Skechers Secures Foothold in the NBA
During an offseason workout in early September, Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann grabbed the attention of the sneaker community by training in Skechers sneakers. It was an unusual sighting because Skechers did not have any representation in the NBA or even have a performance basketball shoe on the market.
Was Mann's footwear an aberration or a sign of things to come? Fans, journalists, and industry experts all have the answer now. It was more than a preview; it was the first ripple of a massive wave about to hit the shores of the sneaker industry.
Most NBA teams held their annual Media Day on Monday morning. The event feels more like the first day of school with the new faces, fresh haircuts, and crispy new kicks. However, Skechers used the opportunity to soft-launch a potential partnership with Mann and New York Knicks forward Julius Randle.
Skechers
Terance Mann and Julius Randle at NBA Media Day.
Clippers/Knicks
At this time, there is no official announcement of a sneaker deal for Mann or Randle. Both players started their professional careers in Nike, with Mann switching to the Chinese brand ANTA in recent years. Perhaps as a sign of things to come, both players have highlighted the unreleased hoop shoes on their official Instagram accounts.
While we do not know any of the tech specs or details of the Skechers basketball shoe, we can infer that it looks sharp. Plus, Skechers has shown it is capable of competing in the performance footwear market thanks to its representation in MLB.
Even the most established sneaker brands often struggle to break through the noise and garner media attention. Skechers did what many of its competitors cannot do, and it appears there is a lot more news to come this season. Stay locked into FanNationKicks.com for all your footwear news from the sports world.
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