LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Skechers brings more strength to the pitch by adding West Ham United and Ghana National Team winger Mohammed Kudus to its roster of elite players competing in Skechers Football boots. Known to fans by his nickname Star Boy, Kudus had already been seen playing in Skechers Razor—the innovative speed boot that offers agility, comfort and touch—and is now signed on as a Skechers athlete set to appear in multiplatform marketing campaigns supporting Skechers Football.
Kudus joins Team Skechers as the Company drops the Evolution Pack. The striking new colorway arrives just in time to celebrate a year since Skechers Football first entered the pitch and marks the brand’s expansion to the global market where players around the world will have access to its signature Comfort That Performs for the first time. Part of the brand’s fast evolution in the sport are the elite players who have made Skechers part of their game, including Harry Kane—who is currently competing in Skechers Football boots at the UEFA Euro 2024.
“I’ve been testing and competing in the Skechers Razor for a while now and it’s evident to me that this is the best and most comfortable boot I’ve ever worn,” said Mohammed Kudus. “It’s the right time to make it official with Skechers, and I look forward to working with their team to help introduce this incredible brand to more players as they take Skechers Football around the world.”
After developing his talent at an academy in Ghana, Kudus made his professional debut at age 18 with Danish club Nordsjælland. He later hit the global stage signing with Eredivisie club Ajax where he scored 17 goals before moving to Premier League club West Ham United in 2023. On the international stage, Kudus has scored 11 goals through 32 appearances with Ghana since 2019. His accolades include Eredivisie Team of the Month four times, and CAF (Confederation of African Football) Team of the Year as well as Ghana Footballer of the Year in 2023.
“Mohammed Kudus is a sensational player loved by fans around the world, and at age 23 is already known for his talent on the pitch, so he’s the ideal athlete for Skechers,” added Greg Smith, VP of Product Development and Merchandising for Skechers Performance. “Along with Harry Kane and our entire team of elite athletes, it’s clear that many of the best and brightest players in the world want to wear comfort that performs. Skechers Football boots offer innovation, performance and comfort that is unmatched on the pitch. As we grow our roster, we’re introducing an expanded range of boots with Academy and Youth styles this summer—a true evolution for Skechers Football going into our second season on the pitch.”
The Skechers Football range includes three Elite styles available in multiple colorways for men and women including the new Evolution Pack. The Skechers Razor is a lightweight speed boot with an explosive track-inspired design to maximize acceleration and energy return. It features a carbon-infused soleplate for responsive power and agility during play. The SKX_01 is ideal for striking the ball with a custom last meticulously crafted to optimize comfort and deliver a perfect fit for enhancing touch on the field. Both boots are available in standard low-profile with the SKX_01 also available in a high-top version.
Beyond the Elite styles, Skechers will soon introduce a new line of entry boots perfect for all levels of play with maximized performance and comfort; as well as Youth and Kids boots for the next generation of players that want to emulate their favorite stars, featuring an adaptable fit and enhanced comfort in every pair. Both ranges will be available in firm ground and turf styles.
Skechers Football launched at the start of the 2023/24 season when the brand signed Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane as the first pro to compete in the boot. Skechers has since expanded its roster with a number of Premier League athletes including Arsenal and Ukrainian National Team defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, Nottingham Forest and Swedish National Team forward Anthony Elanga, as well as additional men’s and women’s professional athletes globally.
Beyond football, the Skechers team of elite athletes competing in the brand’s performance footwear includes NBA stars Joel Embiid, Julius Randle and Terance Mann; golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson; Major League Baseball players Clayton Kershaw, Chris Taylor, Brendan Donovan, Aaron Nola, and Wade Miley; and pickleball pros Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau.
The Skechers Football collection is available at Skechers websites, select Skechers retail stores, as well as specialty football retailers worldwide. Football fans can get behind-the-scenes access to Skechers Football product launches and more by following @skechersfootball on Instagram and TikTok.
About SKECHERS U.S.A., Inc.
Skechers (NYSE:SKX), 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 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through skechers.com and approximately 5,200 Skechers retail stores. A Fortune 500® company, Skechers 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 and TikTok.
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 wars, acts of war and other conflicts around the world; 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, 2023 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q in 2024. 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.
