Skechers Performance returns as official sponsor of Ironman Europe

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
May 11, 2017

Skechers Performance—a division of Skechers USA, Inc.—returns as the official running shoe sponsor of the 2017 Ironman European tour.

Touted as one of the most arduous races incorporating a variety of race types (including the Ironman triathlon consisting of 3.8km of swimming, cycling for 180.2km and a full marathon), the partnership is no doubt a strategic one in terms of showcasing the brand’s placement in the high-performance running shoe market. “Our continued partnership with IRONMAN is a testament to our continued support and commitment to the endurance sports community, and emphasizes to both serious and casual athletes across Europe that we continue to be a major player in the running category,” said Marvin Bernstein, managing partner of Skechers S.à.r.l. 

This isn’t the first time Skechers has positioned itself as a sponsor. It’s been the title sponsor of the Los Angeles Marathon for the past two years and Skechers Performance recently announced it will also be the official running shoe for the 2017 IRONMAN Canada and South Africa, where it will also sponsor apparel. Just recently at the Kentucky Derby, Skechers sponsored the 2015 Triple Crown winning jockey, Victor Espinoza.

Sponsorship aside, the Ironman European tour is also an opportunity for Skechers to retail its footwear—including the award-winning GOmeb Razor—at 35 events in 15 markets. Even without this exposure, Skechers started 2017 on a high note. The footwear company recently announced record sales of $1.073 billion, marking as a new quarterly record for the brand and the first time it exceeded $1 billion in quarterly sales.