MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skechers Performance Division announced today that seven-time PGA TOUR champion Matt Kuchar—currently ranked 5th in the world—will be the first brand ambassador and face of the Skechers GOgolf line. The multi-year partnership will feature Kuchar in a global Skechers GOgolf advertising campaign that covers TV, print, digital and outdoor mediums. Skechers Performance Division will also collaborate with Matt Kuchar on a namesake signature shoe line.
“We are excited to announce the addition of Matt Kuchar to the Skechers Performance Division as we expand the Skechers GOgolf line,” said Robert Greenberg, SKECHERS Chief Executive Officer. “Aligning with Matt is key to our overall growth strategy for the Performance Division and we know he will play an integral role in building brand awareness with both consumers as well as the discerning golf community.”
As one of the most respected golfers in the sport, Kuchar’s accomplishments are noteworthy. After bursting on to the golf scene with his trademark smile at the 1998 Masters as the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, he has claimed seven titles on the PGA Tour and is a perennial fixture atop tournament leaderboards. His 2013 season was a banner year, as he earned two PGA Tour titles and helped the U.S. squad win the Presidents Cup.
“Whether competing or practicing, I’m on my feet for hours, so the comfort and performance of my shoes is a critical factor in my success,” Kuchar said. “In trying out the GOgolf line, I was really pleased both with the shoe and with the Skechers Performance Division team. Their attention to detail and expertise in performance footwear is impressive.”
“Matt brings a great deal of knowledge to our product development,” added Rick Higgins, VP of Merchandising/Marketing, Skechers Performance Division. “He offers all the qualities we look for in a brand ambassador so we’re thrilled to partner with him on our Skechers GOgolf line. We work closely with our elite athletes to build innovative footwear and Matt’s insight will help infuse our existing award-winning technologies into our golf offering.”
This announcement marks the third elite, high-profile professional athlete to join the Skechers Performance Division. On board since 2011, champion marathoner and Olympic medalist Meb Keflezighi recently extended his agreement by three years through 2016 and elite distance runner Kara Goucher signed on in May.
Driven by messaging that builds on the success of the award-winning Skechers GOrun and GOwalk platforms, Skechers GOgolf marketing initiatives will continue to emphasize a grassroots strategy with event sponsorships, product demonstrations and tradeshows to target the professional and recreational golf community. Skechers Performance Division is known for developing products that combine high-performance technology and innovation with unparalleled comfort, and Skechers GOgolf follows suit, bringing advanced footwear to the fairway that is built for functionality and comfort on and off the green.
The success and expansion of the Skechers Performance Division comes at a time when SKECHERS ranks as the 3rd largest athletic shoe company in the U.S.* and was recently named the “the hottest major (footwear) brand in the U.S.” by Princeton Retail Analysis.**
Skechers GOgolf shoes are available for men and women at SKECHERS retail stores, select retailers including golf pro shops and online. Learn more at SkechersGOrun.com and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SkechersPerformance), Twitter (twitter.com/skechersGO) and Instagram (instagram.com/skechersperformance).
For more information and interview opportunities please contact Jolene Abbott at 310.318.3100 x4839 or jolenea@skechers.com.
*Sportscan Data May 2014
**Matt Powell, April 2014 Footwear Overview
ABOUT SKECHERS USA, INC.
SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE: SKX), based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear for men, women and children under the SKECHERS name. 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 Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan and across Europe, as well as through joint ventures in Asia. For more information, please visit www.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, and its planned opening of new stores, advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will 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 the resignation of the Company’s former independent registered public accounting firm, and its withdrawal of its audit reports with respect to certain of the Company’s historical financial statements; international, national and local general economic, political and market conditions including the ongoing global economic slowdown and market instability; consumer preferences and rapid changes in technology in 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 quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, 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.
