a vice president or national sales manager. Reporting to each sales manager are knowledgeable account executives and territory managers. The vice presidents and national sales managers report to our senior vice president of sales. All of our vice presidents and national sales managers are compensated on a salary basis, while our account executives and territory managers are compensated on a commission basis. None of our domestic sales personnel sells competing products.

We believe that we have developed a loyal account base through exceptional customer service. We believe that our close relationships with these accounts help us to maximize their retail sell-through. Our marketing teams work with our wholesale customers to ensure that our merchandise and marketing materials are properly presented. Sales executives and merchandise personnel work closely with accounts to ensure that appropriate styles are purchased for specific accounts and for specific stores within those accounts, as well as to ensure that appropriate inventory levels are carried at each store. Such information is then utilized to help develop sales projections and determine the product needs of our wholesale customers. The value-added services we provide our wholesale customers help us maintain strong relationships with our existing wholesale customers and attract potential new wholesale customers.

Retail stores and e-commerce. We pursue our retail store strategy through our three integrated retail formats: concept stores, factory outlet stores and warehouse outlet stores. Our three store formats enable us to promote the full Skechers product offering in an attractive environment that appeals to a broad group of consumers. In addition, most of our retail stores are profitable and have a positive effect on our operating results. In 2015, we upgraded the technologies in many of our stores, providing visibility to our merchandise in other stores and at our distribution center in order to better serve our customers with an omni-channel approach to sales. We review all of our stores for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances require it. We prepare a summary of cash flows for each of our retail stores to assess potential impairment of the fixed assets and leasehold improvements. If the assets are considered to be impaired, the impairment we recognize is the amount by which the carrying value of the assets exceeds the fair value of the assets. In addition, we base the useful lives and related amortization or depreciation expense on our estimate of the period that the assets will generate revenues or otherwise be used by us. As of February 1, 2018, we owned and operated 117 concept stores, 170 factory outlet stores and 162 warehouse outlet stores in the United States, and 120 concept stores, 67 factory outlet stores, and 9 warehouse outlet stores internationally. We plan to open 75 to 85 new stores in 2018.

Our retail stores are supported by our company-owned ecommerce businesses in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Chile and China, among other countries. These virtual storefronts are designed to provide a positive shopping and brand experience, showcasing our products in an easy-to-navigate format, allowing consumers to browse our selections and purchase our footwear. These virtual stores provide a convenient, alternative shopping environment and brand experience, and are an additional efficient and effective retail distribution channel, which has improved our customer service. They enable consumers to shop, browse, find store locations, socially interact, post a shoe review, photo, video or question, and immerse themselves in our brands.

Our concept stores are located at marquee street locations, major tourist areas or in key shopping malls in metropolitan cities. Our concept stores have a threefold purpose in our operating strategy. First, concept stores serve as a showcase for a wide range of our product offering for the current season, as we estimate that our average wholesale customer carries no more than 5% of the complete Skechers line in any one location. Our concept stores showcase our products in an attractive, easy-to-shop

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open-floor setting, providing the customer with the complete Skechers story. Second, retail locations are generally chosen to generate maximum marketing value for the Skechers brand name through signage, store front presentation and interior design. Domestic locations include concept stores at Times Square, 5^th Avenue, Union Square, Westfield World Trade Center, and 34^th Street, in New York; Powell Street in San Francisco: Hollywood and Highland in Hollywood; Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade; Ala Moana Center in Hawaii; and Las Vegas’ Grand Canal Shoppes at the Venetian and Fashion Show Mall. International locations include Westfield London and Westfield Stratford in London; Buchanan Street in Glasgow; Princes Street in Edinburgh; Toronto’s Eaton Centre; Vancouver’s Pacific Centre; the Shinsaibashi shopping district of Osaka and Harajuku in Tokyo. The stores are typically designed to create a distinctive Skechers look and feel, and enhance customer association of the Skechers brand name with current youthful lifestyle trends and styles. Third, the concept stores serve as marketing and product testing venues. We believe that product sell-through information and rapid customer feedback derived from our concept stores enables our design, sales, merchandising and production staff to respond to market changes and new product introductions. Such responses serve to augment sales and limit our inventory markdowns and customer returns and allowances.

The typical Skechers concept store is approximately 2,500 square feet, although in certain markets we have opened concept stores as large as 8,000 square feet or as small as 800 square feet. When deciding where to open concept stores, we identify top geographic markets in the larger metropolitan cities in North America, Europe, Central America, South America and Asia. When selecting a specific site, we evaluate the proposed sites’ traffic pattern, co-tenancies, sales volume of neighboring concept stores, lease economics and other factors considered important within the specific location. If we are considering opening a concept store in a shopping mall, our strategy is to obtain space as centrally located as possible in the mall, where we expect foot traffic to be most concentrated. We believe that the strength of the Skechers brand name has enabled us to negotiate more favorable terms with shopping malls that want us to open up concept stores to attract customer traffic to their venues.

Our factory outlet stores are generally located in manufacturers’ direct outlet centers throughout the United States. In addition, we have 67 international factory outlet stores. Our factory outlet stores provide opportunities for us to sell discontinued and excess merchandise, thereby reducing the need to sell such merchandise to discounters at excessively low prices and potentially compromise the Skechers brand image. Skechers’ factory outlet stores range in size from approximately 1,300 to 24,100 square feet. Unlike our warehouse outlet stores, inventory in these stores is supplemented by certain first-line styles sold at full retail price points.

Our free-standing and inline warehouse outlet stores, which are primarily located throughout the United States and Canada, enable us to liquidate excess merchandise, discontinued lines and odd-size inventory in a cost-efficient manner. Skechers’ warehouse outlet stores are typically larger than our factory outlet stores and typically range in size from approximately 4,000 to 30,600 square feet. Our warehouse outlet stores enable us to sell discontinued and excess merchandise that would otherwise typically be sold to discounters at excessively low prices, which could otherwise compromise the Skechers brand image. We seek to open our warehouse outlet stores in areas that are in close proximity to our concept stores to facilitate the timely transfer of inventory that we want to liquidate as soon as practicable.

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Store count, openings and closings for our domestic, international and consolidated joint venture stores are as follows:

International Wholesale. Our products are sold in more than 170 countries and territories throughout the world. We generate revenues from outside the United States from three principal sources: (i) direct sales to department stores and specialty retail stores through our joint ventures in Asia and the Middle East, as well as through our subsidiaries in the Americas, Europe, and Japan; (ii) sales to foreign distributors who distribute our footwear to department stores and specialty retail stores in select countries and territories across Asia, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia; and (iii) to a lesser extent, royalties from licensees who manufacture and distribute our non-footwear products outside the United States.

We believe that international distribution of our products represents a significant opportunity to increase net sales and profits. We intend to further increase our share of the international footwear market by heightening our marketing in those countries in which we currently have a presence through our international advertising campaigns, which are designed to establish Skechers as a global brand synonymous with trend-right casual shoes.

Europe

We currently merchandise, market and distribute product in most of Europe through the following subsidiaries: Skechers USA Ltd., with its offices and showrooms in London, England; Skechers S.a.r.l., with its offices in Lausanne, Switzerland; Skechers USA France S.A.S., with its offices and showrooms in Paris, France; Skechers USA Deutschland GmbH, with its offices and showrooms in Dietzenbach, Germany; Skechers USA Iberia, S.L., with its offices and showrooms in Madrid, Spain; Skechers USA Benelux B.V., with its offices and showrooms in Waalwijk, the Netherlands; Skechers USA Italia S.r.l., with its offices and showrooms in Milan, Italy; Skechers CEE, Kft. with its offices and showrooms in Budapest, Hungry as well as regional showrooms in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. To accommodate our European subsidiaries’ operations, we operate a 1.3 million square-foot distribution center in Liege, Belgium.

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Canada

We currently merchandise, market and distribute product in Canada through Skechers USA Canada, Inc. with its offices and showrooms outside Toronto in Mississauga, Ontario. Product sold in Canada is primarily sourced from our U.S. distribution center in Rancho Belago, California.

South America and Central America

We currently merchandise, market and distribute product in South America and Central America through the following subsidiaries: Skechers Do Brasil Calcados LTDA, with its offices and showrooms located in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Comercializadora Skechers Chile Limitada, with its offices and showrooms located in Santiago, Chile; Skechers Latin America LLC, with its offices and showrooms in Panama City, Panama as well as regional showrooms in Panama, Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica. Our Latin America subsidiary also distributes products in the Caribbean, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Product sold in South America and Central America is primarily shipped directly from our contract manufacturers’ factories in China and Vietnam. We have retail stores in key locations such as Santiago, Panama City, Lima and Sao Paulo.

Japan

We currently merchandise, market and distribute product in Japan through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Skechers Japan GK, with its offices and showrooms located in Tokyo, Japan. Product sold in Japan is primarily shipped directly from our contract manufacturers’ factories in China. We have retail stores in key locations such as Osaka and Tokyo.

China and Hong Kong

We have a 50% interest in a joint venture in China and a minority interest in a joint venture in Hong Kong that operate and generate net sales in those countries. Under the joint venture agreements, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests. We have retail stores in key locations such as Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. These joint ventures are consolidated in our financial statements.

Malaysia and Singapore

We have a 50% interest in a joint venture in Malaysia and Singapore that operates and generates net sales in those countries. Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests. We have retail stores in key locations such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. These joint ventures are consolidated in our financial statements.

India

We have a 51% interest in Skechers South Asia Private Limited and Skechers Retail India Private Limited, which are both joint ventures, that operate and generate net sales in India. Under the joint venture agreements, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests. We have retail stores in key locations such as Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi. These joint ventures are consolidated in our financial statements.

Israel

We have a 51% interest in Skechers Ltd. (Israel), which is a joint venture that operates and generates net sales in Israel. Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests. We have retail stores in key locations such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. This joint venture is consolidated in our financial statements.

South Korea

We have a 65% interest in Skechers Korea Co., Ltd., which is a joint venture that operates and generates net sales in South Korea. Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests. We have retail stores in key locations such as Seoul and Busan. This joint venture is consolidated in our financial statements.

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•Distributors and Licensees

Where we do not sell directly through our international subsidiaries and joint ventures, our footwear is distributed through an extensive network of more than 23 distributors who sell our products to department, athletic and specialty stores. As of December 31, 2017, we also had agreements with 18 of these distributors and 46 licensees regarding 616 distributor-owned or -licensed Skechers retail stores and 1,047 licensee-owned Skechers retail stores, respectively. Our distributors, licensees and franchisees own and operate the following retail stores in more than 170 countries around the world:

Distributors and licensees are responsible for their respective stores’ operations, have ownership of their respective stores’ assets, and select the broad collection of our products to sell to consumers in their regions. In order to maintain a globally consistent image, we provide architectural, graphic and visual guidance and materials for the design of the stores, and we train the local staff on our products and corporate culture. We intend to expand our international presence and global recognition of the Skechers brand name by continuing to sell our footwear to foreign distributors and by opening retail stores with distributors that have local market expertise.

For disclosure of financial information about geographic areas and segment information for our three reportable segments–domestic wholesale sales, international wholesale sales, and retail sales, see Note 18 – Segment and Geographic Reporting in the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report.

LICENSING

We believe that selective licensing of the Skechers brand name and our product line names to manufacturers may broaden and enhance the individual brands without requiring significant capital investments or additional incremental operating expenses. Our multiple product lines plus additional subcategories present many potential licensing opportunities on terms with licensees that we believe will provide more effective manufacturing, distribution or marketing of non-footwear products. We also believe that the reputation of Skechers and its history in launching brands has also enabled us to partner with reputable non-footwear brands to design and market their footwear.

As of February 1, 2018, we had 23 active domestic and international licensing agreements in which we are the licensor. These include Skechers-branded bags, backpacks and lunch boxes; belts, wallets and watches; headwear, socks and shoe care; prescription and sunglass eyewear; outerwear, swimwear, underwear, sleepwear and medical scrubs; and bicycles and safety gear. Additional category-specific collections include Skechers Sport apparel, bags, backpacks and headwear; Twinkle Toes backpacks, lunchboxes, do-it-yourself fashion kits, sunglasses and hair accessories; and Skechers Work socks. We have international licensing agreements for the design and distribution of men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel in the United Kingdom and Indonesia; socks throughout Europe; bags and backpacks in the Philippines, Taiwan, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the Middle East; apparel, socks, bags, backpacks and luggage in Mexico; bags, backpacks, apparel, watches and accessories in Latin America; and watches in the Philippines.

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DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS

We believe that strong distribution support is a critical factor in our operations. Once manufactured, our products are packaged in shoe boxes bearing bar codes that are shipped either: (i) to our approximate 1.8 million square-foot distribution center located in Rancho Belago, California, (ii) to our approximate 1.3 million square-foot European Distribution Center (“EDC”) located in Liege, Belgium, (iii) to our company-operated distribution centers or third-party distribution centers in Central America, South America and Asia or (vi) directly from third-party manufacturers to our other international customers and other international third-party distribution centers. Upon receipt at either of the distribution centers, merchandise is inspected and recorded in our management information system and packaged according to customers’ orders for delivery. Merchandise is shipped to customers by whatever means each customer requests, which is usually by common carrier. The distribution centers have multi-access docks, enabling us to receive and ship simultaneously, and to pack separate trailers for shipments to different customers at the same time. We have an electronic data interchange system (“EDI system”) which is linked to some of our larger customers. This system allows these customers to automatically place orders with us, thereby eliminating the time involved in transmitting and inputting orders, and it includes direct billing and shipping information.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

We own and utilize a variety of trademarks, including the Skechers trademark. We have a significant number of both registrations and pending applications for our trademarks in the United States. In addition, we have trademark registrations and trademark applications in approximately 133 foreign countries. We also have design patents and pending design and utility patent applications in both the United States and approximately 21 foreign countries. We continuously look to increase the number of our patents and trademarks both domestically and internationally, where necessary to protect valuable intellectual property. We regard our trademarks and other intellectual property as valuable assets, and believe that they have significant value in marketing our products. We vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, including through the use of cease and desist letters, administrative proceedings and lawsuits.

We rely on trademark, patent, copyright and trade secret protection, non-disclosure agreements and licensing arrangements to establish, protect and enforce intellectual property rights in our logos, trade names and in the design of our products. In particular, we believe that our future success will largely depend on our ability to maintain and protect the Skechers trademark and other key trademarks. Despite our efforts to safeguard and maintain our intellectual property rights, we cannot be certain that we will be successful in this regard. Furthermore, we cannot be certain that our trademarks, products and promotional materials or other intellectual property rights do not, or will not, violate the intellectual property rights of others, that our intellectual property would be upheld if challenged, or that we would, in such an event, not be prevented from using our trademarks or other intellectual property rights. Such claims, if proven, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, although any such claims may ultimately prove to be without merit, the necessary management attention and associated legal costs with litigation or other resolution of future claims concerning trademarks and other intellectual property rights could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We have sued and have been sued by third parties for infringement of intellectual property. It is our opinion that none of these claims filed against us has materially impaired our ability to utilize our intellectual property rights.

The laws of certain foreign countries do not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent, or in the same manner, as do the laws of the United States. Although we continue to implement protective measures and intend to defend our intellectual property rights vigorously, these efforts may not be successful, or the costs associated with protecting our rights in certain jurisdictions may be prohibitive. From time to time, we discover products in the marketplace that are counterfeit reproductions of our products or that otherwise infringe upon intellectual property rights held by us. Actions taken by us to establish and protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights may not be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others, or to prevent others from seeking to block sales of our products as violating trademarks and intellectual property rights. If we are unsuccessful in challenging a third party’s products on the basis of infringement of our intellectual property rights, continued sales of such products by that or any other third party could adversely impact the Skechers brand, result in the shift of consumer preferences away from our products, and generally have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

COMPETITION

The global footwear industry is a competitive business. Although we believe that we do not compete directly with any single company with respect to its entire range of products, our products compete with other branded products within their product category as well as with private label products sold by retailers, including some of our customers. Our casual shoes and utility footwear compete with footwear offered by companies such as Columbia Sportswear Company, Converse by Nike, Inc., Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Kenneth Cole Productions Inc., Steven Madden, Ltd., The Timberland Company, V.F. Corporation and Wolverine World Wide, Inc. Our athletic lifestyle and performance shoes compete with footwear offered by companies such as Nike, Inc., adidas AG,

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Reebok International Ltd., Puma SE, ASICS America Corporation, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc. and Under Armour, Inc. The intense competition among these companies and the rapid changes in technology and consumer preferences in the markets for performance footwear, including the walking fitness category, constitute significant risk factors in our operations. Our children’s shoes compete with footwear offered by these companies and others including, Payless Holdings, and with other brands such as Stride Rite by Wolverine World Wide, Inc. In varying degrees, depending on the product category involved, we compete on the basis of style, price, quality, comfort and brand name prestige and recognition, among other factors. These and other competitors pose challenges to our market share in domestic and international markets. We also compete with numerous manufacturers, importers and distributors of footwear for the limited shelf space available for displaying such products to the consumer. Moreover, the general availability of contract manufacturing capacity allows ease of access by new market entrants. Some of our competitors are larger, have been in existence for a longer period of time, have strong brand recognition, have captured greater market share and/or have substantially greater financial, distribution, marketing and other resources than we do. We cannot be certain that we will be able to compete successfully against present or future competitors, or that competitive pressures will not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

EMPLOYEES

As of January 31, 2018, we employed approximately 11,800 persons, of whom approximately 4,500 were employed on a full-time basis and approximately 7,300 were employed on a part-time basis, primarily in our retail stores. None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement. We believe that our relations with our employees are satisfactory.

In addition to the other information in this annual report, the following factors should be considered in evaluating us and our business.

Our Future Success Depends On Our Ability To Maintain Our Brand Name And Image With Consumers.

Our success to date has in large part been due to the strength of the Skechers brand. Maintaining, promoting and growing our brand name and image depends on sustained effort and commitment to, and significant investment in, both the successful development of high-quality, innovative, fashion forward products, and fresh and relevant marketing and advertising campaigns. Even if we are able to timely and appropriately respond to changing consumer preferences and trends with new high-quality products, our marketing and advertising campaigns may not resonate with consumers, or consumers may consider our brand to be outdated or associated with footwear styles that are no longer popular or relevant. Our brand name and image with consumers could also be negatively impacted if we or any of our products were to receive negative publicity, whether related to our products or otherwise. If we are unable to maintain, promote and grow our brand image, then our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Future Success Also Depends On Our Ability To Respond To Changing Consumer Preferences, Identify And Interpret Consumer Trends, And Successfully Market New Products.

The footwear industry is subject to rapidly changing consumer preferences. The continued popularity of our footwear and the development of new lines and styles of footwear with widespread consumer appeal, including consumer acceptance of our performance footwear, requires us to accurately identify and interpret changing consumer trends and preferences, and to effectively respond in a timely manner. Continuing demand and market acceptance for both existing and new products are uncertain and depend on the following factors:

In assessing our response to anticipated changing consumer preferences and trends, we frequently must make decisions about product designs and marketing expenditures several months in advance of the time when actual consumer acceptance can be determined. As a result, we may not be successful in responding to shifting consumer preferences and trends with new products that achieve market acceptance. Because of the ever-changing nature of consumer preferences and market trends, a number of companies in the footwear industry, including ours, experience periods of both rapid growth, followed by declines, in revenue and earnings. If we fail to identify and interpret changing consumer preferences and trends, or are not successful in responding to these changes with the timely development of products that achieve market acceptance, we could experience excess inventories, higher than normal

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markdowns, returns, order cancellations or an inability to profitably sell our products, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Business Could Be Harmed If We Fail To Maintain Proper Inventory Levels.

We place orders with our manufacturers for some of our products prior to the time we receive all of our customers’ orders. We do this to minimize purchasing costs, the time necessary to fill customer orders and the risk of non-delivery. We also maintain an inventory of certain products that we anticipate will be in greater demand. Any unanticipated decline in the popularity of Skechers footwear or other unforeseen circumstances may make it difficult for us and our customers to accurately forecast product demand trends, and we may be unable to sell the products we have ordered in advance from manufacturers or that we have in our inventory. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, which could significantly impair our brand image and have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flows. Conversely, if we underestimate consumer demand for our products or if our manufacturers fail to supply the quality products that we require at the time we need them, we may experience inventory shortages. Inventory shortages might delay shipments to customers, negatively impact retailer and distributor relationships, and diminish brand loyalty.

We Face Intense Competition, Including Competition From Companies In The Performance Footwear Market and Those With Significantly Greater Resources Than Ours, And If We Are Unable To Compete Effectively With These Companies, Our Market Share May Decline And Our Business Could Be Harmed.

We face intense competition from other established companies in the footwear industry. Our competitors’ product offerings, pricing, costs of production, and advertising and marketing expenditures are highly competitive areas in our business. If we do not adequately and timely anticipate and respond to our competitors, consumer demand for our products may decline significantly. A number of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technological, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and distribution resources than we do. Their greater capabilities in these areas may enable them to better withstand periodic downturns in the footwear industry, compete more effectively on the basis of price and production, keep up with rapid changes in footwear technology, and more quickly develop new products. New companies may also enter the markets in which we compete, further increasing competition in the footwear industry. In addition, negative consumer perceptions of our performance features due to our historical reputation as a fashion and lifestyle footwear company may place us at a competitive disadvantage in the performance footwear market. We may not be able to compete successfully in the future, and increased competition may result in price reductions, cost increases, reduced profit margins, loss of market share and an inability to generate cash flows that are sufficient to maintain or expand our development and marketing of new products, which would materially adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our Operating Results Could Be Negatively Impacted If Our Sales Are Concentrated In Any One Style Or Group Of Styles.

If any single style or group of similar styles of our footwear were to represent a substantial portion of our net sales, we could be exposed to risk should consumer demand for such style or group of styles decrease in subsequent periods. We attempt to mitigate this risk by offering a broad range of products, and no style comprised over 5% of our gross wholesale sales during 2017 or 2016. However, this may change in the future, and fluctuations in sales of any style representing a significant portion of our future net sales could have a negative impact on our operating results.

The Uncertainty Of Global Market Conditions May Continue To Have A Negative Impact On Our Business, Results Of Operations Or Financial Condition.

While global economic conditions have recently improved slightly, their uncertain state, including the challenging consumer retail market in the United States, continues to negatively impact our business, which depends on the general economic environment and levels of consumers’ discretionary spending that affect not only the ultimate consumer, but also retailers, who are our primary direct customers. If the current economic situation does not improve or if it weakens, we may not be able to maintain or increase our sales to existing customers, make sales to new customers, open and operate new retail stores, maintain sales levels at our existing stores, maintain or increase our international operations on a profitable basis, or maintain or improve our earnings from operations as a percentage of net sales. Additionally, if there is an unexpected decline in sales, our results of operations will depend on our ability to implement a corresponding and timely reduction in our costs and manage other aspects of our operations. These challenges include (i) managing our infrastructure, (ii) hiring and maintaining, as required, the appropriate number of qualified employees, (iii) managing inventory levels and (iv) controlling other expenses. If the uncertain global market conditions continue for a significant period of time or worsen, our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

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Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected By Changes In The Business Or Financial Condition Of Significant Customers Due To Global Economic Conditions.

The global financial crisis affected the banking system and financial markets and resulted in a tightening in the credit markets, more stringent lending standards and terms, and higher volatility in fixed income, credit, currency and equity markets.  In addition, our business could be adversely affected by other economic conditions, such as the insolvency of certain of our key distributors, which could impair our distribution channels, or the diminished liquidity or an inability to obtain credit to finance purchases of our product by our significant customers. Our customers may also experience weak demand for our products or other difficulties in their businesses. If economic, financial or political conditions in global markets deteriorate in the future, demand may be lower than forecasted and insufficient to achieve our anticipated financial results. Any of these events would likely harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

We Depend Upon A Relatively Small Group Of Customers For A Large Portion Of Our Sales.

During 2017, 2016 and 2015, our net sales to our five largest customers accounted for approximately 10.5%, 11.3% and 14.6% of total net sales, respectively. No customer accounted for more than 10.0% of our net sales during 2017, 2016 and 2015. No customer accounted for more than 10.0% of trade receivables at December 31, 2017 and 2016.  Although we have long-term relationships with many of our customers, our customers do not have a contractual obligation to purchase our products and we cannot be certain that we will be able to retain our existing major customers. Furthermore, the retail industry regularly experiences consolidation, contractions and closings which may result in our loss of customers or our inability to collect accounts receivable of major customers. If we lose a major customer, experience a significant decrease in sales to a major customer or are unable to collect the accounts receivable of a major customer, our business could be harmed.

We May Experience Losses Because Of The Inability To Collect Accounts Receivable If Our Customers Are Unable To Pay Their Debts To Us When Due.

We rely on our network of domestic and international wholesale customers, comprised of department, athletic and specialty stores and online retailers, to distribute our products. Certain of our wholesale customers may from time to time experience bankruptcy, insolvency, and/or an inability to pay their debts to us as they come due. If our wholesale customers suffer significant financial difficulty, they may be unable to pay their debts to us timely or at all, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. It is possible that wholesale customers may contest their contractual obligations to us under bankruptcy laws or otherwise. Significant customer bankruptcies could further adversely affect our net sales and increase our operating expenses by requiring larger accruals for bad debt expense. In addition, even when our contracts with these customers are not contested, if customers are unable to meet their obligations on a timely basis, it could adversely affect our ability to collect receivables. Further, we may have to negotiate significant discounts and/or extended financing terms with these customers in such a situation. If we are unable to collect upon our accounts receivable as they come due in an efficient and timely manner, our business, financial condition, or results of operations may be materially adversely affected. We also face risk from international customers that file for bankruptcy protection in foreign jurisdictions, as the application of foreign bankruptcy laws may be more difficult to predict. Although we believe that we have sufficient reserves to cover anticipated customer bankruptcies, there can be no assurance that such reserves will be adequate, and if they are not adequate, our business, cash flows, operating results and financial condition would be adversely affected.

Our Global Retail Business Has Required, And Will Continue To Require, A Substantial Investment And Commitment Of Resources And Is Subject To Numerous Risks And Uncertainties.

Our global retail business has required substantial investments in leasehold improvements, inventory and personnel. We have also made substantial operating lease commitments for retail space worldwide. Due to the high fixed-cost structure associated with our global retail business, a decline in sales or the closure or poor performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs or impairments of leasehold improvements, and employee-related termination costs. The success of our global retail operations also depends on our ability to identify and adapt to changes in consumer spending patterns and retail shopping preferences globally, including the shift from brick and mortar to e-commerce and mobile channels, and our ability to effectively develop our e-commerce and mobile channels. Our failure to successfully respond to these factors could adversely affect our retail business, as well as damage our brand and reputation, and could materially affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

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Our Quarterly Revenues And Operating Results Fluctuate As A Result Of A Variety Of Factors, Including Seasonal Fluctuations In Demand For Footwear, Delivery Date Delays And Potential Fluctuations In Our Estimated Annualized Tax Rate, Which May Result In Volatility Of Our Stock Price.

Our quarterly revenues and operating results have varied significantly in the past and can be expected to fluctuate in the future due to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our major customers have no obligation to purchase forecasted amounts, may and have canceled orders in the past, and may change delivery schedules or change the mix of products ordered with minimal notice and without penalty. As a result, we may not be able to accurately predict our quarterly sales. In addition, sales of footwear products have historically been somewhat seasonal in nature, with the strongest domestic sales generally occurring in our second and third quarters for the back-to-school selling season. Domestically, back-to-school sales typically ship in June, July and August, and delays in the timing, cancellation, or rescheduling of these customer orders and shipments by our wholesale customers could negatively impact our net sales and results of operations for our second or third quarters. More specifically, the timing of when products are shipped is determined by the delivery schedules set by our wholesale customers, which could cause sales to shift between our second and third quarters. Because our expense levels are partially based on our expectations of future net sales, our expenses may be disproportionately large relative to our revenues, and we may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected revenue shifts, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Our annualized tax rate is based on projections of our domestic and international operating results for the year, which we review and revise as necessary at the end of each quarter, and it is highly sensitive to fluctuations in projected international earnings. Any quarterly fluctuations in our annualized tax rate that may occur could have a material impact on our quarterly operating results. As a result of these specific and other general factors, our operating results will likely vary from quarter to quarter, and the results for any particular quarter may not be necessarily indicative of results for the full year. Any shortfall in revenues or net earnings from levels expected by securities analysts and investors could cause a decrease in the trading price of our Class A Common Stock.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business And Results Of Operations.

Foreign currency fluctuations affect our revenue and profitability. Changes in currency exchange rates may impact our financial results positively or negatively in one period and not another, which may make it difficult to compare our operating results from different periods. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also adversely impact third parties that manufacture our products by making their costs of raw materials or other production costs more expensive and more difficult to finance, thereby raising prices for our company, our distributors and/or our licensees. We do not currently engage in hedging activities with respect to these currency exchange rate risks. For a more detailed discussion of the risks related to foreign currency fluctuation, see Item 7A: “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

In addition, our foreign subsidiaries purchase products in U.S. dollars in which the cost of those products will vary depending on the foreign currency rates and will impact the price charged to customers. Our foreign distributors also purchase products in U.S. dollars and sell in local currencies, which impacts the price to foreign consumers. As the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to foreign currencies, our revenues and profits are reduced when translated into U.S. dollars and our margins may be negatively impacted by the increase in product costs due to foreign currency rates. Although we typically work to mitigate this negative foreign currency transaction impact through price increases and further actions to reduce costs, we may not be able to fully offset the impact, if at all. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to manage or mitigate these foreign currency impacts as changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Recent U.S. Tax Legislation May Materially Adversely Affect Our Financial Condition, Results of Operations and Cash Flows.

Recently enacted U.S. tax legislation has significantly changed the U.S. federal income taxation of U.S. corporations, by reducing the U.S. corporate income tax rate, permitting immediate expensing of certain capital expenditures, adopting elements of a territorial tax system, imposing a one-time Transition Tax on all undistributed earnings and profits of certain U.S.-owned foreign corporations, revising the rules governing foreign tax credits, and introducing new anti-base-erosion provisions. Many of these changes are effective immediately, without any transition periods or grandfathering for existing transactions. The legislation is unclear in many respects and could be subject to potential amendments and technical corrections, as well as interpretations and implementing regulations by the U.S. Treasury Department (“Treasury”) and U.S. Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), any of which could lessen or increase certain adverse impacts of the legislation. In addition, it is unclear how these U.S. federal income tax changes will affect state and local taxation, which often uses federal taxable income as a starting point for computing state and local tax liabilities.

While our analysis and interpretation of this legislation is preliminary and ongoing, based on our current evaluation, we have reflected a $1.9 million write-down of our deferred income tax assets due the reduction of the U.S. corporate income tax rate and incurred an additional $98.0 million tax liability as a result of the Transition Tax. These items have resulted in a total charge against

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earnings in the fourth quarter of 2017 in an amount of $99.9 million. This amount may be subject to further adjustment in subsequent periods throughout 2018 in accordance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 (“SAB 118”) and subsequent interpretive guidance issued by the SEC or the IRS. Further, there may be other material adverse effects resulting from the legislation that we have not yet identified.

While some of the changes made by the tax legislation may adversely affect the Company in one or more reporting periods and prospectively, other changes may be beneficial on a going forward basis. We continue to work with our tax advisors to determine the full impact that the recent tax legislation as a whole will have on us. We urge our investors to consult with their legal and tax advisors with respect to such legislation.

An Increase In Our Effective Tax Rate Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Results Of Operations And Financial Position.

A significant amount of our foreign earnings are generated in low or zero tax jurisdictions.  As a result, our income tax expense has historically been lower than the tax computed at the U.S. statutory income tax rate because we had not previously provided for U.S. taxes on earnings that we considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. As discussed above, recent U.S. tax legislation included a one-time Transition Tax on the accumulated earnings of our foreign operations including those that we considered to be indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. The resulting $98.0 million one-time tax increased our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2017 to 38.8%. Our future effective tax rates could be unfavorably affected by a number of factors, including but not limited to, changes in the tax rates or the tax rules and regulations (including rules and regulations related to recently enacted U.S. tax legislation), or in the interpretation thereof, in the jurisdictions in which we do business; decreases in the amount of earnings in countries with low statutory tax rates; increases in the amount of earnings in countries with high statutory tax rates; or if we need to make significant taxable distributions of foreign earnings for which foreign taxes have not been provided. An increase in our effective tax rate could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Changes In Tax Laws Or The Potential Imposition Of Additional Duties, Quotas, Tariffs And Other Trade Restrictions Could Have An Adverse Impact On Our Sales And Profitability.

All of our products manufactured overseas and imported into the United States, the European Union (“EU”) and other countries are subject to customs duties collected by customs authorities. Customs information submitted by us is routinely subject to review by customs authorities. We are unable to predict whether there may be unfavorable changes in tax laws in the United States or overseas, additional customs duties, quotas, tariffs, anti-dumping duties, safeguard measures, cargo restrictions to prevent terrorism or other trade restrictions imposed on the importation of our products in the future. Such actions could adversely affect our ability to produce and market footwear at competitive prices and might have an adverse impact on the sales and profitability of Skechers.

Our International Sales And Manufacturing Operations Are Subject To The Risks Of Doing Business Abroad, Particularly In China and Vietnam, Which Could Affect Our Ability To Sell Or Manufacture Our Products In International Markets, Obtain Products From Foreign Suppliers Or Control The Costs Of Our Products.

Substantially all of our net sales during the year ended December 31, 2017  were derived from sales of footwear manufactured in foreign countries, with most manufactured in China and Vietnam. We also sell our footwear in several foreign countries and plan to increase our international sales efforts as part of our growth strategy. Foreign manufacturing and sales are subject to a number of risks, including the following: political and social unrest, including terrorism; changing economic conditions, including higher labor costs; increased costs of raw materials; currency exchange rate fluctuations; labor shortages and work stoppages; electrical shortages; transportation delays; loss or damage to products in transit; expropriation; nationalization; the adjustment, elimination or imposition of domestic and international duties, tariffs, quotas, import and export controls and other non-tariff barriers; exposure to different legal standards (particularly with respect to intellectual property); compliance with foreign laws; and changes in domestic and foreign governmental policies. We have not, to date, been materially affected by any such risks, but we cannot predict the likelihood of such developments occurring or the resulting long-term adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

In particular, because most of our products are manufactured in China and Vietnam, the possibility of adverse changes in trade or political relations with China or Vietnam, political instability in China or Vietnam, increases in labor costs, the occurrence of prolonged adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon in China or Vietnam, or the outbreak of a pandemic disease in China or Vietnam could severely interfere with the manufacturing and/or shipment of our products and would have a material adverse effect on our operations. Our business operations may be adversely affected by the current and future political environment in the Communist Party of China (“PRC”). The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate in the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, raw materials, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. Under its current leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing economic reform policies that encourage private economic activity and greater economic

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decentralization. There is no assurance, however, that the government of the PRC will continue to pursue these policies, or that it will not significantly alter these policies from time to time without notice. A change in policies by the PRC government could adversely affect our interests by, among other factors: changes in laws, regulations or the interpretation thereof, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion, imports or sources of supplies, or the expropriation or nationalization of private enterprises. In addition, electrical shortages, labor shortages or work stoppages may extend the production time necessary to produce our orders, and there may be circumstances in the future where we may have to incur premium freight charges to expedite the delivery of product to our customers. If we incur a significant amount of premium charges to airfreight product for our customers, our gross profit will be negatively affected if we are unable to collect those charges.

Many Of Our Retail Stores Depend Heavily On The Customer Traffic Generated By Shopping And Factory Outlet Malls Or By Tourism.

Many of our concept stores are located in shopping malls, and some of our factory outlet stores are located in manufacturers’ outlet malls where we depend on obtaining prominent locations and the overall success of the malls to generate customer traffic. We cannot control the success of individual malls, and an increase in store closures by other retailers may lead to mall vacancies and reduced foot traffic. Some of our concept stores occupy street locations that are heavily dependent on customer traffic generated by tourism. Any substantial decrease in tourism resulting from an economic slowdown, political, social or military events or otherwise, is likely to adversely affect sales in our existing stores, particularly those with street locations. The effects of these factors could reduce sales of particular existing stores or hinder our ability to open retail stores in new markets, which could negatively affect our operating results.

We Rely On Independent Contract Manufacturers And, As A Result, Are Exposed To Potential Disruptions In Product Supply.

Our footwear products are currently manufactured by independent contract manufacturers. During 2017 and 2016, the top five manufacturers of our products produced approximately 47.5% and 51.0% of our total purchases, respectively. One manufacturer accounted for 17.9% and 22.9% of total purchases during 2017 and 2016, respectively. Another manufacturer accounted for 11.1% and 10.1% of our total purchases during 2017 and 2016, respectively. We do not have long-term contracts with manufacturers, and we compete with other footwear companies for production facilities. We could experience difficulties with these manufacturers, including reductions in the availability of production capacity, failure to meet our quality control standards, failure to meet production deadlines, or increased manufacturing costs. This could result in our customers canceling orders, refusing to accept deliveries, or demanding reductions in purchase prices, any of which could have a negative impact on our cash flow and harm our business.

If our current manufacturers cease doing business with us, we could experience an interruption in the manufacture of our products. Although we believe that we could find alternative manufacturers, we may be unable to establish relationships with alternative manufacturers that will be as favorable as the relationships we have now. For example, new manufacturers may have higher prices, less favorable payment terms, lower manufacturing capacity, lower quality standards, or higher lead times for delivery. If we are unable to provide products consistent with our standards, or the manufacture of our footwear is delayed or becomes more expensive, our business would be harmed.

Our Ability To Deliver Our Products To The Market Could Be Disrupted If We Encounter Problems Affecting Our Logistics And Distribution Systems.

We rely on owned or independently operated distribution facilities to transport, warehouse and ship products to our customers. Our logistic and distribution systems include computer-controlled and automated equipment, which may be subject to a number of risks related to security or computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, power interruptions or other system failures. Substantially all of our products are distributed from a few key locations. Therefore, our operations could be interrupted by earthquakes, floods, fires or other natural disasters near our distribution centers. Our business interruption insurance may not adequately protect us from the adverse effects that could be caused by significant disruptions affecting our distribution facilities, such as the long-term loss of customers or an erosion of brand image. In addition, our distribution capacity is dependent on the timely performance of services by third parties, including the transportation of products to and from our distribution facilities. If we encounter problems affecting our distribution system, our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales and achieve operating efficiencies could be materially adversely affected.

Our Business Could Be Harmed If Our Contract Manufacturers, Suppliers Or Licensees Violate Labor, Trade Or Other Laws.

We require our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers and licensees to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Manufacturers are required to certify that neither convicted, forced or indentured labor (as defined under United States law) nor child labor (as defined by law in the manufacturer’s country) is used in the production process, that compensation is paid in accordance with local law and that their factories are in compliance with local safety regulations. Although we promote ethical

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business practices and our sourcing personnel periodically visit and monitor the operations of our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers and licensees, we do not control them or their labor practices. If one of our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers or licensees violates labor or other laws or diverges from those labor practices generally accepted as ethical in the United States, it could result in adverse publicity for us, damage our reputation in the United States, or render our conduct of business in a particular foreign country undesirable or impractical, any of which could harm our business.

In addition, if we, or our foreign manufacturers, violate United States or foreign trade laws or regulations, we may be subject to extra duties, significant monetary penalties, the seizure and the forfeiture of the products we are attempting to import, or the loss of our import privileges. Possible violations of United States or foreign laws or regulations could include inadequate record-keeping of our imported products, misstatements or errors as to the origin, quota category, classification, marketing or valuation of our imported products, fraudulent visas, or labor violations. The effects of these factors could render our conduct of business in a particular country undesirable or impractical, and have a negative impact on our operating results.

Our Strategies Involve A Number Of Risks That Could Prevent Or Delay The Successful Opening Of New Stores As Well As Negatively Impact The Performance Of Our Existing Stores.

Our ability to successfully open and operate new stores depends on many factors, including, among others, our ability to identify suitable store locations, the availability of which is outside of our control; negotiate acceptable lease terms, including desired tenant improvement allowances; source sufficient levels of inventory to meet the needs of new stores; hire, train and retain store personnel; successfully integrate new stores into our existing operations; and satisfy the fashion preferences in new geographic areas.

In addition, some or a substantial number of new stores could be opened in regions of the United States in which we currently have few or no stores. Any expansion into new markets may present competitive, merchandising and distribution challenges that are different from those currently encountered in our existing markets. Any of these challenges could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, to the extent that any new store openings are in existing markets, we may experience reduced net sales volumes in existing stores in those markets.

We Depend On Key Personnel To Manage Our Business Effectively In A Rapidly Changing Market, And If We Are Unable To Retain Existing Personnel, Our Business Could Be Harmed.

Our future success depends upon the continued services of Robert Greenberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; Michael Greenberg, President and a member of our Board of Directors; and David Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and a member of our Board of Directors. The loss of the services of any of these individuals or any other key employee could harm us. Our future success also depends on our ability to identify, attract and retain additional qualified personnel. Competition for employees in our industry is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.

The Disruption, Expense And Potential Liability Associated With Existing And Unanticipated Future Litigation Against Us Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business, Results Of Operations, Financial Condition And Cash Flows.

In addition to the legal matters included in our reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation arising from the normal course of business, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such unanticipated future litigation. We have no reason to believe that there is a reasonable possibility or a probability our company may incur a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to any other such loss contingencies. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and assessments and decisions on defense and settlement can change significantly in a short period of time. Therefore, although we consider the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote with respect to those matters for which we have not reserved an amount for loss contingencies, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against us in the same reporting period for amounts in excess of our expectations, our consolidated financial statements of a particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, any unanticipated litigation in the future, regardless of its merits, could also significantly divert management’s attention from our operations and result in substantial legal fees being incurred. Such disruptions, legal fees and any losses resulting from these unanticipated future claims could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

Our Ability To Compete Could Be Jeopardized If We Are Unable To Protect Our Intellectual Property Rights Or If We Are Sued For Intellectual Property Infringement.

We believe that our trademarks, design patents and other proprietary rights are important to our success and our competitive position. We use trademarks on nearly all of our products and believe that having distinctive marks that are readily identifiable is an important factor in creating a market for our goods, in identifying us and in distinguishing our goods from the goods of others. We consider our Skechers^®, Skechers D’Lites^®, Skechers Sport^®, Skechers USA^®, Skechers Performance^™, Skechers GOrun^®, Skechers

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GOwalk^®, You by Skechers™, ^®, ^®, ^®, Skechers Cali^™, Relaxed Fit^®, Skecher Street™, D’Lites®, Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam^™ and Skechers Memory Foam^™, Skech-Air^®, BOBS^®, Energy Lights™, S-Lights^® and Twinkle Toes^® trademarks to be among our most valuable assets, and we have registered these trademarks in many countries. In addition, we own many other trademarks that we utilize in marketing our products. We also have a number of design patents and a limited number of utility patents covering components and features used in various shoes. We believe that our patents and trademarks are generally sufficient to permit us to carry on our business as presently conducted. While we vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to secure patents or trademark protection for our intellectual property in the future or that protection will be adequate for future products. Further, we have been sued in the past for patent and trademark infringement and cannot be sure that our activities do not and will not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. If we are compelled to prosecute infringing parties, defend our intellectual property or defend ourselves from intellectual property claims made by others, we may face significant expenses and liability as well as the diversion of management’s attention from our business, each of which could negatively impact our business or financial condition.

In addition, the laws of foreign countries where we source and distribute our products may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States. We cannot assure you that the actions we have taken to establish and protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights outside the United States will be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others or, if necessary, successfully challenge another party’s counterfeit products or products that otherwise infringe on our intellectual property rights on the basis of trademark or patent infringement. Continued sales of these products could adversely affect our sales and our brand and result in the shift of consumer preference away from our products. We may face significant expenses and liability in connection with the protection of our intellectual property rights outside the United States, and if we are unable to successfully protect our rights or resolve intellectual property conflicts with others, our business or financial condition could be adversely affected.

Breaches Or Compromises Of Our Information Security Systems, Information Technology Systems And Our Infrastructure To Support Our Business Could Result In Exposure Of Private Information, Disruption Of Our Business And Damage To Our Reputation, Which Could Harm Our Business, Results Of Operation And Financial Condition.

As a routine part of our business, we utilize information security and information technology systems and websites that allow for the secure storage and transmission of proprietary or private information regarding our customers, employees, vendors and others. A security breach of our network, hosted service providers, or vendor systems, may expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, litigation and potential liability. Hackers and data thieves are increasingly sophisticated and operate large-scale and complex automated attacks, and the retail industry, in particular, has been the target of many recent cyber-attacks. Although we believe that we take appropriate measures to safeguard this sensitive information, we may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent rapidly-evolving types of cyber-attacks targeted at us, our customers, or others who have entrusted us with information. Actual or anticipated attacks may cause us to incur costs, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees, and engage third-party experts and consultants.

We invest in industry standard security technology to protect personal information. Advances in computer capabilities, new technological discoveries, or other developments may result in the technology used by us to protect against transaction or other data being breached or compromised. In addition, data and security breaches can also occur as a result of non-technical issues, including breach by us or by persons with whom we have commercial relationships that result in the unauthorized release of personal or confidential information. Although we maintain insurance designed to provide coverage for cyber risks related to what we believe to be adequate and collectible insurance in the event of theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, any compromise or breach of our cyber security systems could result in private information exposure and a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant potential liability including legal and financial costs, and loss of confidence in our security measures by customers, which could result in damage to our brand and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and reputation. In addition, we must comply with increasingly complex and rigorous regulatory standards enacted to protect business and personal data. Compliance with existing and proposed laws and regulations can be costly, and any failure to comply with these regulatory standards could subject us to legal and reputational risks. Misuse of or failure to secure personal information could also result in violation of data privacy laws and regulations, proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, damage to our reputation and credibility and could have a negative impact on revenues and profits.

Natural Disasters Or A Decline In Economic Conditions In California Could Increase Our Operating Expenses Or Adversely Affect Our Sales Revenue.

As of December 31, 2017, a substantial portion of our operations are located in California, including 103 of our retail stores, our headquarters in Manhattan Beach, and our domestic distribution center in Rancho Belago. Because a significant portion of our net sales is derived from sales in California, a decline in the economic conditions in California, whether or not such decline spreads

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beyond California, could materially adversely affect our business. Furthermore, a natural disaster or other catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or wild fire affecting California, could significantly disrupt our business including the operation of our only domestic distribution center. We may be more susceptible to these issues than our competitors whose operations are not as concentrated in California.

Two Principal Stockholders Are Able To Exert Significant Influence Over All Matters Requiring A Vote Of Our Stockholders, And Their Interests May Differ From The Interests Of Our Other Stockholders.

As of December 31, 2017, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Greenberg, beneficially owned 75.2% of our outstanding Class B common shares, members of Mr. Greenberg’s immediate family beneficially owned an additional 10.9% of our outstanding Class B common shares, and Gil Schwartzberg, trustee of several trusts formed by Mr. Greenberg and his wife for estate planning purposes, beneficially owned 34.3% of our outstanding Class B common shares. The holders of Class A common shares and Class B common shares have identical rights except that holders of Class A common shares are entitled to one vote per share while holders of Class B common shares are entitled to ten votes per share on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. As a result, as of December 31, 2017, Mr. Greenberg beneficially owned 35.1% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, and together with shares beneficially owned by other members of his immediate family, Mr. Greenberg and his immediate family beneficially owned 42.7% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, and Mr. Schwartzberg beneficially owned 22.2% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders. Therefore, Messrs. Greenberg and Schwartzberg are each able to exert significant influence over, all matters requiring approval by our stockholders. Matters that require the approval of our stockholders include the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. Mr. Greenberg also has significant influence over our management and operations. As a result of such influence, certain transactions are not likely without the approval of Messrs. Greenberg and Schwartzberg, including proxy contests, tender offers, open market purchase programs or other transactions that can give our stockholders the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market prices for their shares of our Class A common shares. Because Messrs. Greenberg’s and Schwartzberg’s interests may differ from the interests of the other stockholders, their ability to substantially control or significantly influence, respectively, actions requiring stockholder approval, may result in our company taking action that is not in the interests of all stockholders. The differential in the voting rights may also adversely affect the value of our Class A common shares to the extent that investors or any potential future purchaser view the superior voting rights of our Class B common shares to have value.

Our Charter Documents And Delaware Law May Inhibit A Takeover, Which May Adversely Affect The Value Of Our Stock.

Provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if closing such a transaction would be beneficial to our stockholders. Mr. Greenberg’s substantial beneficial ownership position, together with the authorization of Preferred Stock, the disparate voting rights between our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, the classification of our Board of Directors and the lack of cumulative voting in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, may discourage bids for our Class A Common Stock at a premium over the market price of the Class A Common Stock and may adversely affect the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

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None.

Our corporate headquarters are located at several properties in or near Manhattan Beach, California, which consist of an aggregate of approximately 181,000 square feet. We own and lease portions of our corporate headquarters.

Our U.S. distribution center is a 1.8 million square-foot facility located on approximately 110 acres in Rancho Belago, California. We are leasing the distribution center from a joint venture, HF Logistics-SKX (the “JV”), that we formed with HF Logistics I, LLC (“HF”) in January 2010 for the purpose of building and operating the facility. The lease for this facility expires in November 2031, with a base rent of $940,695 per month, or approximately $11.3 million per year. The JV is consolidated in our financial statements.

Our European Distribution Center occupies approximately 1.3 million square feet in Liege, Belgium under five operating leases, with base rents of approximately $5.8 million per year. These leases provide for original terms of 10-15 years, commencing between January 2016 and June 2016, subject to automatic extensions for recurring periods of five years unless we or the landlord terminates the lease in writing 12 months prior to the expiration of the original lease term or 12 months prior to the end of the then applicable five-year extension.

All of our domestic retail stores and showrooms are leased with terms expiring between March 2018 and January 2033. The leases provide for rent escalations tied to either increases in the lessor’s operating expenses, fluctuations in the consumer price index in the relevant geographical area, or a percentage of the store’s gross sales in excess of the base annual rent. Total base rent expense related to our domestic retail stores and showrooms was $92.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.

We also lease all of our international administrative offices, retail stores, showrooms and distribution facilities located in Asia, Central America, Europe, North America and South America. The property leases expire at various dates between March 2018 and December 2027. Total base rent for the leased properties aggregated approximately $95.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.

Personal Injury Lawsuits Involving Shape-ups — As previously reported, on February 20, 2011, Skechers U.S.A., Inc., Skechers U.S.A., Inc. II and Skechers Fitness Group were named as defendants in a lawsuit that alleged, among other things, that Shape-ups were defective and unreasonably dangerous, negligently designed and/or manufactured, and did not conform to representations made by our company, and that we failed to provide adequate warnings of alleged risks associated with Shape-ups. Other product liability lawsuits involving Shape-ups (some on behalf of multiple plaintiffs) subsequently were filed in various courts alleging varying injuries but employing similar legal theories and asserting similar claims to those made in the first case, as well as claims for breach of express and implied warranties, loss of consortium, and fraud. Although there are variations in the relief sought, the plaintiffs generally sought compensatory and/or economic damages, exemplary and/or punitive damages, and attorneys’ fees and costs. As detailed below, our company remains a defendant in only one currently active case.

On December 19, 2011, the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation issued an order establishing a multidistrict litigation (“MDL”) proceeding in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky entitled  In re Skechers Toning Shoe Products Liability Litigation, case no. 11-md-02308-TBR. Since 2011, a total of 1,235 personal injury cases have been filed in or transferred to the MDL proceeding. Skechers has resolved 1,766 personal injury claims in the MDL proceedings, comprised of 1,154 that were filed as formal actions and 612 that were submitted by plaintiff fact sheets. Skechers has also settled another 13 claims in principle—8 filed cases and 5 claims submitted by plaintiff fact sheets—either directly or pursuant to a global settlement program that has been approved by the claimants’ attorneys (described in greater detail below). Further, 72 cases in the MDL proceeding have been dismissed either voluntarily or on motions by Skechers and 40 unfiled claims submitted by plaintiff fact sheet have been abandoned. Between the consummated settlements and cases subject to the settlement program, all but one of the personal injury cases pending in the MDL have been or are expected to be resolved. Fact discovery in that case has been completed and a court-ordered mediation is scheduled in March 2018.  No trial date has been set.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc., Skechers U.S.A., Inc. II and Skechers Fitness Group also have been named as defendants in a total of 72 personal injury actions filed in various Superior Courts of the State of California that were brought on behalf of 920 individual plaintiffs (360 of whom also submitted MDL court-approved questionnaires for mediation purposes in the MDL proceeding). Of those cases, 68 were originally filed in the Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles (the “LASC cases”). On August 20, 2014, the

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Judicial Council of California granted a petition by our company to coordinate all personal injury actions filed in California that relate to Shape-ups with the LASC cases (collectively, the “LASC Coordinated Cases”). On October 6, 2014, three cases that had been pending in other counties were transferred to and coordinated with the LASC Coordinated Cases. On April 17, 2015, an additional case was transferred to and coordinated with the LASC Coordinated Cases.

Fifty-seven actions brought on behalf of a total of 647 plaintiffs have been settled and dismissed in the LASC Coordinated Cases. Twelve actions have been partially dismissed, with the claims of 224 plaintiffs in those actions having been fully resolved and dismissed. The claims of one additional plaintiff from these partially settled multi-plaintiff lawsuits has been settled in principle and should be dismissed in the short term. One single-plaintiff lawsuit and the claims of 28 additional plaintiffs in multi-plaintiff lawsuits have been dismissed entirely, either voluntarily or on motion by us. The claims of 21 additional persons have been dismissed in part, either voluntarily or on motions by us.

Fourteen cases—two single-plaintiff actions and 12 partially dismissed, multi-plaintiff actions—remain pending in the LASC Coordinated Cases.  The two single-plaintiff cases have been settled in principle and should be dismissed in the short term.  With respect to the 12 multi-plaintiff actions, the claims of only 17 individual plaintiffs remain. Skechers has moved to dismiss the claims of 16 of those 17 individual plaintiffs for violation of court orders and failure to prosecute their claims, and anticipates bringing a similar motion relating to the last individual plaintiff in the near future.  No discovery has been taken in any of those actions and no trial dates have been set. If the two settlements are consummated and the 17 individual plaintiffs’ claims are dismissed for failure to prosecute, then there will be no more claims pending LASC Coordinated Cases.

In other state courts, a total of 12 personal injury actions (some on behalf of numerous plaintiffs) have been filed that have not been removed to federal court and transferred to the MDL. All of those actions have been resolved and dismissed.

With respect to the global settlement programs referenced above, the personal injury cases in the MDL and LASC Coordinated Cases and in other state courts were largely solicited and handled by the same plaintiffs law firms. Accordingly, mediations to discuss potential resolution of the various lawsuits brought by these firms were held on May 18, June 18, and July 24, 2015. At the conclusion of those mediations, the parties reached an agreement in principle on a global settlement program that is expected to resolve all or substantially all of the claims by persons represented by those firms. A master settlement agreement was executed as of March 24, 2016 and the parties are in the process of completing individual settlements.  To the extent that the settlements with individual claimants are not finalized or otherwise consummated such that the litigation proceeds, it is too early to predict the outcome of any case, whether adverse results in any single case or in the aggregate would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, and whether insurance coverage will be adequate to cover any losses. The settlements have been reached for business purposes in order to end the distraction of litigation, and we continue to believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend any remaining cases vigorously. In addition, it is too early to predict whether there will be future personal injury cases filed which are not covered by the global settlement program, whether adverse results in any single case or in the aggregate would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, and whether insurance coverage will be available and/or adequate to cover any losses.

Converse, Inc. v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. — On October 14, 2014, Converse filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Division, Case 1:14-cv-05977-DLI-MDG, alleging trademark infringement, false designation of origin, unfair competition, trademark dilution and deceptive practices arising out of our alleged use of certain design elements on footwear. The complaint seeks, among other things, injunctive relief, profits, actual damages, enhanced damages, punitive damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. On October 14, 2014, Converse also filed a complaint naming 27 respondents including our company with the U.S. International Trade Commission (the “ITC” or “Commission”), Federal Register Doc. 2014-24890, alleging violations of federal law in the importation into and the sale within the United States of certain footwear. Converse has requested that the Commission issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders. On December 8, 2014, the District Court stayed the proceedings before it. On December 19, 2014, Skechers responded to the ITC complaint, denying the material allegations and asserting affirmative defenses. A trial before an administrative law judge of the ITC was held in August 2015. On November 15, 2015, the ITC judge issued his interim decision finding that certain discontinued products (Daddy’$ Money and HyDee HyTops) infringed on Converse’s intellectual property, but that other, still active product lines (Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia) did not. On February 3, 2016, the ITC decided that it would review in part certain matters that were decided by the ITC judge. On June 28, 2016, the full ITC issued a ruling affirming that Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs canvas shoes do not infringe Converse’s Chuck Taylor Midsole Trademark and affirming that Converse’s common law trademark was invalid. The full ITC also invalidated Converse’s registered trademark. Converse appealed this decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On January 27, 2017, Converse filed its appellate brief but did not contest the portion of the decision that held that Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs canvas shoes do not infringe.  On June 26, 2017, we filed our responsive brief, and on February 8, 2018 the court heard oral argument. While it is too early to predict the outcome of these legal proceedings or whether an adverse result in either or both of them would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend these legal matters vigorously.

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adidas America, Inc., et. al v. Skechers USA, Inc. — On September 14, 2015, adidas filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No. 3:15-cv-1741, alleging that three Skechers shoe styles (Skechers Onix, Skechers Relaxed Fit Cross Court TR, and Skechers Relaxed Fit – Supernova Style) infringe adidas’ trademarks and/or trade dress rights. adidas asserts claims under federal and state law for trademark and trade dress infringement, unfair competition, trademark and trade dress dilution, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and breach of a settlement agreement entered into between the parties in 1995. adidas seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of Skechers’ profits, damages (including treble, enhanced and punitive damages), and attorneys’ fees. On September 14, 2015, adidas filed a motion for preliminary injunction in which it sought to preliminarily restrain us from manufacturing, distributing, advertising, selling, or offering for sale any footwear (a) that is confusingly similar to adidas’ STAN SMITH Trade Dress, (b) bearing stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar to adidas’ Three-Stripe Mark, or (c) under adidas’ SUPERNOVA Mark. We opposed adidas’ motion. A hearing on adidas’ motion was held on December 15, 2015. On February 12, 2016, the Court issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting us from selling two styles from our vast footwear collection and from using the word “Supernova” in connection with a third style.  We have appealed the Court’s order granting the injunction to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Trial has been continued from April 3, 2018 until June 4, 2018.  While it is too early to predict the outcome of this legal proceeding or whether an adverse result in this case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

Nike, Inc., v. Skechers USA, Inc.— On January 4, 2016, Nike filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No. 3:16-cv-0007, alleging that certain Skechers shoe designs (Men’s Burst, Women’s Burst, Women’s Flex Appeal, Men’s Flex Advantage, Girls’ Skech Appeal, and Boys’ Flex Advantage) infringe the claims of eight design patents. Nike seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of Skechers’ profits, damages (including treble damages), pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. In April and May, 2016, we filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the “PTAB”) for inter partes review of all eight design patents, seeking to invalidate those patents. In September and November 2016, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board denied each of our petitions. On January 6, 2017, we filed several additional petitions for inter partes review with the PTAB, seeking to invalidate seven of the eight designs patents that Nike is asserting. In July 2017, we were notified that the PTAB granted our petitions and instituted inter partes review proceedings with respect to two of the seven design patents but denied our petitions as to the others. In June 2017, we filed a motion to transfer venue from the District of Oregon to the Central District of California based on a recent United States Supreme Court decision and the motion was granted in late 2017. While it is too early to predict the outcome of either the District Court or the PTAB proceedings or whether an adverse result in the District Court case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

adidas America, Inc. and adidas AG v. Skechers USA, Inc.— On July 11, 2016, adidas filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No. 3:16-cv-01400-AC, alleging that certain of our children’s styles (Boys’ Mega Blade 2.0 and 2.5) infringe two of adidas’ patents.  The complaint seeks, among other things, injunctive relief and damages (including treble damages).  On July 28, 2016, adidas filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, asking the Court to preliminarily restrain Skechers from importing, manufacturing, distributing, advertising, selling, or offering for sale any of the accused styles. In related activity, on April 26, 2017, the United States Patent and Trial Appeal Board (the “PTAB”) granted petitions by Skechers and instituted inter partes review proceedings as to certain claims under the two patents at issue in this litigation, finding that Skechers had “establishe[d] a reasonable likelihood that [it] will prevail in showing the unpatentability of at least one of the claims” in each patent. Trial on these issues before the PTAB has been set for January 8, 2018.  The PTAB subsequently denied two other inter partes review petitions filed by Skechers with respect to the same two adidas patents, and then granted a third petition for additional claims in one of the same patents on August 15, 2017.  On June 12, 2017, the Court denied adidas’ motion for a preliminary injunction and stayed the lawsuit pending the outcome of the PTAB proceedings.  On July 10, 2017, adidas filed a notice of appeal of the Court’s denial of its motion for preliminary injunction, but subsequently abandoned that appeal.  While it is too early to predict the outcome of either the District Court or the PTAB proceedings or whether an adverse result in the District Court case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan v. Skechers USA, Inc., Robert Greenberg and David Weinberg. – On October 20, 2017, the Steamfitters Local 449 Pension Plan filed a securities class action, on behalf of itself and purportedly on behalf of other shareholders who purchased Skechers stock in a five-month period in 2015, against our company and certain of its officers in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, case number 1:17-cv-08107.  The lawsuit alleges that, between April 23 and October 22, 2015, we made materially false statements or omissions of material fact about the anticipated performance of our Domestic Wholesale segment and asserts claims for unspecified damages, attorneys' fees and equitable relief based on two counts for alleged violations of federal securities laws.  Given the early stage of this proceeding and the limited information available, we cannot predict the outcome of this legal proceeding or whether an adverse result in this case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position.  We believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this matter vigorously.

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Monique Cadle v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc., Robert Greenberg and David Weinberg. – On October 27, 2017, Monique Cadle filed a securities class action, on behalf of herself and purportedly on behalf of other shareholders who purchased Skechers stock in a five-month period in 2015, against our company and certain of its officers in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, case number 1:17-cv-08305.  The lawsuit alleges that, between April 23 and October 22, 2015, we made materially false statements or omissions of material fact about the anticipated performance of our Domestic Wholesale segment and asserts claims for unspecified damages, attorneys' fees and equitable relief based on two counts for alleged violations of federal securities laws.  Given the early stage of this proceeding and the limited information available, we cannot predict the outcome of this legal proceeding or whether an adverse result in this case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position.  We believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this matter vigorously.

Yolanda Zuniga v. Team One Employment Specialists, LLC, Skechers USA, Inc., Dolores Carte et al. – On December 20, 2017, our company was named as a defendant in an action filed by a former employee named Yolanda Zuniga in the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside, Case No. RIC 1723878, alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, violation of the Family Medical Leave Act/California Family Rights Act, breach of contract and wrongful termination, among other causes of action, and seeking compensatory damages, punitive and exemplary damages, and attorneys’ fees.  Skechers believes it has meritorious defenses, vehemently denies the allegations and intends to defend this case vigorously. Notwithstanding, it is too early to predict the outcome of this legal proceeding or whether an adverse result in this case would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position.

In addition to the matters included in its reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation arising from the normal course of business, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such unanticipated future litigation. We have no reason to believe that there is a reasonable possibility or a probability that we may incur a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to any other such loss contingencies. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and assessments and decisions on defense and settlement can change significantly in a short period of time. Therefore, although we consider the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote with respect to those matters for which we have not reserved an amount for loss contingencies, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against our company in the same reporting period for amounts in excess of our expectations, our consolidated financial statements of a particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

Not applicable.

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PART II

Our Class A Common Stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SKX.” The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, the high and low sales prices of our Class A Common Stock.

HOLDERS

As of February 1, 2018, there were 99 holders of record of our Class A Common Stock (including holders who are nominees for an undetermined number of beneficial owners) and 34 holders of record of our Class B Common Stock. These figures do not include beneficial owners who hold shares in nominee name. The Class B Common Stock is not publicly traded, but each share is convertible upon request of the holder into one share of Class A Common Stock.

DIVIDEND POLICY

Share Repurchase Program

On February 6, 2018, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program (the “Share Repurchase Program”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its Class A common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Class A common stock”), for an aggregate repurchase price not to exceed $150 million. The Share Repurchase Program expires on February 6, 2021. Share repurchases may be executed through various means, including, without limitation, open market transactions, privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements and other relevant factors. The Share Repurchase Program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares of Class A common stock and the program may be suspended or discontinued at any time.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

Our equity compensation plan information is provided as set forth in Part III, Item 12 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

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PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph demonstrates the total return to stockholders of our company’s Class A Common Stock from December 31, 2012 to December 31, 2017, relative to the performance of the Russell 2000 Index, which includes our Class A Common Stock, and the peer group index, which is believed to include companies engaged in businesses similar to ours. The peer group index consists of six companies: Nike, Inc., adidas AG, Steven Madden, Ltd., Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Crocs, Inc., and Deckers Outdoor Corporation.

The graph assumes an investment of $100 on December 31, 2012 in each of our company’s Class A Common Stock and the stocks comprising each of the Russell 2000 Index and the customized peer group index. Each of the indices assumes that all dividends were reinvested. The stock performance of our company’s Class A Common Stock shown on the graph is not necessarily indicative of future performance. We will neither make nor endorse any predictions as to our future stock performance.

COMPARISON OF 5 YEAR CUMULATIVE TOTAL RETURNS

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The following tables set forth our company’s selected consolidated financial data as of and for each of the years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2017  and should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included under Part II, Item 8 of this annual report.

(In thousands, except net earnings per share)

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GENERAL

We design, market and sell contemporary footwear for men, women and children under the Skechers brand. Our footwear is sold through a wide range of department stores and leading specialty retail stores, mid-tier retailers, boutiques, our own retail stores, distributor and licensee-owned international retail stores and our e-commerce websites. Our objective is to continue to profitably grow our domestic operations while leveraging our brand name to expand internationally.

Our operations are organized along our distribution channels, and we have the following three reportable sales segments: domestic wholesale sales, international wholesale sales, which include international direct subsidiary sales and international distributor sales, and retail sales, which includes our e-commerce sales. We evaluate segment performance based primarily on net sales and gross margins. See detailed segment information in Note 18 – Segment and Geographic Reporting in our Consolidated Financial Statements included under Part II, Item 8 of this annual report.

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW

Our net sales for 2017 increased $600.9 million, or 16.9%, to $4.164 billion, compared to net sales of $3.563 billion in 2016. The increase in net sales was broad based across all our segments with the largest increases coming from our international subsidiaries and international retail businesses which with our international distributor business represented over 50% of our net sales. The largest increases in our domestic wholesale segment came in our Men’s Sport, Men’s U.S.A., Cali, You and Kid’s divisions. During 2017, earnings from operations increased $12.4 million, or 3.4%, to $382.9 million compared to $370.5 million in 2016. Net earnings attributable to Skechers U.S.A., Inc. were $179.2 million for 2017, a decrease of $64.3 million, or 26.4%, compared to net earnings of $243.5 million in 2016. Diluted earnings per share for 2017 were $1.14, which reflected a 27.4% decrease from the $1.57 diluted earnings per share reported in the prior year. The decrease in net earnings attributable to Skechers U.S.A., Inc. for 2017 was primarily the result of increased income tax expense of $99.9 million due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017 which was partially offset by increased net sales. Our working capital was $1.508 billion at December 31, 2017, which was an increase of $301.6 million from working capital of $1.206 billion at December 31, 2016. Our cash and cash equivalents increased $17.9 million to $736.4 million at December 31, 2017 from $718.5 million at December 31, 2016. The increase in cash and cash equivalents was primarily the result of our increased net earnings, which were partially offset by increased inventories, accounts receivable and increased capital investments.

2017 OVERVIEW

In 2017, we focused on product development, growing our position in our domestic wholesale accounts, growing our international market share, opening retail stores in key locations worldwide, continuing to develop our global infrastructure, and balance sheet and expense management.

New product design and delivery. Our success depends on our ability to design and deliver comfortable, stylish, affordable products to consumers across a broad range of demographics.  In 2017, we focused on innovation and comfort across all of our core and existing styles, added fresh looks to our product lines, and developed new product lines that included lifestyle and performance footwear. This included updates to our running and walking lines, an updated collection of D’lites®, You by Skechers™ and Skecher Street™ and a broader offering of Kid’s lighted footwear.

Grow our domestic business. In 2017, our focus was on returning to growth domestically in our domestic wholesale accounts by delivering the right product to accounts at the right time, while finding new opportunities to add shelf space and expand into new locations with new Skechers categories. In 2017, we remained the number one walking, work, casual lifestyle, and casual dress footwear brand, and the number two casual athletic footwear brand.

Further develop our international businesses.  During 2017, we continued to focus on improving our international sales by increasing our product offering to accounts around the world, delivering the right product to accounts at the right time, and increasing our shelf space with new and updated products as well as increasing our customer base.  

Expand Skechers global retail base. Believing that Skechers retail stores are effective brand building tools, we continued to focus on opening Skechers stores around the world—both company-owned and third-party owned through our distributors, franchisees or joint venture partners.  In 2017, we opened 41 additional company-owned domestic stores and 39 additional company-owned international stores.  Additionally, we continued to expand our franchise retail base with more Skechers branded stores in countries where we directly handle the distribution of our product.

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Develop our global infrastructure. In 2017, through our joint-venture in China we purchased land to be used to construct our new China distribution center to support our increased sales in the region.  We are currently in the process of designing the building, tenant improvements and equipment for this facility.

Balance sheet and expense management. During 2017, we continued to focus on managing our balance sheet and bringing our marketing expenses and general and administrative expenses in line with expected sales.

OUTLOOK FOR 2018

During 2018, we will continue to innovate our lifestyle and performance product lines by developing new styles and expanding into new categories. This includes increasing sales for our lifestyle and wellness line You by Skechers™ and the youthful lifestyle line Skecher Street™.  The global footwear market is competitive; however, we believe demand for the brand globally will remain strong  because our products are marketed at affordable prices and our styles resonate with consumers worldwide.  We believe appeal for our product is broad and demand will continue to grow due to a team of brand ambassadors—including sports icons Joe Montana, Tony Romo, Sugar Ray Leonard and Howie Long for men; pop superstar Camila Cabello for women; actors and personalities Brooke Burke-Charvet, and Kelly Brooke for men and women; elite athletes Meb and Kara Goucher; and professional golfers Matt Kuchar, Belen Mozo, and Brooke Henderson. We expect to continue to broaden the targeted demographic profile of our consumer base, increase our shelf space and to open another 75 to 85 company-owned retail locations worldwide. In addition, we expect to complete the design and begin constructing of our China distribution center by the end of 2018, which will increase our capacity to support our growth in the China market.

DEFINITIONS

Comparable sales

As part of our discussion of our results of operations, we disclose comparable store sales, which exclude the impact of e‑commerce sales. With respect to any reporting period, we define comparable store sales as sales for stores that are owned and operated for at least thirteen full calendar months as of the last day of any calendar month within the current reporting period, and include only those sales for each of the comparable full calendar months that the store is open within each period. When a store closes at the end of a lease during a reporting period, we include in comparable store sales the sales for the number of comparable full calendar months that the store was open within the reporting period. We include new stores in comparable store sales commencing with the fourteenth month of operations because we believe it provides a more meaningful comparison of operating results of months with stabilized operations, and excludes a new store’s first full calendar month of operations when operating results may not be representative for a variety of reasons.

Definitions and calculations of comparable store sales differ among companies in the retail industry, and therefore comparable store sales disclosed by us may not be comparable to the metrics disclosed by other companies.

Cost of sales or Gross margins

Our cost of sales includes the cost of footwear purchased from our manufacturers, duties, quota costs, inbound freight (including ocean, air and freight from the dock to our distribution centers), broker fees and storage costs. Because we include expenses related to our distribution network in general and administrative expenses, while some of our competitors may include expenses of this type in cost of sales, our gross margins may not be comparable and we may report higher gross margins than some of our competitors in part for this reason.

Selling expenses

Selling expenses consist primarily of the following: sales representative sample costs, sales commissions, trade shows, advertising and promotional costs, which may include television and ad production costs, and point-of-purchase costs.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist primarily of the following: salaries, wages and related taxes, various overhead costs associated with our corporate staff, stock-based compensation, domestic and international retail operations, non-selling related costs of our international operations, costs and expenses related to our distribution network for our Rancho Belago, European and other foreign distribution centers, professional fees related to both legal and accounting services, insurance, depreciation and amortization, asset impairment and legal settlements, among other expenses. Our distribution network-related costs are included in general and administrative expenses and are not allocated to specific segments.

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YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017 COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016

Net sales

Net sales for 2017 were $4.164 billion, which was an increase of $600.9 million, or 16.9%, compared to net sales of $3.563 billion for 2016. The increase in net sales was broad based across all our segments with the largest increases coming from our international businesses.  

Our domestic wholesale net sales increased $49.5 million, or 4.1%, to $1.249 billion for 2017 compared to $1.200 billion for 2016. The increase in our domestic wholesale segment’s net sales was primarily the result of a 7.8% unit sales volume increase to 56.5 million pairs in 2017 from 52.4 million pairs in 2016, which was partially offset by a decrease in average selling price per pair of 3.4%, to $22.11 per pair for 2017 from $22.89 in 2016. This net sales increase was attributable to higher sales in our Men’s Sport, Men’s U.S.A., Cali, You, and Kid’s divisions during 2017. The average selling price per pair decrease within the domestic wholesale segment was primarily the result of product sales mix with lower average selling prices.

Our international wholesale segment net sales increased $338.7 million, or 24.3%, to $1.730 billion for 2017 compared to sales of $1.391 billion for 2016. Our international wholesale sales consist of direct sales by our foreign subsidiaries – those sales we make to department stores and specialty retailers – and sales to our distributors, who in turn sell to retailers in various international regions where we do not sell directly. Direct sales by our foreign subsidiaries, including our joint ventures, increased $311.3 million, or 28.6%, to $1.399 billion for 2017 compared to sales of $1.088 billion for 2016. The largest sales increases during the year came from our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, and our joint ventures in China and Korea. The increases are primarily attributable to sales of our Women’s and Men’s Go, Women’s Active and Men’s and Women’s Sport lines. Our distributor sales increased $27.4 million, or 9.0%, to $330.6 million for 2017, compared to sales of $303.2 million for 2016. This was primarily attributable to increased sales to our distributors in Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, and Turkey.

Our retail segment sales increased $212.8 million to $1.185 billion for the year ended December 31, 2017, a 21.9% increase over sales of $972.2 million for 2016. The increase in retail sales was primarily attributable to increased comparable sales of 7.2%, which included increased sales within our Men’s and Women’s Sport, Men’s U.S.A., Kid’s, and Work divisions and a net increase of 36 domestic and 39 international stores compared to 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2017, our domestic retail sales, which includes e-commerce, increased 11.9% compared to 2016, which was primarily attributable to increased domestic store count and to positive comparable domestic store sales of 6.4%, and our international retail store sales increased 50.3% compared to 2016, which was attributable to increased international store count and positive comparable international store sales of 10.1%.

We believe that we have established our presence in most major domestic retail markets. We had 449 domestic stores and 196 international retail stores as of February 15, 2018, and we currently plan to open approximately 75 to 85 stores in 2018. During 2017, we opened five new domestic concept stores, seven domestic factory outlet stores, 29 domestic warehouse outlet stores, 19 international concept stores, 16 international factory outlet stores, and four international warehouse outlet stores  During 2017, we closed five domestic concept stores. We periodically review all of our stores for impairment. During 2017 and 2016, we did not record an impairment charge related to our retail stores.

Gross profit

Gross profit for 2017 increased $304.3 million, or 18.6% to $1.939 billion from $1.635 billion for 2016. Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, or gross margin, increased slightly to 46.6% in 2017 from 45.9% for 2016. Our domestic wholesale segment gross profit increased $10.5 million, or 2.3%, to $464.6 million for 2017 from $454.1 million for 2016, which was attributable to an increase in pairs sold of 7.8%. Domestic wholesale margins decreased to 37.2% for 2017 from 37.8% for 2016. The decrease in domestic wholesale margins was primarily attributable to a product sales mix with lower average selling prices.

Gross profit for our international wholesale segment increased $170.6 million, or 27.7%, to $786.7 million for 2017 compared to $616.1 million for 2016. Gross margins for the international wholesale segment were 45.5% for 2017 compared to 44.3% for 2016. Gross margins for our international direct subsidiary sales, including our joint ventures, were 50.0% for 2017 as compared to 49.3% for 2016. The increase in gross margins for our international wholesale segment and international direct subsidiary sales were primarily attributable to sales of products with higher average selling prices. Gross margins for our international distributor sales were 26.3% for 2017 as compared to 26.2% for 2016.

Gross profit for our retail segment increased $123.2 million, or 21.8%, to $687.6 million for 2017 as compared to $564.4 million for 2016. Gross margins for all stores were 58.0% for 2017 compared to 58.1% for 2016. Gross margins for our domestic stores were 59.7% for 2017 as compared to 60.1% for 2016. Gross margins for our international stores were 54.5% for 2017 as compared to 52.3% for 2016. The decrease in our domestic retail margins were attributable to a product sales mix with lower average selling prices.

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Selling expenses

Selling expenses increased by $70.1 million, or 27.3%, to $327.2 million for 2017 from $257.1 million for 2016. As a percentage of net sales, selling expenses were 7.9% and 7.2% for 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in selling expenses was primarily the result of increased sales commissions of $22.7 million due to increased sales worldwide and $13.2 million from our South Korean joint‑venture and $47.3 million in higher advertising expenses, which slightly increased as a percentage of net sales to 5.8% in 2017 from 5.5% in 2016.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses increased by $224.7 million, or 22.0%, to $1.245 billion for 2017 from $1.021 billion for 2016. As a percentage of sales, general and administrative expenses were 29.9% and 28.6% for 2017 and 2016, respectively. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to $109.5 million related to supporting our growing international operations in China, Japan, South Korea and Latin America, increased store operating costs of $73.8 million primarily attributable to an additional 75 stores and increased domestic wholesale general and administrative expenses of $41.4 million primarily due to increased headcount in the United States to support our brand worldwide. In addition, expenses related to our distribution network, including the functions of purchasing, receiving, inspecting, allocating, warehousing and packaging of our products increased $32.3 million, due to increased shipments, to $219.6 million from $187.3 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Other income (expense)

Interest income was $2.4 million for 2017 compared to $1.2 million for 2016. Interest expense for 2017 increased $0.4 million to $6.7 million compared to $6.3 million in 2016. Gain or loss on foreign currency transactions for 2017 increased $11.3 million to a gain of $6.3 million compared to a $5.0 million loss in 2016. This increased foreign currency exchange gain was primarily attributable to the impact of a weaker U.S. dollar on our intercompany balances in our foreign subsidiaries. Loss on disposal of assets for 2017 decreased $0.5 million to a loss of $0.6 million as compared to a loss of $1.1 million in 2016.

Income taxes

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”). The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code that affected our financial results for the year ended December 31, 2017, including, but not limited to: (1) requiring a one-time Transition Tax, payable over eight years, on certain unrepatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries; (2) a future reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% that affects the current value of our deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”); and (3) bonus depreciation that allows for full expensing of qualified property placed in service after September 27, 2017. In addition, the Tax Act establishes new tax laws that will affect our financial results for the year ending December 31, 2018, including, but not limited to: (1) a reduction of the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; (2) a general elimination of U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; (3) a new provision designed to tax global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”); (4) limitations on the deductibility of certain executive compensation; and (5) limitations on the use of Federal Tax Credit (“FTC’s”) to reduce the U.S. income tax liability.

The SEC staff issued SAB 118, which provides guidance on accounting for the tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from the Tax Act enactment date for us to complete the accounting under Accounting Standards Codification 740 (“ASC 740”). In accordance with SAB 118, we must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. To the extent that our accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Act is incomplete but we are able to determine a reasonable estimate, we must record a provisional estimate in the financial statements. If we cannot determine a provisional estimate to be included in the financial statements, we should continue to apply ASC 740 on the basis of the provisions of the tax laws that were in effect immediately before the enactment of the Tax Act.

In connection with our initial analysis of the impact of the Tax Act, we have recorded a provisional one-time net tax expense of $99.9 million for the year-ended December 31, 2017. This net tax expense primarily consists of the $1.9 million net tax impact to our DTA’s from the corporate rate reduction and a net expense for the Transition Tax of $98.0 million. For various reasons that are discussed more fully below, we have not completed our accounting for the income tax effects of certain elements of the Tax Act. If we were able to make reasonable estimates of the effects of elements for which our analysis is not yet complete, we recorded provisional adjustments.

Our accounting for the following elements of the Tax Act is provisional. However, we were able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects and, therefore, recorded the following provisional adjustments:

Transition Tax: The Transition Tax is a one-time tax on previously untaxed current and accumulated earnings and profits (“E&P”) of certain of our foreign subsidiaries. To determine the amount of the Transition Tax, we must determine, in addition to other factors, the amount of post-1986 E&P of the relevant subsidiaries, as well as the amount of non-U.S. income taxes paid on such earnings. We were able to make a reasonable estimate of the Transition Tax and recorded a provisional Transition Tax liability of

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$98.0 million. However, during the measurement period, we are continuing to gather additional information to more precisely compute the amount of the Transition Tax.

Reduction of U.S. federal corporate tax rate: The Tax Act reduces the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. As a result, we have recorded a provisional decrease in value of our net DTAs of $1.9 million, with a corresponding net adjustment to deferred income tax expense of $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2017. While we are able to make a reasonable estimate of the impact of the reduction in the corporate tax rate, it may be affected by other analyses related to the Tax Act, including, but not limited to, our calculation of deemed repatriation of deferred foreign income and the state tax effect of adjustments made to federal temporary differences.

Cost recovery: While we have completed most of the computations necessary and are in the process of completing a final inventory of our 2017 expenditures that qualify for immediate expensing, we have recorded a decrease in our current income tax payable of approximately $5.9 million based on our provisional estimates related to the additional federal expense allowed as a result of the Tax Act. In addition, we have recorded a corresponding increase in our DTLs of approximately $3.5 million, which is less than the $5.9 million liability amount due to the reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. The $2.4 million net benefit from the reduction in the future tax rate is included in the $1.9 million decrease in value of the net DTAs discussed above.

Our provision for income tax expense and our effective income tax rate are significantly impacted by the mix of our domestic and foreign earnings (loss) before income taxes. In the non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we have operations, the applicable statutory rates are generally significantly lower than in the U.S., ranging from 0% to 34%. Our provision for income tax expense was calculated using the applicable statutory income tax rate for each jurisdiction applied to our pre-tax earnings (loss) in each jurisdiction, while our effective tax rate is calculated by dividing income tax expense by earnings (loss) before income taxes.

Our earnings (loss) before income taxes and income tax expense for 2017, 2016 and 2015 are as follows (in thousands):

For 2017, the effective tax rate was lower than the U.S. federal and state combined statutory rate of approximately 39%, primarily because of earnings from foreign operations in jurisdictions imposing either lower tax rates on corporate earnings or no corporate income tax. During 2017, as reflected in the table above, earnings (loss) before income taxes in the U.S. were $25.6 million, with income tax expense of $113.6 million, which is an average rate of 443%. The U.S. tax expense includes a provisional one-time tax expense of $99.9 million related to the enactment of the Tax Act on December 22, 2017. Earnings (loss) before income taxes in non-U.S. jurisdictions were $358.6 million, with an aggregate income tax expense of $35.5 million, which is an average rate of 9.9%. Combined, this results in consolidated earnings before income taxes for the period of $384.3 million, and consolidated income tax expense for the period of $149.2 million, resulting in an effective tax rate of 38.8%. For 2017, of our $358.6 million in earnings before income tax earned outside the U.S., $198.0 million was earned in Jersey, which does not impose a tax on corporate earnings. In Jersey,

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earnings before income taxes increased by $51.1 million, or 35%, to $198.0 million in 2017 from $146.9 million in 2016. This increase was primarily attributable to an increase of $435.6 million in net sales in the “Other international” geographic area for 2017 (see Note 18 – Segment and Geographic Reporting in our consolidated financial statements included under Part II, Item 8 of this annual report), which resulted in a significant increase in earnings before income taxes in Jersey from royalties and commissions under the terms of inter-subsidiary agreements.  Due to the scalability of our operations, increases in net sales in the “Other international” geographic area from 2016 to 2017 resulted in a disproportionately greater increase in earnings before income taxes in Jersey.  In addition, there were foreign losses of $17.4 million for which no tax benefit was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2017 because of the provision of offsetting valuation allowances, but in which $3.3 million in nonrefundable and other withholding taxes were paid. Individually, none of the other foreign jurisdictions included in “Other jurisdictions” in the table above had earnings greater than 5% of our consolidated earnings (loss) before taxes in any of the years shown.

As of December 31, 2017, we had approximately $736.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, of which $391.6 million, or 53.2%, was held outside the U.S. Of the $391.6 million held by our non-U.S. subsidiaries, approximately $227.5 million is available for repatriation to the U.S. without incurring U.S. income taxes and applicable non-U.S. income and withholding taxes in excess of the amounts accrued in our consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2017.

We believe our cash and cash equivalents held in the U.S. and cash provided from operations are sufficient to meet our liquidity needs in the U.S. for the next twelve months, and we do not expect to repatriate any of the funds presently designated as indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S. However, in anticipation of the needs of our share repurchase program and the need to provide payment of our provisional Transition Tax liability, we plan to begin the repatriation of certain funds held outside the U.S. for which tax has been fully provided as of December 31, 2017. Because of the need for cash for operating capital and continued overseas expansion, we also do not foresee the need for any of our foreign subsidiaries to distribute funds up to an intermediate foreign parent company in any form of taxable dividend. Under current applicable tax laws, if we chose to repatriate some or all of the funds we have designated as indefinitely reinvested outside the U.S., the amount repatriated would not be subject to U.S. income taxes but may be subject to applicable non-U.S. income and withholding taxes. As of December 31, 2017, U.S. income taxes have been provided but non-U.S. income taxes have not been provided on cumulative total earnings of $178.8 million. As of December 31, 2016, U.S. and non-U.S. income taxes have not been provided on cumulative total earnings of $699.6 million.

Non-controlling interest in net income and loss of consolidated subsidiaries

Net earnings attributable to non-controlling interest for 2017 increased $14.0 million to $55.9 million as compared to $41.9 million for 2016 due to increased profitability of our joint ventures. Non-controlling interest represents the share of net earnings or loss that is attributable to our joint venture partners.

YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2016 COMPARED TO THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2015

Net sales

Net sales for 2016 were $3.563 billion, which was an increase of $416.0 million, or 13.2%, compared to net sales of $3.147 billion for 2015. The increase in net sales was primarily from our international wholesale and retail segments offset by a decrease in our domestic wholesale segment.

Our domestic wholesale net sales decreased $20.0 million, or 1.6%, to $1.200 billion for 2016 compared to $1.220 billion for 2015. The decrease in our domestic wholesale segment’s net sales was primarily the result of average selling price per pair decreasing 2.7%, to $22.89 per pair for 2016 from $23.53 for 2015, which was partially offset by a 1.1% unit sales volume increase to 52.4 million pairs in 2016 from 51.8 million pairs in 2015. This net sales decrease was also attributable to lower sales in our Women’s and Men’s Go, Women’s Active and Men’s USA divisions which was partially offset by increases in our Men’s and Women’s Sport and Work divisions during 2016. The average selling price per pair decrease within the domestic wholesale segment was primarily the result of decreased selling prices for our Women’s GO and Women’s Active divisions.

Our international wholesale segment net sales increased $296.8 million, or 27.1%, to $1.391 billion for 2016 compared to sales of $1.094 billion for 2015. Direct sales by our foreign subsidiaries increased $319.8 million, or 41.6%, to $1.088 billion for 2016 compared to sales of $768.2 million for 2015. The largest sales increases during the year came from our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain, and our joint ventures in China and Hong Kong. The increases are primarily attributable to sales of our Women’s and Men’s Go, Women’s Active and Men’s and Women’s Sport lines. Our distributor sales decreased $23.0 million, or 7.0%, to $303.2 million for 2016, compared to sales of $326.2 million for 2015. This was primarily attributable to decreased sales to our distributors in Australia and New Zealand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”) and South Korea, which was transitioned from a distributor to a joint-venture in 2016.

Our retail segment sales increased $139.1 million to $972.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016, a 16.7% increase over sales of $833.1 million for 2015. The increase in retail sales was primarily attributable to increased comparable sales of 4.1%,

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which included increased sales within our Men’s and Women’s Go, Men’s and Women’s Sport, and Work divisions and a net increase of 23 domestic and 30 international stores compared to 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2016, our domestic retail sales, which includes e-commerce, increased 9.7% compared to 2015, which was primarily attributable to increased domestic store count and to positive comparable domestic store sales of 2.2% and, and our international retail store sales increased 42.6% compared to 2015, which was attributable to increased international store count and positive comparable international store sales of 11.8%.  

During 2016, we opened four new domestic concept stores, eight domestic factory outlet stores, 18 domestic warehouse outlet stores, 21 international concept stores, and 10 international factory outlet stores. We also took over the operations of three international concept stores and 11 international outlet stores from our distributor in South Korea. During 2016, we closed six domestic concept stores, one domestic warehouse store and one international concept store.

Gross profit

Gross profit for 2016 increased $210.6 million to $1.635 billion from $1.424 billion for 2015. Gross profit, as a percentage of net sales, or gross margin, increased slightly to 45.9% in 2016 from 45.2% for 2015. Our domestic wholesale segment gross profit decreased $17.0 million, or 3.6%, to $454.1 million for 2016 from $471.1 million for 2015, which was attributable to decreased sales volumes and selling prices. Domestic wholesale margins decreased to 37.8% for 2016 from 38.6% for 2015. The decrease in domestic wholesale margins was primarily attributable to lower margins in our Women’s GO and Women’s Active lines.

Gross profit for our international wholesale segment increased $161.4 million, or 35.5%, to $616.1 million for 2016 compared to $454.7 million for 2015. Gross margins for the international wholesale segment were 44.3% for 2016 compared to 41.5% for 2015. Gross margins for our international direct subsidiary sales were 49.3% for 2016 as compared to 47.2% for 2015. The increase in gross margins for our international wholesale segment and international direct subsidiary sales were primarily attributable to sales of products with higher average selling prices. Gross margins for our international distributor sales decreased to 26.2% for 2016 as compared to 28.1% for 2015 primarily from sales of products with lower average selling prices.

Gross profit for our retail segment increased $66.2 million, or 13.3%, to $564.4 million for 2016 as compared to $498.2 million for 2015. Gross margins for all stores were 58.1% for 2016 compared to 59.8% for 2015. Gross margins for our domestic stores were 60.1% for 2016 as compared to 61.5% for 2015. Gross margins for our international stores were 52.3% for 2016 as compared to 53.4% for 2015. The decrease in our retail margins were primarily attributable to lower margins in our Women’s GO, Women’s Active and Women’s USA products.

Selling expenses

Selling expenses increased by $21.5 million, or 9.1%, to $257.1 million for 2016 from $235.6 million for 2015. As a percentage of net sales, selling expenses were 7.2% and 7.5% for 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase in selling expenses was primarily the result of $26.3 million in higher advertising expenses, which slightly increased as a percentage of net sales to 5.5% in 2016 from 5.4% in 2015.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses increased by $171.5 million, or 20.2%, to $1.021 billion for 2016 from $849.3 million for 2015. As a percentage of sales, general and administrative expenses were 28.6% and 27.0% for 2016 and 2015, respectively. The increase in general and administrative expenses was primarily attributable to $81.9 million related to supporting our growing international operations in China, Japan, South Korea and Latin America, increased store operating costs of $70.5 million primarily attributable to an additional 53 stores and increased domestic wholesale general and administrative expenses of $19.1 million primarily due to increased headcount in the United States to support our brand worldwide. In addition, expenses related to our distribution network, including the functions of purchasing, receiving, inspecting, allocating, warehousing and packaging of our products increased $20.0 million, due to increased shipments, to $187.3 million from $167.3 million for 2016 and 2015, respectively.

Other income (expense)

Interest income was $1.2 million for 2016 compared to $0.7 million for 2015. Interest expense for 2016 decreased $4.4 million to $6.3 million compared to $10.7 million in 2015. The decrease was primarily due to decreased interest expense of $3.0 million primarily attributable to our domestic distribution center equipment loans being paid in December 2015 and June 2016. Loss on foreign currency transactions for 2016 decreased $1.6 million to $5.0 million compared to $6.6 million in 2015. This decreased foreign currency exchange loss was primarily attributable to the impact of a stronger U.S. dollar on our intercompany balances in our

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foreign subsidiaries. Loss on disposal of assets for 2016 increased $0.4 million to a loss of $1.1 million as compared to a loss of $0.7 million in 2015.

Income taxes

Our provision for income tax expense and our effective income tax rate are significantly impacted by the mix of our domestic and foreign earnings (loss) before income taxes. In the non-U.S. jurisdictions in which we have operations, the applicable statutory rates are generally significantly lower than in the U.S., ranging from 0% to 34%. Our provision for income tax expense was calculated using the applicable statutory income tax rate for each jurisdiction applied to our pre-tax earnings (loss) in each jurisdiction, while our effective tax rate is calculated by dividing income tax expense by earnings (loss) before income taxes.

Our earnings (loss) before income taxes and income tax expense for 2016, 2015 and 2014 are as follows (in thousands):