Harry Kane moves to Germany. Skechers breaks into football. Harry Kane endorses Skechers. One of these things was on my 2023 bingo card. Two of them were not.
Nevertheless, in 2023, all three have happened.
How did we get here? When did we step into this alternate reality where Skechers makes cleats? Not only that – why do they look so damn cool?
As a long-time Skechers advocate, I have never had any illusions about their “coolness” factor. Comfortable? Absolutely. Lame? It comes with the territory. Skechers have always been a feel-good choice, not a look-good decision.
Then why do these new SKX_01 boots look so clean?!
Comfort, not style, is the first word that comes to mind when one thinks of Skechers. Comfortable shoes for comfortable people. Sneakers, and only sneakers – comfortably in their lane. Sure – Skechers tried, from time to time, to branch into work shoes and even celebrity endorsements – they famously spurned Kanye for Snoop Dogg last year. But always sneakers. Never cleats. Never specialty shoes.
So how is Skechers breaking into the world’s most beloved sport in such a huge way?
Who knows, man?
It’s such a weird and random move for Skechers to dive into cool football boots, no matter how sleek they look.
The SKX_01s, a name I love to hate, come with all sorts of over-abbreviated tech, like “HYPER BURST PRO”, “P.S.C. (PRECISE STRIKE CONTROL)”, and “TPU CUSHIONING”, typical of most Skechers and high-end cleats. I don’t know if they are as comfortable as most Skechers shoes, but I don’t see how they could be without the two inches of mandatory cushioning.
But what do I know? Harry Kane is apparently the only person who’s tried them on. And he says they’re great.
“Skechers showed me their vision and showed me what they wanted to do. I was blown away by the boots and I was really excited to be part of the team, so it’s a new chapter for my boots going forward and I’m excited to see what it brings.”
Maybe the time was just right for Kane. The former Tottenham Hotspur legend just moved from North London to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich in a $127 million, 4-year deal.
“It’s definitely a time of transition in my career and I’m thrilled to announce my signing with Skechers just as I’m making a big move.”
Skechers promises to be on some new innovation level with these boots – and I don’t know, maybe they are. I know this post may seem like a lampooning, but it’s done out of love – I genuinely love all my Skechers shoes (I own three pairs), and I wear them all the time. But even for me – this is just too fucking weird.
“Ever since meeting the design team and seeing the boots for the first time, I felt confident that Skechers were onto something special. They’re unlike anything I’ve experienced before.”
Whatever. I’ll stop fighting it. Skechers Football won’t even officially launch until next month, and this is already my favorite boot deal of all time. Kane has signed this deal for the rest of his life. Even when his career ends sometime in the next decade, this man is set up to hock cushioned Skech’s well into retirement. Well done, Kane, and well done, Skechers. You never cease to amaze me.
Featured Image: DALL-E 2