Skechers enters basketball with new shoes and NBA endorsers

Skechers is bouncing into basketball with a new line of sneakers and a campaign starring NBA players Julius Randle and Terance Mann. The Los Angeles-based shoe brand announced the news today, following the official start of the NBA regular season on Tuesday. As “Skechers Basketball ambassadors,” Randle, a New York Knick, and Mann, who plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, will star in brand campaigns and wear the new sneakers when they play on the court. They were first spotted wearing Skechers at media events in early October. Also: How the NBA is marketing its new In-Season Tournament Skechers President Michael Greenberg noted in a statement that the new shoes represent the start of a “long-term investment” in basketball that will include more player partnerships. A recent report in Footwear News noted that the brand was in talks earlier this month with Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers. He most recently endorsed Under Armour. Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs Skechers’ new basketball shoes, created in two styles called the SKX Resagrip and SKX Float, will be available for sale next week. The shoes will be available in more colors later this year and in low-top versions in the spring. The basketball collection is debuting in the U.S., China and the Philippines, and Greenberg said he expects to eventually add more regions to the list. Skechers isn’t the only brand leaning into basketball. Reebok enlisted the help of former NBA stars, naming Shaquille O’Neal president of its basketball business, a newly created position, and Allen Iverson VP as the brand strengthens its standing in the sport. O’Neal will handle Reebok’s re-entry into the category and addition of new athletes to its brand roster. Yet any footwear brand vying for basketball dominance will have to conquer Nike, which holds the most sway in the sport. A recent report found that Nike basketball shoes were worn the most by NBA players during last year’s season, for example. The Portland, Oregon-based sportswear giant counts basketball players such as LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant as partners. Skechers’ entry into basketball follows its recent push into soccer with the signing in August of soccer star Harry Kane. The brand also works with golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson, pickleball players Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau and Clayton Kershaw, a Dodgers pitcher.

Skechers enters basketball with new shoes and NBA endorsers

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