This Seemingly-Unassuming Shoe Fills the Closets of Comfort-Seekers Worldwide
As a growth strategy example, Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins has it all:
- Product innovation
- Clear customer segmentation
- Targeted marketing execution
- Advantageous distribution
In May 2024, while on a business trip to Phoenix, I bought my first pair of Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins at the Camelback Road Macy’s near the focus group facility where we were working on innovative new beverages. I was initially visually attracted to these shoes’ carefree styling with a small bow and embroidered look, in a sneaker-like shoe for easy walking. The pair I noticed was white, a good choice for my intended upcoming vacation. When I picked up the shoes, I was amazed at how light they were, and in trying them on, how comfortable they felt.
At the time, I wasn’t aware of the Skechers patented Hands Free technology, which the company describes in a competitive infringement lawsuit against Laforst as:
“Skechers’ unique heel design, which wraps around a wearer’s heel, gives its products a “distinctive visual appearance that is highly appealing.”
I didn’t expect a lot from the Skechers Hands Free Slip-In shoes initially, viewing them as an item to wear occasionally while on vacation. Over time, however, I noticed that I no longer wanted to wear my dressier everyday work shoes such as loafers and ballet flats. Fairly quickly, I became comfortable wearing the Skechers Hands Free Slip-In sneakers for everyday business meetings, enjoying their comfort first and foremost, and the style secondarily.
I bought a multipack of liner socks to use with these shoes, as in Southern California, bulkier socks don’t hold appeal for me. And the two pairs of liner socks that I bought initially were proving insufficient, since I was wearing the shoes more than twice a week. In addition to the intended vacation wear, Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins effectively crowded out wearing occasions for dressier work shoes, something that I will not consider with my workout running shoes.
These shoes are a good example of how a product initially purchased for one apparel need state or usage occasion can take share from products in other need states or usage occasions. A beverage need state example can be found here.
Within six months, I purchased a second pair of Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins in an olive color that was better for everyday business settings, so that it became even harder to choose other shoes to wear to work during the week.
Growth Strategy Example:
Skechers Takes Over the Family Feet
In December, my husband needed to replace his everyday work shoes, which were brown Ecco brand, and we made a special trip to the Del Amo mall in Torrance to buy a replacement pair at Nordstrom. Holiday shoppers meant the parking lot was full and we ended up entering the mall close to the Skechers store (and quite far from the Nordstrom). At this point, I suggested he might want to try the Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins. He did, and we walked away with a navy blue and brown pair that works well for his everyday meetings. We never made it to Nordstrom, and he now wears his Skechers daily during the week.
About the same time, a December Wall Street Journal contained a print advertisement (pictured below) for Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins with the claim:
“The Perfect GIFT for Everyone…No bending over. No touching shoes. Just step in and go. Never have to touch your shoes again.”
Despite the fashionable and youthful model in the advertisement, the rational benefits promised of no bending and touching shoes are more functional in their nature. The video from the QR code encourages the viewer to join millions of people and promises again, “No Bending Over. No Touching Shoes. No Hassles.”

At this point, I realized that the Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins are a very popular product and an excellent growth strategy example.
Growth Strategy Example:
“Affordable Comfort Seekers” Are the Target Consumer for Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins
While Skechers touted in its advertising that Hands Free Slip-ins are shoes are for “everyone,” realistically they are focused on a few target consumer segments.
Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins are first and foremost for those who value comfort, with its benefits of not having to touch the shoes, bend over, or experience hassles. This segment can be described as “Comfort Seekers,” who prioritize comfort as contrasted to a very different segment who can be described as “Style First, Comfort Second.”
Skechers also promotes affordability as part of its brand promise. Bringing this aspect into the description, the target becomes “Affordable Comfort Seekers.”
Demographically, Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins are recognized to appeal strongly to older consumers (ages 60+), both Baby Boomers & the Silent Generation.
By comparison in the sneaker market, retailer Foot Locker’s portfolio brand strategy template targets Sneakerheads as its primary target, a different group than the “Affordable Comfort Seekers” segment. While Foot Locker sells Skechers, its primary brand is Nike, at 68% of the chain’s merchandise.
Skechers CEO Robert Greenberg specifically highlights Hands Free Slip-Ins along with comfort and value to explain the brand’s recent growth:
“Our product line up offers a unique value proposition for partners and consumers – style, comfort, quality, and innovation at a reasonable price. The combination of these attributes sets Skechers apart.
As more consumers view our comfort features as essential, the importance of newness and advancing our designs with our signature technologies across core and new product offerings remains vital. Raising awareness of our technologies, such as Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins, has been integral to our global growth.”
While there is more growth with the current age demographic, it will be interesting to see how successful Skechers is in attracting “Affordable Comfort Seekers” in younger age categories, such as 50-59 and 40-49, along with its core 60+ demographic.
Skechers CEO Robert Greenberg elaborated on the company’s growth strategy marketing efforts (not specific to Hands Free Slip-Ins):
“We achieve this (growth) through both technology-focused marketing campaigns and by leveraging our strong team of ambassadors and athletes. Earlier this quarter, Snoop Dogg and Philadelphia 76ers basketball star Joel Embiid both achieved golden moments wearing Skechers during the Paris Games.”
As evidence of Skechers outreach using celebrity and athlete association to younger demographics, Snoop Dogg is 53 as of this writing, while Joel Embiid is 30. Martha Stewart, age 83, is the celebrity name that I see on Hands Free Slip-Ins. Martha Stewart has collaborated with Skechers, starting with Arch Fit, and also with Hands Free Slip-Ins. Howie Mandel age 69, also is a Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins ambassador, as this advertisement shows. Brooke Burke, age 53, is also a Sketchers Hands Free ambassador.
As Skechers 2023 Annual Report notes,
“We believe brand recognition is paramount to our continued success, and our comprehensive marketing campaigns are focused on doing that by driving awareness and demand. During the year, we introduced partnerships and capsule collections with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, both of whom appeared in our 2023 Super Bowl commercial alongside Tony Romo and Howie Long – illustrating that Skechers products truly are for all walks of life.”
While Skechers offers athletic performance-oriented products, the central promise of comfort (and comfort seeking consumers) is vitally important to Skechers overall. In 2021, the company wrote “As we mark our 30th anniversary in business as The Comfort Technology Company with the new annual sales record of $6.29 billion.” To this day, Skechers refers to itself as The Comfort Technology Company.

Growth Strategy Example:
Skechers Grows with Expanded Distribution, Particularly International & Direct-to-Consumer
By 2023, Skechers’ total company revenues grew to $8 billion, 56% from wholesale distribution and the remaining 44% from direct-to-consumer (DTC). DTC delivers higher margins (66% in 2023 vs. 41% for wholesale), and the DTC channel contributed 55% of 2023 gross profit, which is an over index to its revenues of 127.
Growth in direct-to-consumer outpaced wholesale in 2023, at 24% from 2022, while the wholesale channel was flat to down slightly (-3%). 65% of the 2023 DTC growth came from international, while the balance was domestic.
Most recently in third quarter 2024, both wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels reported 12% revenue growth for the nine-month period compared to 2023. Past twelve-month revenues for Skechers overall were $8.7 billion.
Skechers ended 2023 with 5,168 retail stores, with a variety of types, including Concept Stores, Factory Outlet Stores and Big Box Stores. By the third quarter of 2024, the number of stores increased to 5,332. Most of the stores (67%) are classified as “distributor, licensee, and franchisee stores,” 21% are classified as international, and 11% are classified as domestic stores.
As a growth strategy example, Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins distribution results likely follow the overall pattern of Skechers, with the fastest growth in international and DTC.
Growth Strategy Example:
Business Results for Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins
According to Skechers website product timeline, the Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins was introduced in 2023, following on many prior comfort technology product features, such as Arch Fit (2021) and Memory Foam (2013). Since Skechers sees itself as a company that is always investing in technologies for comfort, management likely views Hands Free Slip-Ins as just another technology that will be supplanted in a few years.
It’s clear that the official product timeline is off as it is evident that Hands Free Slip-In shoes were in the market prior to 2023.
For instance, this Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins advertisement was released in July 2022. In May 2023, President Biden (age 82) was spotted in Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins. By August 2023, Skechers sued Laforst for patent infringement claiming it had “sold millions of pairs if its Hands Free shoe styles.”
An earlier technology, Slip Ons was promoted in 2018 by long time Skechers endorser Tony Romo (currently age 44).
A more recent 2023 Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins spot features Tony Romo and his wife Candice bantering about going out on a date (of course Tony will wear his Skechers). This recent spot is a good example of need state expansion, where Slip-Ins are considered date night appropriate.
I wasn’t able to find any public statistics on the revenues of Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins, outside of the lawsuit claiming millions of pairs sold. So, for this growth strategy example, I made some rough estimates using available data.
If we assume this product is 10% of Skechers past 12-month revenue, that’s $871 million as of September 30, 2024. 10% seems low, based on marketing prominence, so it seems possible that Hands Free Slip-Ins are at least 20 to 25% of the total business, or $1.7 to $2 billion. That means Skechers Hands Free Slip-Ins are a billion-dollar brand.
At minimum, the Hands Free Slip-Ins are approaching $1 billion in revenue, which is impressive for a product that was introduced just a few years ago, most likely in 2022.
And, I sense that another pair may be on the horizon for my closet in the new future. Perhaps even sandals when the weather is warmer.
For other growth strategy examples, visit our resources page. Join us at an upcoming office hours. Or contact us to start your own growth strategy.