by | Jul 12, 2016 | Press Release
Jul 12, 2016 • 12:33 pm EDT
LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX) today announced that the Company won the Campaign of The Year Award at the Drapers Footwear Awards for its Spring 2016 Kelly Brook Skechers Memory Foam campaign. This achievement follows a year when SKECHERS has won multiple top industry awards in the United Kingdom, including Footwear Brand of the Year and Ladies Brand of the Yearat the Footwear Industry Awards in February 2016.
“We have loved sharing Kelly’s amazing campaign and her obvious passion for the brand with consumers, and are incredibly honored to receive Drapers’ recognition,” said Peter Youell, managing director of SKECHERS UK Ltd. “These awards are a testament to the strength of the SKECHERS brand in the UK and Ireland, and the ongoing support from our retail partners who reaffirm and elevate SKECHERS as a desired brand in lifestyle and fashion footwear.”
Added SKECHERS chief operating officer and chief financial officer David Weinberg: “Since SKECHERS’ start, our core philosophy has been ‘unseen, untold unsold’ – and we’ve had great success growing our brand worldwide with campaigns that pair compelling product with amazing celebrity ambassadors and aggressively advertising through TV, print, stores and social media. We believe this strategy has helped SKECHERS achieve one of our largest year-over-year dollar gains in the UK, and we look forward to launching many more campaigns for men, women and kids as we expand our reach to more consumers.”
The Drapers Footwear Awards recognize and celebrate outstanding performance, innovation and creativity among retailers, brands and individuals in this fast-paced sector, and SKECHERS won over a strong competitive field that included Jimmy Choo, Sophia Webster, Love Brands and Butterfly Twist.
The prestigious annual awards event was held on Thursday, July 1st at the London Hilton in Park Lane, supported by the British Footwear Association (BFA) and charity partner Footwear Friends.
SKECHERS offers two distinct footwear categories: a lifestyle division which offers comfort-focused trend-right product for men, women and kids including Relaxed Fit, Skechers Memory Foam footwear and the philanthropic line BOBS from SKECHERS, and the Skechers Performance Division which includes Skechers GOrun and Skechers GOwalk footwear.
Celebrity product endorsees for SKECHERS’ collections include multi-platinum recording artists Demi Lovato and Meghan Trainor, actress and model Kelly Brook, TV presenter and runner Charlie Webster, and boxing great Sugar Ray Leonard. In addition, elite marathon champion and Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi, elite runner Kara Goucher, and pro golfers Colin Montgomerie, Russell Knox, Matt Kuchar, Belén Mozo, Billy Andrade and Ashlan Ramsey represent the Skechers Performance Division.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit 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 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 and opening of new stores, the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the Company’s European distribution center, 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 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 international economic, political and market conditions including the uncertainty of sustained recovery in Europe; entry into 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, 2015 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. 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.
SKECHERS UK/Ireland
Nicola Zachariades, 01707655955
[email protected]
by | Jul 11, 2016 | Press Release
Jul 11, 2016 • 3:00 am EDT
98,500m2facility to support increased sales across Europe
LIÈGE, Belgium–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global lifestyle and performance footwear company, announces the completion of the 4th phase of an expansion to its European Distribution Center (EDC) in Belgium by an additional 26,500 m2 to a total size of approximately 98,500 m2—making it the largest company-operated DC in southern Belgium.
SKECHERS European Distribution Center in Liege, Belgium (Photo: Business Wire)
“To meet the increased demand, we are investing in our infrastructure, including improved efficiencies in our European Distribution Center, which allowed us to achieve a record 3 million pairs shipped in a month during February and 8.1 million pairs for the first quarter of 2016,” began David Weinberg, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of SKECHERS. “With the completion of our European Distribution Center expansion and with the automation to be fully completed later this year, we expect to be even more efficient in our largest market outside of the United States and prepared for continued growth in Europe.”
In April, SKECHERS reported its highest first quarter net sales in the Company’s history of $978.8 million which was primarily the result of a 47.1 percent increase in our international wholesale business over the first quarter 2015. Demand for the SKECHERS brand is at an all-time high across nearly every region where the Company distributes its product and Europe in particular has seen strong business with double digit net sales increases in the first quarter for every subsidiary with a comparable period. Highlights include Spain among the top three globally with gains on a percentage basis and the United Kingdom and Germany having the largest dollar gains.
“After outgrowing our storage capacity, we had to manage overflow beyond our facility and this new building will allow us to consolidate storage into the EDC and stabilize our logistics to meet growing needs of the European market over the longer term,” began Sophie Houtmeyers, SKECHERS EDC Vice President of Distribution Operations. “This added storage capacity also opens up space in one of our adjoining buildings for the installation of new automation technologies that have improved efficiency elsewhere in our facility. We expect these upgrades to be online by November of this year and when combined with the expansion will prepare us for the future.”
The SKECHERS EDC was opened in 2002 over a surface area of 22,500 m2. Continued growth of SKECHERS in the European market resulted in an extension of the building in 2009 with 23,000 m2 of additional space. In 2013, the volume of goods was four times higher than in 2002. The facility expanded again in 2014 to 72,000 m2 and currently employs 250 full-time equivalent workers. Prior automation technologies installed in Q1 2015 have increased efficiency and additional automation upgrades will be operating by the end of 2016. Over time it is expected that today’s announced expansion to 98,500 m2 will lead to additional hires in both white collar and blue collar positions as new capacity is utilized.
The EDC distributes product to SKECHERS’ subsidiary-managed businesses throughout Europe including wholesale accounts, more than 160 SKECHERS retail stores, e-commerce in the United Kingdom and Germany, and to a lesser extent to the Company’s distribution partners in the region.
SKECHERS also operates a 170,000 m2 LEED-Gold certified distribution center in Rancho Belago, California that serves North and South America, as well as additional smaller distribution centers around the world.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit 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 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 and opening of new stores, the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the Company’s European distribution center, 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 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 international economic, political and market conditions including the uncertainty of sustained recovery in Europe; entry into 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, 2015 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. 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.
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jennifer Clay
VP of Corporate Communications
310-937-1326
[email protected]
by | Jun 27, 2016 | Press Release
Jun 27, 2016 • 9:00 am EDT
- ITC Invalidates Converse’s Registered and Common Law Trademarks in the Chuck Taylor Midsole Design
- ITC Finds Skechers’ Twinkle Toes and Bobs Shoes Would Not Infringe in Any Event
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global footwear leader and the second largest athletic footwear brand in the United States, today announced that the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) has found that Converse’s registered and common law trademarks in the Chuck Taylor midsole design are invalid; that Skechers’ Twinkle Toes and BOBS shoes would not infringe Converse’s claimed trademarks, even if the trademarks were valid; and that Skechers can continue importing and selling its Twinkle Toes and BOBS shoes in the United States.
In October 2014, Converse sued Skechers in federal district court and in the ITC alleging that the Company’s well-known Twinkle Toes and BOBS product lines infringed Converse’s registered and common law trademarks in the Chuck Taylor midsole design. The case went to trial before the ITC in August 2015.
In a November 17, 2015 opinion, the Chief Administrative Law Judge of the ITC, the Honorable Charles E. Bullock, ruled that Skechers’ Twinkle Toes and BOBS product lines do not infringe Converse’s trademarks for the Chuck Taylor midsole. In so ruling, the Judge noted that both of the Skechers product lines feature prominent branding and that the Twinkle Toes line contains design features that “create enough differences that the shoes bearing them cannot be said to be similar to [the Chuck Taylor].” The Judge also stated that the survey evidence concluded that there was no likelihood that consumers would confuse the Skechers Twinkle Toes and BOBS designs with those of Converse’s Chuck Taylor designs. In addition, the Judge ruled that Converse has no common law trademark rights in the Chuck Taylor midsole because the design is not distinctive, not famous, and has failed to acquire secondary meaning. These portions of the Judge’s opinion were affirmed by the ITC.
The Judge also ruled that Converse’s registered trademark for the Chuck Taylor design is valid. However, this portion of the Judge’s opinion was reversed by the ITC, which invalidated Converse’s registered trademark along with Converse’s common law trademark.
The ITC thus concluded that there was no violation by Skechers of Converse’s asserted midsole trademarks and the ITC did not issue an exclusion order against Skechers or any of Skechers’ products.
“We are pleased that the ITC invalidated Converse’s claimed trademarks in the Chuck Taylor midsole design,” stated Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Countless companies, including Skechers, have used the same midsole design in canvas court-style sneakers for decades.” “We are also pleased that the ITC affirmed Judge Bullock’s conclusion that the Twinkles Toes and BOBS designs are distinctively different from the Chuck Taylor, and that there is no likelihood that consumers would ever confuse either Twinkle Toes or BOBS products with the Chuck Taylor. The decision further recognizes that Skechers investment in our distinctive designs and brand identity has helped build Twinkle Toes into a number one shoe line for young girls, and both Twinkle Toes and BOBS into household names synonymous with Skechers – not with Converse or any other brand.”
Skechers is represented in the matter by Morgan Chu, Samuel Lu, Jane Wald, Melissa Rabbani, and Grace Chen of Irell & Manella; Jeffrey Barker of O’Melveny & Myers; and Barbara Murphy of Foster, Murphy, Altman & Nickel.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit 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 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 and opening of new stores, the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the Company’s European distribution center, 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 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 international economic, political and market conditions including the uncertainty of sustained recovery in Europe; entry into 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, 2015 and its quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2016. 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.
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jennifer Clay
VP of Corporate Communications
310-937-1326
by | Jun 7, 2016 | Press Release
Jun 7, 2016 • 9:05 am EDT
Skechers Performance to Remain the Official Footwear and Apparel Sponsor through 2019
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Skechers Performance, a division of SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), is pleased to announce a partnership extension with the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Half Marathon. With the new deal, Skechers Performance will remain the official footwear and apparel sponsor of the Houston race through 2019.
Official Skechers Performance race merchandise at the Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon. (Photo: Business Wire)
The new agreement provides Skechers Performance with a larger footprint at the Memorial Hermann IRONMAN Sports Medicine Institute EXPO, located at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The expanded booth space will allow Skechers Performance to display additional footwear styles as well as increase apparel offerings and provide participants with fun engagement activities. Skechers Performance will also have increased marketing during race weekend, which will include amplified brand visibility along the racecourse and branding at the nearby Hilton Americas Houston hotel. Furthermore, the Company will have a presence at We Are Houston RunFest on Discovery Green during race weekend, with consumer engagement and giveaways.
“Sponsoring the Chevron Houston Marathon has been a fantastic partnership,” said Rick Higgins, SVP, Merchandising/Marketing, Skechers Performance. “It’s a high quality race and over the years we’ve been able to meet and engage with countless runners to introduce our brand at a high level. We’re proud to continue our sponsorship with the Houston Marathon Committee and be a part of the weekend event.”
Each year, the official Skechers Performance line includes footwear and apparel to commemorate the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon with customized logos and corresponding color pallets. Additionally, Skechers Performance continues to support the Houston Marathon Foundation by outfitting 100 children with performance running shoes and tech shirts. The company will also design and provide the finisher shirts and outfit official race volunteers, the race committee, Hilton Americas Houston hotel staff, and the local ABC 13 news affiliate. Skechers Performance will further support awareness of the race via print, TV and digital marketing.
“Partnering with Skechers Performance and working with their team over the past three years has been an absolute joy, and we could not be more proud to announce this extension,” said Wade Morehead, Executive Director of the Houston Marathon Committee and Houston Marathon Foundation. “The Skechers Performance team does more each year to enhance the participant experience at our event with improved products, strong customer engagement, year-round event promotion, and first-class hospitality. We are truly excited to continue this partnership.”
Registration is open for the January 15, 2017 Chevron Houston Marathon and Aramco Houston Half Marathon and will remain open until all 27,000 entries are sold. To learn more about the marathon and to register, visit www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com.
Skechers Performance designs and manufactures innovative, technical, athletic footwear—including the new Skechers GOrun 4 – 2016™—which recently won the prestigious “Editor’s Choice” award from Runner’s World magazine. To learn more about Skechers Performance visit www.GOSkechers.com or follow 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 [email protected].
ABOUT SKECHERS USA, INC.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS Company-owned and third-party retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit 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 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 and opening of new stores, the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the Company’s European Distribution Center, 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 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 international economic, political and market conditions including the uncertainty of sustained recovery in Europe; entry into 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, 2015. 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.
About the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc.
Established in 1972, the Houston Marathon Committee, Inc. (HMC) annually organizes the nation’s premier winter marathon, half-marathon, and 5K. Over 250,000 participants, volunteers and spectators make Chevron Houston Marathon Race Day the largest single-day sporting event in Houston. A founding member of Running USA, the HMC is an IAAF bronze level event that retained Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport and was awarded the AIMS Green Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives. Race Weekend generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually. In 2016, the Run for a Reason Charity Program raised $2.3 million, while the Houston Marathon Foundation supported youth and community running initiatives. Televised annually by broadcast partner ABC13, 2016 was the first time that the event was syndicated live nationally and internationally on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network. Host to 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and the 1992 women’s Olympic Trials Marathon, the HMC also conducted the 2012 men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jolene Abbott, 310-318-3100 x4839
[email protected]
by | May 18, 2016 | Press Release
May 18, 2016 • 4:00 pm EDT
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the lifestyle and performance footwear industry and the number two footwear brand in the United States, today announced that David Weinberg, the Company’s Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, will present at the 17th Annual B. Riley Investor Conference on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at 11:00 AM PT at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
The audio portion of the presentation will be available live by visiting the ‘Investor Relations’ section of the Company’s Website at www.skx.com. A replay of the audio will be accessible on the site for 90 days following the live presentation.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS Company-owned and third-party retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit skechers.com and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/SKECHERS) and Twitter (twitter.com/SKECHERSUSA).
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
David Weinberg, 310-318-3100
Chief Operating Officer/
Chief Financial Officer
or
Investor Relations:
Addo Communications
Andrew Greenebaum, 310-829-5400
by | Apr 27, 2016 | Press Release
Apr 27, 2016 • 10:36 am EDT
MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– SKECHERS USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), a global leader in the lifestyle and performance footwear industry and the number two footwear brand in the United States, today announced that it filed a lawsuit against Eliya, Inc., maker of Bernie Mev footwear, for marketing and distributing footwear that infringes on its popular Skech-Air® by SKECHERS® product line.
Skech-Air® by SKECHERS® and Bernie Mev outsole design (Photo: Business Wire)
The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, seeks compensatory and punitive damages as well as injunctive relief for infringing on multiple SKECHERS’ patents and the unique Skech-Air by SKECHERS trade dress and for breaching a prior settlement agreement between the parties relating to the Skech-Air by SKECHERS footwear design. The suit states that Eliya is selling the infringing products as part of its Bernie Mev Gummies collection.
“SKECHERS has invested tremendous resources into designing, developing, advertising and patenting our Skech-Air by SKECHERS product lines and has built them into a name and look globally recognized and synonymous with SKECHERS,” stated David Weinberg, chief operating officer and chief financial officer of SKECHERS. “We confronted Eliya about the Bernie Mev Gummies styles last fall when we saw them advertised and they represented to us that they made no sales of the infringing products in the United States and would not do so. However, the infringing Bernie Mev footwear is now in domestic sales channels where the SKECHERS products are sold, and we believe this is impacting our brand image and sales. Considering our investment in the Skech-Air by SKECHERS product lines, including national advertising campaigns, we will not allow anyone to infringe on our valuable intellectual properties. We plan on taking similar action against any company that develops any products that infringe on the patents and trade dress of the Skech-Air by SKECHERS product line or any of our other popular product lines, and any retailer that sells the Bernie Mev Gummies style.”
SKECHERS is being represented in the suit by Marshall Lerner and Vivian Wang of Kleinberg & Lerner in Los Angeles.
About SKECHERS USA, Inc.
SKECHERS USA, Inc., based in Manhattan Beach, California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, as well as performance footwear for men and women. SKECHERS footwear is available in the United States and over 160 countries and territories worldwide via department and specialty stores, more than 1,410 SKECHERS Company-owned and third-party retail stores, and the Company’s e-commerce website. The Company manages its international business through a network of global distributors, joint venture partners in Asia, and wholly-owned subsidiaries in Brazil, Canada, Chile, Japan, Latin America and throughout Europe. For more information, please visit 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 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 and opening of new stores, the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the Company’s European Distribution Center, 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 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 international economic, political and market conditions including the uncertainty of sustained recovery in Europe; entry into 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, 2015. 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.
SKECHERS USA, Inc.
Jennifer Clay
310-937-1326
[email protected]
