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Skechers’ link with LA Marathon part of push toward serious runners

Known best for its fashion and lifestyle footwear, shoe brand Skechers hopes to grow its credibility in the running market with its title sponsorship of the Los Angeles Marathon.

The multiyear deal is valued at seven figures annually. Skechers already sponsors the Chevron Houston Marathon, Bolder Boulder 10K and Eversource Hartford Marathon, as well as elite runners Meb Keflezighi and Kara Goucher.

Skechers also uses a deal with elite runner Meb Keflezighi to show that it plans to stay an active part of the sport.
Photo by: Getty Images
“We want to expose runners to our brand,” said Rick Higgins, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing of the Skechers Performance brand. “Los Angeles gives us an opportunity to really blanket the town and have an international presence.”

While Skechers has not finalized its event activation or chosen a creative agency for the Feb. 14 race, Higgins said the company is working on an accelerated pace to prepare. Skechers recently filmed television spots starring Keflezighi and Goucher for the event, Higgins said. The brand also is working with its local retail partners to create in-store promotions.

Skechers has approximately 25 branded retail stores in the greater Los Angeles area, in addition to dozens of big box and specialty retail partners, Higgins said.

Skechers replaces Asics, which held title position in 2014 and 2015. Tracey Russell, CEO of the Los Angeles Marathon, said Skechers’ bid “made economic sense.” The company’s international footprint also was enticing.

“They have 1,200 retail partners globally — that’s a big footprint,” Russell said. “We want to cast a wider net in the international running space.”

Skechers entered the running market in 2010, shortly after it launched the Skechers Performance division.
Following the demise of its toning shoes, the Shape-Ups, Skechers saw an opportunity with runners and began a grassroots campaign, Higgins said. The brand opened pop-up retail tents at 130 races across the country and sponsored bloggers and amateur athletes.

In 2011, Skechers signed Keflezighi, winner of the 2009 New York City Marathon. In 2014, Keflezighi won the Boston Marathon.

The Keflezighi sponsorship gave Skechers heightened awareness with hard-core runners, said Matt Powell, a sports

industry analyst with The NPD Group. Powell said Skechers is now the No. 2 athletic shoe in U.S. retail sales behind Nike/Jordan.

In running, however, Skechers is still dwarfed by the traditional running brands Asics, Saucony and Brooks. The running industry is wary of fly-by-night brands, Powell said. The title sponsorship in Los Angeles, he said, could convince the industry that Skechers intends to stay.

“They’re still pretty small in running, and it’s going to take years for them to become established at retail,” Powell said. “The [Los Angeles Marathon] deal shows that they are willing to stay in the game.”

Fred Dreier is a writer in Colorado.

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