It's been 12 months since Skechers shocked the game by launching themselves into football. While a "shock and awe" unveil with Harry Kane made the industry sit up and take note, they've made a series of moves in the last year to show that wasn’t a 'here today, gone tomorrow' brand positioning play – they're investing in football for the long haul and threatening the established brand order in the process.

Back in August 2023, Harry Kane reportedly secured the most expensive transfer deal in Bundesliga history when he moved to Bayern Munich. Prior to the move, the striker notched 280 competitive goals for Spurs – 213 occurring in the Premier League – and penned his name into the club’s history books. For many it seemed the England captain, who recently made his 100^th international appearance, would end his playing career at the North London club. So, when the then 30-year-old signed for the most successful German side in existence, people stood up and paid attention, and Skechers Football was waiting patiently to capitalise on the moment. This proved to be the right move as Kane was awarded the European Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in his first season with the Bundesliga – and he did it in Skechers boots.

Whilst most new players in the footwear market might have been inclined to start small, securing the signature of one of football's biggest strikers made the game shake. In other words: Skechers Football had officially announced themselves as serious challengers in the world of technical football boots.

Football-culture has become more product driven than ever before. But after decades of the biggest sportswear brands holding a monopoly on the boot and performance space, we’re now seeing more unexpected labels, not only entering football but looking to dominate it. And although challenger brands in football aren’t necessarily a new phenomenon, with the likes of Lotto, Reebok and Diadora all dropped era-defining releases in the 1990s and 2000s, Skechers are taking things to a new level. Their marriage of short-term impact and long-term planning in the form of signing Harry Kane and projects like the Final Five, have shown how they’re making serious inroads into one of the biggest cultural spaces available: football. 

And now as Skechers Football has expanded beyond the EU into the global marketplace, Skechers has drawn up the ultimate blueprint and they’ve got football’s heritage brands running back to the drawing board. 

For decades, the football boot market has been dominated by a few. Nike, adidas and PUMA have made billions of pounds producing football boots for some of the sport’s most iconic athletes. Over the years we’ve witnessed objectively “smaller” brands leave their marks but Skechers Football are looking to innovate in areas others traditionally haven’t. And although their immediate impact was evident through the signing of Kane – at a time when young players were being touted for greatness more than ever before – the Los Angeles-based label has quietly been making moves to show they’re here for the long haul. 

A year on from their launch, and with England’s top goalscorer leading the charge, Skechers Football have set out to ensure they’re targeting all aspects of the game – from the ground up. Their commitment to grassroots football and developing next-gen talent is a core part of their brand strategy. Earlier this month, Skechers Football released their Academy range, aimed at young players. Back in January they also announced the ‘Final Five’ tournament, showcasing the best of London’s amateur football scene. The prize that day was a one-year contract with Skechers Football, evidence they’re a brand that exists to incentivise the next generation. They’ve shown that with their talent strategy too, signing rising star players who demand attention due to their playing style like Mohammed Kudus and Anthony Elanga. 

It isn’t just the men’s game Skechers Football are focusing on though, something emerging football brands have a tendency to do. West Ham’s Ruby Doe and Newcastle United’s Shania Hayles are both brand ambassadors – playing in the Women’s Super League and Championship respectively. And due to the exponential growth of women’s football in recent years, there’s more young ballers than ever playing in the women’s game, at both international and domestic levels. The white space available to brands willing to take a future-first strategy in this field is huge, something that Skechers Football not only recognises but are acting on.