SKECHERS Announces Endorsement Deal with Former NYC Marathon Winner and Olympic Medalist Meb Keflezighi
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the footwear industry and the number two athletic footwear brand in the United States*, today announced that it has signed an agreement with distance runner Meb Keflezighi to endorse SKECHERS Fitness performance footwear and apparel in a worldwide multiple-medium marketing campaign.
Keflezighi will be running in the World Marathon Majors (including the 2011 ING New York City Marathon), road races, and Olympic Trials through August 2012 exclusively in SKECHERS Fitness performance footwear featuring the Company’s innovative SmartShoe™ mid-foot strike technology for serious athletes and active enthusiasts. Keflezighi will also be consulting on the development of performance product and SKECHERS expects to coordinate the launches of exciting new competition-ready running lines with his professional racing appearances.
“SKECHERS’ new performance shoes change the way I run for the better,” said Keflezighi. “I’ve been a heel strike runner my entire life, but I am now wearing SKECHERS to maximize the efficiency of my foot strike. My shoes are my most essential piece of equipment and right now SKECHERS has the footwear I need to succeed. I’m excited to be partnering with this groundbreaking company.”
“Meb is a rock star in the running world and the fact that he trusts our revolutionary running product to carry him across the finish line is a huge win for our position in the performance arena,” added SKECHERS president Michael Greenberg. “As an Olympian and professional athlete, Meb brings real gravitas to SKECHERS performance footwear that will inspire runners around the world to experience our mid-foot strike technologies for themselves.”
Meb Keflezighi gained international attention when he beat the odds to win a silver medal in the marathon after a dramatic race at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Seventy days later, he placed second in the prestigious 2004 ING New York City Marathon. Despite a potentially career-ending injury during the 2008 Olympic Trials, Meb surprised the track and field world again by winning the 2009 ING New York City Marathon—the first American to do so in 27 years. Currently the most decorated United States distance runner, Meb is the former American record holder in the 10,000 meters, a 20-time national champion, and the greatest distance runner in UCLA history.
In 2010, Meb released his inspiring autobiography, “Run To Overcome” (Tyndale House Publishers). He’s also the founder of the MEB Foundation—an organization that promotes “Maintaining Excellent Balance” through healthy action and positive lifestyle choices to school-aged children.
SKECHERS Fitness’ campaign with Meb Keflezighi is planned for a Holiday 2011 launch, and will include print, television, outdoor, in-store and online marketing as well as event appearances for SKECHERS fitness footwear and apparel.
The SKECHERS Fitness Group™ offers athletic footwear that features numerous cutting-edge patented technologies for running, training and walking. With a wide range of styles released under Resistance, Shape-ups® and Tone-ups® lines, SKECHERS Fitness products meet the needs of everyone from the casual enthusiast to the serious athlete. Currently in development, the new performance running and training footwear will debut for Holiday 2011. Men’s and Women’s SKECHERS Fitness lines are available in sporting goods, department and specialty athletic stores around the world.
ABOUT SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name, as well as under several uniquely branded names. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States via department and specialty stores, Company-owned SKECHERS retail stores and its e-commerce website, and over 100 countries and territories through the Company’s global network of distributors and subsidiaries in Canada, Brazil, Chile, and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia. For more information, please visit www.skechers.com.
*Sporting Goods Intelligence, July 25, 2011
This announcement may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. 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. 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 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, 2010 and the Company’s quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 2011. 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 Aug 1, 2011 • 9:05 am EDT