The America’s Got Talent Host and Comedian Gives the Global Footwear Brand the Golden Buzzer for Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 13, 2024-- Skechers caught Howie Mandel in the act: “discovering” the America’s Got Talent host in a Los Angeles-area Skechers store trying to score a discount on his favorite pair of Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins® by claiming he was a Skechers ambassador—when he wasn’t. Caught on camera, the comedian’s story resulted in the brand’s version of a golden buzzer: an official invitation to join Team Skechers and appear in a Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins marketing campaign inspired by the original pair he grabbed in his serendipitous visit.

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America’s Got Talent host and comedian Howie Mandel joins the Skechers team as the brand’s newest ambassador. (Photo: Business Wire)

“What can I say—they caught me red-handed because I was thinking with my feet. This is penance for trying to get away with that discount—but honestly, their comfort is worth it,” said Howie Mandel. "I've been a devoted fan of the brand for years, so the thought of shooting Skechers ads in Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins—and having a new footwear wardrobe—is the kind of payback I’m thrilled to have.”

“America’s got Skechers—and now Skechers has Howie Mandel! The way we found him buying our new Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins was so funny, we’re making it his inaugural Skechers campaign,” said Skechers CEO Robert Greenberg, who was sent a photo of Mandel at the Skechers store purchasing his Slip-ins styles, and promptly signed him to join the Skechers team.

“Howie’s a remarkable judge of great performers—and we're elated to be his top choice for comfort that performs,” said Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers. “Through decades of comedy and charisma, he possesses a magnetic personality that has endeared him to millions. We're glad that his life has changed for the better since discovering our Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins, and that he wants to share our message of comfort with the world.”

Added Mandel: “Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins technology is unparalleled. Their styles are so comfortable and with so many designs, they work everywhere I go. The brand’s even made footwear more accessible and convenient for me and my OCD, removing the need to touch them since I can just slip in and go. This partnership is a great way to show the world how Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins simplifies day-to-day life for others, just like they've done for me.”

A comedian, television personality, actor, and producer, Mandel’s wide-ranging career includes the voice of Gizmo in Gremlins and Gremlins 2: The New Batch, the role of ER resident Dr. Wayne Fiscus on the NBC medical drama St. Elsewhere, and creator and star of the Fox children's cartoon Bobby’s World. The longtime host of the game show Deal or No Deal, he has been a judge on NBC’s America’s Got Talent since 2010, and Citytv’s Canada’s Got Talent since 2022.

Mandel joins a team of global Skechers ambassadors—from music icon Snoop Dogg, lifestyle legend Martha Stewart, and TV and fitness personalities Amanda Kloots and Brooke Burke to former professional athletes such as Tony Romo, Howie Long, and Sugar Ray Leonard. The roster of elite pros around the world currently competing in Skechers footwear includes NBA basketball players Joel Embiid, Julius Randle and Terance Mann; golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson; soccer players Harry Kane, Mohammed Kudus and Oleksandr Zinchenko; baseball players Clayton Kershaw, Aaron Nola, Chris Taylor and Brendan Donovan; and pickleball pros Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau.

Skechers offers its complete range of footwear at Skechers retail stores and skechers.com, as well as at department stores and footwear retailers around the globe.

About Skechers U.S.A., Inc.

Skechers (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company® based in Southern California, designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through skechers.com and approximately 5,260 Skechers retail stores. A Fortune 500® company, Skechers manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, Skechers’ 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, opening of new stores and additional expenditures, 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,” “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 the disruption of business and operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic; delays or disruptions in our supply chain; international economic, political and market conditions including the effects of inflation and foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations around the world, the challenging consumer retail markets in the United States, and the impact of wars, acts of war and other conflicts around the world; 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, especially in the highly competitive performance footwear market; 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 Skechers’ annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and its quarterly reports on Form 10-Q in 2024. Taking these and other risk factors associated with the COVID-19 pandemic into consideration, the dynamic nature of these circumstances means that what is stated in this press release could change at any time, and as a result, actual results could differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. The risks included here are not exhaustive. Skechers operates in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time and we cannot predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business 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.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240813153826/en/

Jennifer Clay
Skechers U.S.A., Inc.
jennc@skechers.com

Source: Skechers U.S.A., Inc.