SKECHERS Named Company of the Year by Footwear Plus
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), the second highest buzz ranked and buzz improver in the footwear and apparel sector in 2014*, today announced that it has been named 2014 Company of the Year by the trade publication Footwear Plus at its annual Plus Awards. This marks the sixth time that SKECHERS has been honored with the top Plus Award and follows a Company of the Year win from Footwear News at the FN Achievement Awards in December.
The 16th Annual Plus Awards, which were presented yesterday at the FFaNY Industry Appreciation Party in New York City, are nominated and voted on by footwear retailers nationwide in recognition of the industry’s most compelling product offerings.
“We are incredibly honored to be recognized with the Company of the Year award from Footwear Plus for the sixth time—capping off what has proven to be a banner year for SKECHERS,” began Michael Greenberg, president of SKECHERS. “The awards that have been bestowed on SKECHERS for 2014 are a testament to the hard work of our entire team in elevating the company with innovative, stylish and comfortable footwear that’s in-demand around the globe. We’re positioned to continue defying expectations moving full throttle in 2015 with more great product that meets the needs of consumers and our amazing partners throughout the world.”
“SKECHERS has been a fixture at the Plus Awards over the years—returning again and again thanks to new and exciting ideas and products that transcend expectations,” added Greg Dutter, Editorial Director of Footwear Plus magazine. “The Company is the definition of industry leader and knows how to constantly reinvent and evolve to meet the changing needs of consumers around the globe. SKECHERS delivered expertly on relevance in 2014 and we look forward to watching this Company connect with more new consumers in the years ahead.”
SKECHERS’ previous Footwear Plus awards include the Company of the Year Award in 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009 and 2010, and Plus Awards for Design Excellence in 2000 for Young Women’s Fashion, in 2001 for Women’s Streetwear, 2002 for Kids’ Fashion, and in 2013 for the Running and Children’s categories. SKECHERS also won Plus Awards for Design Excellence in Men’s Streetwear in 2005 and 2006 for its fashion brand Marc Ecko.
SKECHERS offers two distinct footwear categories: a lifestyle division which offers comfort-focused trend-right product for men, women and kids including Relaxed Fit®, Skechers Memory Foam footwear and the philanthropic line BOBS from SKECHERS, and the Skechers Performance Division which includes Skechers GOrun and Skechers GOwalk footwear.
Celebrity product endorsees for SKECHERS' collections include legendary drummer Ringo Starr, multi-platinum recording artist Demi Lovato, model and actress Kelly Brook, TV personality Brooke Burke-Charvet, legendary quarterbacks Joe Montana and Joe Namath, baseball stars Pete Rose and Mariano Rivera, as well as The Voice winner Danielle Bradbery. In addition, elite marathon champion and Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, elite runner Kara Goucher, and pro golfers Matt Kuchar and Belén Mozo represent the Skechers Performance Division.
*Source: YouGov Annual Brand Index for 2014
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 100 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,000 SKECHERS retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and 12 wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit skechers.com and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company’s future growth, financial results and operations, its development of new products, future demand for its products and growth opportunities, its planned opening of new stores, advertising and marketing initiatives, and the expansion and automation plans for the Company’s European Distribution Center. Forward-looking statements 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. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the ongoing global economic slowdown and market instability; entry into the highly competitive performance footwear market; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers, decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in the Company’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014. The risks included here are not exhaustive. The Company operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and the companies cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can the companies assess the impact of all such risk factors on their respective businesses or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jennifer Clay, 310-937-1326
Source: SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Released Feb 4, 2015 • 9:00 am EST