LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on the successful launch of its pickleball program, Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company™, is expanding its presence in this fast-growing sport through a multi-year agreement as the Official Footwear Sponsor of the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, starting with the 2023 season.
“It was less than a year ago that we launched Skechers Viper Court footwear, and the positive response from the pickleball community of athletes and fans has been phenomenal,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “After the nationally televised attention generated by the Skechers Invitational last summer, it became clear that Skechers needed to be part of the entire tour. It’s a perfect fit as our own pros Catherine Parenteau and Tyson McGuffin are PPA athletes, and an incredible opportunity to broaden our presence in the sport as we expand Skechers’ pickleball footwear offering to include new styles in 2023.”
Stops on the PPA Tour will feature activations by Skechers where spectators and athletes can experience and purchase Skechers Viper Court footwear as well as the brand’s off-court styles and apparel. In addition, staff will wear Skechers at all tournaments, and referees will be outfitted in Skechers at select major tournaments.
“Skechers is a partner we are thrilled to link up with because the brand has proven itself to be a committed promoter of the sport of pickleball,” said Connor Pardoe, CEO and commissioner of the PPA Tour. “With the help and marketing outreach commanded by a major global powerhouse brand like Skechers, we look forward to introducing America’s fastest growing sport to new fans and players around the world.”
Skechers kicked off 2022 by signing its first two elite pickleball athletes, Catherine Parenteau and Tyson McGuffin, who compete wearing Skechers Pickleball footwear and Skechers-branded apparel. The brand then introduced its pickleball collection at the 2022 US Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida in April, and has had a presence at multiple pickleball tournaments across the country.
Skechers pickleball footwear brings signature Skechers comfort and innovation to the court. The Skechers Viper Court provides responsive performance in a breathable, lightweight design. The enhanced grip and stability of the Goodyear® rubber outsole paired with a shock-absorbing Arch Fit® insole deliver comfort and support, match after match. Set to launch in 2023, the Skechers Viper Court Pro is a lighter and faster high-performance pickleball shoe designed for and worn by pros, but also suitable for everyday players looking for stability and a secure platform in their game.
Styles in the Skechers pickleball footwear collection are available at Skechers retail stores and skechers.com, as well as key retail partners and specialty shops.
About SKECHERS U.S.A., Inc.
Skechers U.S.A., Inc., The Comfort Technology Company™ based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in over 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through digital stores and 4,537 Company- and third-party-owned physical retail stores. The Company manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.
About Carvana PPA Tour
The Carvana Professional Pickleball Association is the professional tour of pickleball, organizing events and rankings for the top male and female pickleball players worldwide and awarding more than $5.5 million in annual prize money with equal play and pay. The Carvana PPA Tour is set to host 25 events in 2023 at world-class facilities like the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Riviera Country Club in California, and the Darling Tennis Center and Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Inviting all to compete and "play where the pros play," the Carvana PPA Tour offers amateur divisions of play for every level, unparalleled experiences for fans and spectators, gorgeous venues, pro player meet-and-greets, food/beverages, live entertainment, VIP upgrades, giveaways and games, shopping, vendors, and more. Founded in 2018 and based in Salt Lake City, UT, the Carvana PPA Tour is owned and operated by parent corporation, Pickleball.com. For more information, go to www.ppatour.com. See Pro Player Profiles and follow us on social: Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn.
About Pickleball.com
Pickleball.com is the online home for the combined data, content, and expertise of the largest entities in pickleball: the Carvana PPA Tour, the competitive circuit for the best professional players in the world and the host of 25 events at top venues across the country; Pickleball Tournaments and Pickleball Brackets, leaders in tournament software delivering a next-generation experience for events, leagues, and ladders; TopCourt, the premier provider of online pickleball and tennis instruction, and Pickleball Central, the leading pickleball e-commerce platform with gear for people of all ages and levels. Officially launched in October 2022, Pickleball.com’s next evolution will be announced in early 2023 and will feature exciting upgrades, including a mobile app, expanded player features, and brand-new fan engagement opportunities. For more information and to sign up for free, visit Pickleball.com.
About Goodyear
Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 72,000 people and manufactures its products in 57 facilities in 23 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio, and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg, strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.
This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers’ future domestic and international growth, financial results and operations including expected net sales and earnings, its development of new products, future demand for its products, its planned domestic and international expansion, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, and advertising and marketing initiatives. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; delays or disruptions in our supply chain; international economic, political and market conditions including the effects of inflation and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations around the world, the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States and the impact of Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine; sustaining, managing and forecasting costs and proper inventory levels; losing any significant customers; decreased demand by industry retailers and cancellation of order commitments due to the lack of popularity of particular designs and/or categories of products; maintaining brand image and intense competition among sellers of footwear for consumers, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; anticipating, identifying, interpreting or forecasting changes in fashion trends, consumer demand for the products and the various market factors described above; sales levels during the spring, back-to-school and holiday selling seasons; and other factors referenced or incorporated by reference in Skechers’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q in 2022. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.
