skx-10k_20201231.htm

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T(§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2020, the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting Class A and Class B Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was approximately $4.3 billion based upon the closing price of $31.38 of the Class A Common Stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date.

The number of shares of Class A Common Stock outstanding as of February 15, 2021: 136,729,982.

The number of shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of February 15, 2021: 21,016,133.

This annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including statements with regards to future revenue, projected operating results, earnings, spending, margins, cash flow, orders, expected timing of shipment of products, inventory levels, future growth or success in specific countries, categories or market sectors, continued or expected distribution to specific retailers, liquidity, capital resources and market risk, strategies and objectives. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or simply state future results, performance or achievements, and can be identified by the use of forward-looking language such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “project,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will result,” “could,” “may,” “might,” or any variations of such words with similar meanings. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in forward-looking statements, and reported results shall not be considered an indication of our future performance. Factors that might cause or contribute to such differences include:

The risks included here are not exhaustive. Other sections of this report may include additional factors that could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risk factors emerge from time to time. 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 inherent and changing risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect our opinions only as of the date of this annual report, as a prediction of actual results. We undertake no obligation to publicly release any revisions to the forward-looking statements after the date of this document, except as otherwise required by reporting requirements of applicable federal and state securities laws.

Skechers U.S.A., Inc. was incorporated in California in 1992 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. Skechers U.S.A., Inc., its consolidated subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of which it is the primary beneficiary, is referred to throughout this annual report as “we,” “us,” “our,” “the Company” and “Skechers” unless otherwise indicated. Reference in this annual report to “sales” refers to Skechers’ net sales reported under generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S.”). Our internet address is www.skechers.com. Our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Form 3’s, 4’s and 5’s filed on behalf of directors, officers and 10% stockholders, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are available free of charge on our corporate website, www.investors.skechers.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). You can learn more about us by reviewing such filings at www.investors.skechers.com or at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

We design and market Skechers-branded lifestyle footwear for men, women and children, and performance footwear for men and women under the Skechers Performance brand name. We also design and market men’s and women’s Skechers branded lifestyle apparel, and license the Skechers brand to others for accessories, pet accessories, leather goods, eyewear and scrub manufacturers, among others. Skechers footwear reflects a combination of innovation, style, comfort, quality and value that appeals to a broad range of consumers. Our product offering is sold through department and specialty stores, athletic and independent retailers, boutiques and online retailers. In addition to wholesale distribution, our footwear is available on our direct-to-consumer websites and in our own retail stores. Our objective is to profitably grow our operations worldwide while leveraging our recognizable Skechers brand through our diversified product lines, innovative advertising and diversified distribution channels.

We seek to offer consumers a vast array of footwear that satisfies their active, casual, dress casual and athletic footwear needs. Our core consumers are attracted to our relevant brand image, fashion-forward designs, affordable and comfortable product, as well as athletes and fitness enthusiasts attracted to our performance footwear. Many of our best-selling and core styles are also developed for children with colors and materials that reflect a playful image appropriate for this demographic. Further, we offer children a unique collection of footwear designed just for them, including those with innovative light technology.

We believe that brand recognition is an important element for success in the footwear business. We have aggressively marketed our brands through comprehensive marketing campaigns for men, women and children. During 2020, the Skechers brand was supported by print, television, digital, radio and outdoor campaigns as well as donation events for BOBS from Skechers. To further drive recognition, we have enlisted numerous celebrities, former and current athletes, and influencers to appear in our campaigns. In 2020, our brand ambassadors included Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Romo, Howie Long, and Brooke Burke, along with athletes Edward Cheserek, Meb Keflezighi, Matt Kuchar and Brooke Henderson.

Since 1992, when we introduced our first line, Skechers USA Sport Utility Footwear, we have expanded our product offering and grown our sales while substantially increasing the breadth and penetration of our account base. Our men’s, women’s and children’s product lines benefit from the Skechers reputation for style, quality, comfort, innovation and affordability. Our Performance lines benefit from our marketing, product development, technology, and feedback from athletes and wear testers. To promote innovation and brand relevance, we manage our product lines through separate dedicated sales and design teams.

We offer a wide array of Skechers-branded footwear lines for men, women and children, many of which have categories that have developed into well-known names. Most of these categories are marketed and packaged with unique shoe boxes, hangtags and in-store support.

Lifestyle Brands. Our lifestyle offering includes multiple categories such as Skechers USA, Skechers Sport, Skechers Active, Modern Comfort, Skechers Street, Mark Nason, the charity-minded BOBS from Skechers collection, among others. Comfort, style and value are at the cornerstone of our vast lifestyle collections. Types of footwear sold under this division include casual, casual athletic, sport athletic, trail, sandals, boots, and retro fashion. Innovation is also important within our lifestyle offering and select styles across many lines include a patented Arch Fit insole design for podiatrist-certified arch support and Goodyear Performance Outsoles for enhanced traction, stability and durability. Also within our lifestyle collections are collaborations with known brands and properties—including street artists, influential boutiques and manga characters.

Performance Brands. Skechers Performance encompasses several technical footwear lines, each designed with a focus on specific activities to maximize performance and promote comfort. The Skechers Performance division designs footwear to utilize the latest advancements in materials and innovative design, including lightweight ULTRA GO and HYPER BURST midsole compounds for comfort and responsive feedback. Skechers Performance includes the lines of Skechers GOrun, Skechers GOwalk, Skechers GOtrain, Skechers GOtrail, and Skechers GO Golf. Additional features found in select styles across multiple categories include Arch Fit insoles, Goodyear Performance Outsoles, and Max Cushioning designs.

Skechers Kids. Skechers Kids is comprised of a wide range of sneakers, casuals, boots, and sandals for boys and girls of all ages – pairing the latest trends with innovative comfort technology. The Skechers Kids offering includes its namesake collection; Skechers Mega-Craft; S-Lights; SKECH-AIR; Foamies, Twinkle Toes; Z-Strap; Skechers Stretch Fit; and Skechers Street. Skechers Kids also includes shoes that are designed as “takedowns” of their adult counterparts, allowing younger consumers the opportunity to wear the same popular styles as their older siblings and schoolmates. This “takedown” strategy maintains the product’s integrity by offering premium leathers, hardware and outsoles without the costs involved in designing and developing new products. In addition, we adapt current fashions from our men’s and women’s lines by modifying designs and choosing colors and materials that are more suitable for the playful image that we have established in the children’s footwear market.

Skechers Work. Skechers Work offers a complete line of men’s and women’s slip-resistant and safety-toe casuals, boots, hikers and athletic shoes for professionals who use protective footwear across a wide range of work environments. Skechers Work styles include safety features such as steel, composite and lightweight safety toes; puncture resistance; waterproofing and electrostatic-dissipative technology, as well as Skechers’ comfort technologies such as Relaxed Fit construction; Max Cushioning; Skechers Memory Foam insoles and Arch Fit insoles. Designed for men and women working in jobs with certain safety requirements, these durable styles are constructed on high-abrasion, long-wearing soles for prolonged durability.

In addition, Skechers designs and markets a collection of lifestyle apparel for men, women and kids. The collection features the same Skechers characteristics that consumers around the world have come to expect from the brand. The activewear garments are designed to directly coordinate with the brand’s footwear initiatives. The Skechers apparel collection is sold at Skechers retail stores, to our domestic wholesale accounts and select international partners.

Our principal goal in product design is to develop innovative, comfortable, stylish, quality footwear at a reasonable price for the entire family. Our footwear is designed for active lifestyles and consumers needing comfort in their footwear from fashionable 18- to 34-year-olds, to a broader base of 5- to 50-year-olds, and even an exclusive selection for infants and toddlers. Designed by the Skechers Performance Division, our performance products are for professional and recreational athletes who want a technical shoe that performs under the demands of competition.

We believe that our products’ success is related to our ability to recognize trends in the footwear markets and to design products that anticipate and accommodate consumers’ ever-evolving preferences. Lifestyle trend information is compiled and analyzed by our designers in various ways, including reviewing and analyzing pop culture, clothing, and trend-setting media; traveling to domestic and international fashion markets to identify and confirm current trends; consulting with our customers for information on current retail selling trends; participating in major footwear trade shows to stay abreast of popular brands, fashions and styles; and subscribing to various fashion and color information services. In addition, a key component of our design philosophy is to continually reinterpret and develop our successful styles in our brands’ images.

Factories. Our products are produced by independent contract manufacturers located primarily in Asia. We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities. We believe that the use of independent manufacturers substantially increases our production flexibility and capacity, while reducing capital expenditures and avoiding the costs of managing a large production work force.

When possible, we seek to use manufacturers that have previously produced our footwear, which we believe enhances continuity and quality while controlling production costs. To help avoid disruption of our product supply due to political instability, civil unrest, economic instability, changes in government policies or regulations, natural and manmade disasters, and other risks, we source product from multiple facilities across multiple countries. We believe that the existing production capacity at our third-party manufacturers’ facilities is sufficient to handle expected volume in the foreseeable future.

We finance our production activities in part through the use of interest-bearing open purchase arrangements with certain of our contract manufacturers. These facilities currently bear interest at a rate between 0.0% and 0.4% for 30- to 60-day financing, depending on the factory. We believe that the use of these arrangements affords us additional liquidity and flexibility. We do not have any long-term contracts with any of our manufacturers. However, we have long-standing relationships with many of our contract manufacturers and believe our relationships to be good.

Production Oversight. To safeguard product quality and consistency, we oversee the key aspects of production from initial prototype manufacture, through initial production runs, to final manufacture. Monitoring of all production is performed in the U.S. by our in-house production department and in Asia through staff working from our offices in China and Vietnam. We believe that our Asia presence allows us to negotiate supplier and manufacturer arrangements more effectively, decrease product turnaround time, and ensure timely delivery of finished footwear. In addition, we require our manufacturers to operate in a manner consistent with the Skechers Supplier Code of Conduct posted on our corporate website. We partner with factories that ensure humane conditions for their employees and we engage in routine auditing and monitoring procedures to ensure that those who contribute to our product are treated with the civility and respect they deserve.

Quality Control. We believe that quality control is an important and effective means of maintaining the quality and reputation of our products. Our quality control program is designed to ensure that not only finished goods meet our established design specifications, but also that all goods bearing our trademarks meet our standards for quality. Our quality control personnel located in China and Vietnam perform an array of inspection procedures at various stages of the production process, including examination and testing of prototypes of key raw materials prior to manufacture, samples and materials at various stages of production and final products prior to shipment. Our employees are on-site at each of our major manufacturers to oversee production. For some of our lower volume manufacturers, our staff is on-site during significant production runs, or we will perform unannounced visits to their manufacturing sites to further monitor compliance with our manufacturing specifications.

Sustainability. We believe that sustainability is an important responsibility in managing our business. We have worked to make our packaging more sustainable for the more-than-150 million pairs of Skechers that consumers purchase every year. Since 2016, we’ve reduced our products’ packaging plastics by 85% down to 10% of our foot forms, and have made remaining plastics completely recyclable. Many facilities can now recycle 93% of Skechers-branded shoeboxes, and all of our foot forms and tissue paper packaging is also recyclable and printed with soy-or water-based ink. We are proud to have 99% of our shoes packaged in shoeboxes that meet the FSC® standard for responsible resources, and we are continually looking out for new ways to improve with green materials, regular assessments, and assurance that our items are FSC-certified, recycled or ethically harvested.

Our shipping methods reflect our green-minded approach to sustainability: master cartons are printed with soy-or-water-based ink and are 100% recyclable, and at the distribution centers managing more than 90% of our business, our outbound shipping cartons are made with 96%-100% recyclable materials and are 100% recyclable.

Many of our facilities are designed and operated with sustainability in mind, including America’s largest LEED Gold certified distribution facility in Rancho Belago, California. Our new corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California are also being designed and developed to qualify for LEED certification.

Product Styles. We closely monitor sales activity after initial introduction of a product in our concept stores and on-line to determine whether there is substantial demand for a style, thereby aiding us in our sourcing decisions. Styles that have substantial consumer appeal are highlighted in upcoming collections or offered as part of our periodic style offerings, while less popular styles can be discontinued after a limited production run. We believe that sales in our concept stores can also help forecast sales in national retail stores, and we share this sales information with our wholesale customers. Sales, merchandising, production and allocations management analyze historical and current sales along with market data from our wholesale account base and our own retail stores to develop an internal product quantity forecast that allows us to manage our future production and inventory levels. For those styles with high sell-through percentages, we maintain an in-stock position to minimize the time necessary to fill customer orders by placing orders with our manufacturers prior to the time we receive customers’ orders for such footwear.

With a marketing philosophy of “Unseen, Untold, Unsold,” we take a targeted approach to marketing to drive traffic, build brand recognition and properly position our diverse lines within the marketplace. Senior management is directly involved in shaping our image and the conception, development and implementation of our advertising and marketing activities. Our marketing plan has an omni-channel approach, and we utilize print, outdoor, television, radio, and digital, along with public relations, influencers and social media, promotions, and in-store events. In addition, we utilize celebrity endorsers in some of our advertisements. We also believe our websites are effective marketing tools to consumers. We have historically budgeted advertising as a percentage of projected sales.

We have three reportable segments: Domestic Wholesale, International Wholesale, and Direct-to-Consumer. In the U.S., our products are available through a network of wholesale customers comprised of department, athletic and specialty stores and online retailers. Internationally, our products are available through wholesale customers in more than 170 countries and territories via our global network of distributors as well as through our subsidiaries in Asia, Europe, Canada, Central America and South America. Skechers owns and operates retail stores both domestically and internationally through three integrated retail formats—concept, factory outlet and warehouse outlet stores. Each of these channels serves an integral function in the global distribution of our products.

In addition, 18 distributors and 51 licensees have opened and operate 799 distributor-owned or -licensed Skechers retail stores and 1,771 licensee-owned Skechers retail stores, respectively, as of December 31, 2020.

Domestic Wholesale. We distribute our footwear through the following domestic wholesale distribution channels: big-box footwear stores, department stores, wholesale clubs, specialty stores, athletic specialty shoe stores, independent retailers, and internet retailers. Skechers footwear is available in a variety of wholesale customers, many of whom may operate stores within the same retail location due to our distinct product lines, variety of styles and the price criteria of their specific customers. Management has a clearly defined growth strategy for each of our channels of distribution. An integral component of our strategy is to offer our accounts the highest level of customer service so that our products will be fully represented in existing and new customer retail locations.

In an effort to provide knowledgeable and personalized service to our wholesale customers, the sales force is segregated by product line, each of which is headed by a vice president or national sales manager. Reporting to each sales manager are knowledgeable account executives and territory managers. The vice presidents and national sales managers report to our senior vice president of sales. All of our vice presidents and national sales managers are compensated on a salary basis, while our account executives and territory managers are compensated on a commission basis. None of our domestic sales personnel sells competing products.

International Wholesale. Our products are sold in more than 170 countries and territories throughout the world. We generate revenues from outside the U.S. from three principal sources: (i) sales to department stores and specialty retail stores through our joint ventures in Mexico, Asia and the Middle East, as well as through our subsidiaries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia; (ii) sales to international distributors who deliver our footwear to department stores, specialty retail stores and third-party-owned Skechers stores in select countries and territories across Asia, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Australia; and (iii) to a lesser extent, royalties from licensees who manufacture and distribute our non-footwear products abroad.

We believe that international distribution of our products represents a significant opportunity to increase sales and profits. We intend to further increase our share of the international footwear market by heightening our marketing in those countries in which we currently have a presence through our international advertising campaigns, which are designed to establish Skechers as a global lifestyle and performance brand.

The following subsidiaries and joint ventures merchandise, market and distribute product to generate sales in their named countries, and we consolidate their results in our financial statements:

Canada – We currently operate through Skechers USA Canada, Inc. with its offices and showrooms outside Toronto in Mississauga, Ontario. Product sold in Canada is primarily sourced from our U.S. distribution center in California. We have company-owned retail stores in key locations across Canada.

Europe – We currently operate in Europe through the following subsidiaries: Skechers USA Ltd., with its offices and showrooms in London, England; Skechers S.a.r.l., with its offices in Lausanne, Switzerland; Skechers USA France S.A.S., with its offices and showrooms in Paris, France; Skechers USA Deutschland GmbH, with its offices and showrooms in Dietzenbach, Germany; Skechers USA Iberia, S.L., with its offices and showrooms in Madrid, Spain; Skechers USA Benelux B.V., with its offices and showrooms in Waalwijk, the Netherlands; Skechers USA Italia S.r.l., with its offices and showrooms in Milan, Italy; and Skechers CEE, Kft. with its offices and showrooms in Budapest, Hungary as well as regional showrooms in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. To accommodate our European subsidiaries’ operations, we operate a 1.8 million square-foot distribution center in Liege, Belgium.

India – We currently operate through Skechers South Asia Private Limited and Skechers Retail India Private Limited.

Japan – We currently operate through our subsidiary, Skechers Japan GK, with its offices and showrooms located in Tokyo, Japan. Product sold in Japan is primarily shipped directly from our contract manufacturers’ factories in China.

South America and Central America – We currently operate in South America and Central America through the following subsidiaries: Skechers Do Brasil Calcados LTDA, with its offices and showrooms located in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Comercializadora Skechers Chile Limitada, with its offices and showrooms located in Santiago, Chile; and Skechers Latin America LLC, with its offices and showrooms in Panama City, Panama as well as regional showrooms in Panama, Peru, Colombia and Costa Rica. Our Latin America subsidiary also distributes products in the Caribbean, Ecuador, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Product sold in South America and Central America is primarily shipped directly from our contract manufacturers’ factories in China and Vietnam.

China and Hong Kong – We have a 50% interest in a joint venture in China and a minority interest in a joint venture in Hong Kong. Under the joint venture agreements, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

Israel – We have a 51% interest in Skechers Ltd. (Israel). Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

Mexico – We have a 60% interest in Manhattan SKMX, S. de R.L. de C.V. (“Skechers Mexico”). Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

South Korea – We have a 65% interest in Skechers Korea Co., Ltd. Under the joint venture agreement, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – We have a 50% interest in a joint venture in Malaysia and Singapore, and a 51% interest in a joint venture in Thailand. Under the joint venture agreements, the joint venture partners contribute capital in proportion to their respective ownership interests.

Where we do not sell directly through our international subsidiaries and joint ventures, our footwear is distributed through a network of more than 23 distributors who sell our products to department, athletic and specialty stores. As of December 31, 2020, we also had agreements with 18 of these distributors and 51 licensees regarding 799 distributor-owned or licensed Skechers retail stores and 1,771 licensee-owned Skechers retail stores. Our distributors, licensees and franchisees own and operate the following retail stores in more than 170 countries around the world:

	Number of Store Locations at December 31, 2019		Opened during 2020		Closed during 2020			Number of Store Locations at December 31, 2020
Distributor, licensee and franchise stores
Africa		60		8		(1	)		67
Asia		1,694		350		(247	)		1,797
Australasia		109		12		—			121
Central America		16		3		—			19
Europe		303		53		(4	)		352
Middle East		164		2		(1	)		165
North America		12		—		—			12
South America		35		2		—			37
Total distributor, licensee and franchise stores		2,393		430		(253	)		2,570

Distributors and licensees are responsible for their respective stores’ operations, have ownership of their respective stores’ assets, and select the broad collection of our products to sell to consumers in their regions. In order to maintain a globally consistent image, we provide architectural, graphic and visual guidance and materials for the design of the stores, and we train the local staff on our products and corporate culture. We intend to expand our international presence and global recognition of the Skechers brand name by continuing to sell our footwear to foreign distributors and by opening retail stores with distributors that have local market expertise.

Direct-to-Consumer. We pursue our direct-to-consumer strategy through our integrated retail formats: e-commerce, concept stores, factory outlet and warehouse outlet stores. Our formats enable us to promote the full Skechers product offering in an attractive environment that appeals to a broad group of consumers.

The typical Skechers concept store is approximately 3,000 square feet, although in certain markets we have concept stores ranging from 600 square feet to 14,300 square feet. When deciding where to open concept stores, we identify top geographic markets in larger metropolitan cities around the world.

Store count, openings and closings for our domestic, international and consolidated joint venture stores are as follows:

	Number of Store Locations at December 31, 2019		Opened during 2020		Closed during 2020			Number of Store Locations at December 31, 2020
Domestic stores
Concept		109		3		(7	)		105
Factory Outlet		171		2		(1	)		172
Warehouse Outlet		217		31		(2	)		246
Domestic stores total		497		36		(10	)		523
International stores
Concept		200		21		(1	)		220
Factory Outlet		93		9		(2	)		100
Warehouse Outlet		10		1		—			11
International stores total		303		31		(3	)		331
Joint venture stores
China		157		111		(23	)		245
Hong Kong		47		2		(3	)		46
Israel		15		2		—			17
Mexico		81		4		(1	)		84
South Korea		17		—		(2	)		15
South East Asia		37		23		—			60
Joint venture stores total		354		142		(29	)		467
Total domestic, international and joint venture stores		1,154		209		(42	)		1,321

We believe that selective licensing of the Skechers brand name and our product line names to manufacturers may broaden and enhance the individual brands without requiring significant capital investments or additional incremental operating expenses. Our multiple product lines plus additional subcategories present many potential licensing opportunities on terms with licensees that we believe will provide more effective manufacturing, distribution or marketing of non-footwear products. We believe that the reputation of Skechers and its history in launching brands has also enabled us to partner with reputable non-footwear brands to design and market their footwear.

As of December 31, 2020, we had 23 active domestic and international licensing agreements in which we are the licensor. These include Skechers-branded kids’ apparel; bags, backpacks and lunch boxes; belts, wallets and travel accessories, and watches for adults and kids; headwear, socks and shoe care; prescription and sunglass eyewear; outerwear, swimwear, underwear, sleepwear and medical scrubs; fitness and yoga accessories; headwear; and cold weather products. Additional category-specific collections include Skechers Sport apparel, bags, backpacks and headwear; Twinkle Toes backpacks and lunchboxes; Skechers Work socks and Skechers Go Golf apparel for men and women. We also have BOBS from Skechers pet accessories in Petco. We have international licensing agreements for the design and distribution of prescription and sunglass eyewear globally; men’s, women’s and kids’ apparel in the United Kingdom; kids’ apparel in Europe; socks and watches throughout Europe; bags and backpacks in the Philippines, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Europe Russia, Scandinavia and the Middle East; medical scrubs in the Middle East, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand; apparel, socks, headwear, bags, and backpacks in Indonesia; apparel, socks, and bags in Mexico; bags, backpacks, luggage, wallets, watches, medical scrubs and accessories in Latin America; apparel, bags, and backpacks, headwear, socks, and shoe care Turkey; socks in Japan and watches in the Philippines.

We believe that strong distribution support is a critical factor in our operations. Once manufactured, our products are packaged in shoe boxes bearing bar codes that are shipped either: (i) to our approximate 2.8 million square-foot North American distribution center located in California, (ii) to our approximate 1.8 million square-foot European Distribution Center located in Belgium, (iii) to our company-operated distribution centers or third-party distribution centers in Central America, South America and Asia, or (vi) directly from third-party manufacturers to our other international customers and other international third-party distribution centers. Upon receipt at either of the distribution centers, merchandise is inspected and recorded in our management information system and packaged according to customers’ orders for delivery. Merchandise is shipped to customers by whatever means each customer requests, which is usually by common carrier. The distribution centers have multi-access docks, enabling us to receive and ship simultaneously, and to pack separate trailers for shipments to different customers at the same time. We have an electronic data interchange system which is linked to some of our larger customers. This system allows these customers to automatically place orders with us, thereby eliminating the time involved in transmitting and inputting orders, and it includes direct billing and shipping information.

We own and utilize a variety of trademarks, including the Skechers trademark. We have a significant number of both registrations and pending applications for our U.S. trademarks. In addition, we have trademark registrations and trademark applications in approximately 155 foreign countries. We also have design patents and pending design and utility patent applications in both the U.S. and approximately 39 foreign countries. We continuously look to increase the number of our patents and trademarks both domestically and internationally, where necessary to protect valuable intellectual property. We regard our trademarks and other intellectual property as valuable assets, and believe that they have significant value in marketing our products. We vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, including through the use of cease and desist letters, administrative proceedings and lawsuits.

The global footwear industry is a competitive business. Although we believe that we do not compete directly with any single company with respect to its entire range of products, our products compete with other branded products within their product category as well as with private label products sold by retailers, including some of our customers. Our footwear competes with footwear offered by companies such as Columbia Sportswear Company, Nike, Inc., Crocs, Inc., Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Kenneth Cole Productions Inc., Steven Madden, Ltd., V.F. Corporation, Adidas AG, Reebok International, Puma SE, ASICS America Corporation, New Balance Athletic Shoe, Inc., Under Armor Inc. and Wolverine World Wide, Inc. These and other competitors pose challenges to our market share in domestic and international markets. We also compete with numerous manufacturers, importers and distributors of footwear for the limited shelf space available for displaying such products to the consumer. Moreover, the general availability of contract manufacturing capacity allows ease of access by new market entrants. Some of our competitors are larger, have been in existence for a longer period of time, have strong brand recognition, have captured greater market share and/or have substantially greater financial, distribution, marketing and other resources than we do.

As of December 31, 2020, we employed approximately 11,700 persons, of whom approximately 5,900 were employed on a full-time basis and approximately 5,800 were employed on a part-time basis, primarily in our retail stores. As a family-focused brand, Skechers was founded on the philosophy of putting people first – offering comfort and care to its employees and customers, and supporting both with dignity and respect. Human rights is a core value at the heart of how we conduct our business, at every level of our company – from our factories to our suppliers.

In addition to the other information in this annual report, the following factors should be considered in evaluating us and our business.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Had, And May Continue To Have, A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business And Results Of Operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the global economy, disrupted consumer spending and global supply chains, and created significant volatility and disruption of financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic has had, and may continue to have, a material adverse impact on our business and financial performance. The extent of this impact on our business and financial performance, including our ability to execute our near-term and long-term business strategies and initiatives in the expected time frame, is highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, as information is rapidly evolving with respect to the duration and severity of the pandemic. It will depend on future developments, including the duration and severity of the pandemic, related restrictions on travel, temporary store closure requirements and the related impact on consumer confidence and spending, and the extent of any recession resulting from the pandemic. At this time, we cannot reasonably estimate the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, or its overall impact on our business and financial performance.

Closures and Operational Restrictions of Our Retail Stores and Our Wholesale Customers’ Stores

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in response to government mandates or recommendations, as well as decisions we have made to protect the health and safety of our employees, consumers and communities, beginning in March 2020, we (including our joint ventures), and our distributors, licensees and franchisees, temporarily closed a significant number of our company- and joint venture-owned retail stores, and our distributor-, licensee- and franchisee-owned retail stores, respectively, around the world. While over 90% of our company- and joint venture-owned retail stores and over 90% of our third party-owned retail stores around the world have reopened (although many with temporarily reduced operating hours) as of the filing date of this report, collectively, we may face recurring store closure requirements and other operational restrictions with respect to some or all of our physical locations for prolonged periods of time due to, among other factors, evolving or new increasingly stringent governmental restrictions including public health directives, quarantine policies or social distancing measures. In addition, many of our significant wholesale customers have closed many of their stores, which will adversely impact our revenues from these customers. As a result, our business and results of operations have been, and will continue to be, materially adversely impacted by store closures and operational restrictions.

Even as we and our wholesales customers reopen our stores, as the number of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic continues to grow, consumer fear about becoming ill with the disease and recommendations and/or mandates from federal, state and local authorities to avoid large gatherings of people or self-quarantine may continue to increase, which has, and will continue to, adversely affect traffic to stores. Any significant reduction in consumer visits to, or spending at, our wholesale customers’ stores and our retail stores, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, and any decreased spending at stores caused by decreased consumer confidence and spending during and following this pandemic, has resulted in, and will continue to result in, a loss of sales and profits and other material adverse effects on our business and results of operations.

Although not a material issue as of the filing date of this report, the COVID-19 pandemic has also caused delays in shipments of our products and could once again have the potential to significantly impact our supply chain if the factories that manufacture our products, the distribution centers where we manage our inventory, or the operations of our logistics and other service providers are disrupted, temporarily closed or experience worker shortages. More specifically, the majority of our manufacturers are located primarily in China and Vietnam. To date, the Chinese and Vietnamese governments have imposed certain restrictions on business operations and the movement of people and goods, including the temporary closure of some factories and businesses in China and restrictions on others in Vietnam, to limit the spread of COVID-19. As a result, we have seen and may yet again see disruptions or delays in shipments, and we may experience negative impacts to pricing of our products due to changes in availability of inventory, which could materially adversely impact our business and results of operations.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including related governmental guidance or requirements, beginning in March 2020, we also temporarily closed many of our corporate offices and other facilities, including our corporate headquarters in Manhattan Beach, California, and implemented a policy for many of our corporate employees to work remotely. While we began to allow a limited number of personnel back to our corporate offices with added safety measures and staggered work schedules in June, these evolving work place arrangements may negatively impact productivity and cause other disruptions to our business.

In addition, our management team is focused on mitigating the adverse effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has required and will continue to require a large investment of time and resources across the entire company, thereby diverting their attention from other priorities that existed prior to the outbreak of the pandemic. If these conditions worsen, or last for an extended period of time, our ability to manage our business may be impaired, and operational risks and other risks facing us even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic may be elevated.

The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Had A Negative Impact On The Global Economy, And Our Sales Are Influenced By Economic Conditions That Impact Consumer Spending And Consumer Confidence.

Footwear is a cyclical industry that is dependent upon the overall level of consumer spending and consumer confidence. Consumer purchases of discretionary items, including our products, generally decline during periods when disposable income is adversely affected, there is economic uncertainty or volatility or during recessionary periods. Our wholesale customers anticipate and respond to adverse changes in economic conditions and uncertainty by closing doors, reducing inventories, canceling orders or increasing promotional activity. Our retail stores are also affected by these conditions, which may lead to a decline in consumer traffic and spending in these stores as they reopen. As a result, factors that diminish consumer spending and confidence in any of the markets in which we compete, particularly deterioration in general economic conditions, consumer credit availability, consumer debt levels, inflation, the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations on tourism and tourist spending, volatility in investment returns, fear of unemployment, increases in energy costs or tax or interest rates, housing market downturns, fear about and impact of pandemic illness (such as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, including reduced store traffic and widespread temporary store closures), and other factors such as acts of war, natural disasters or terrorist or political events that impact consumer confidence, have reduced, and may continue to reduce (with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic), our sales and may continue to have a material adverse effect on our operations and financial condition through their negative impact on our wholesale customers as well as decreased spending in our retail stores and potentially via our e-commerce business.

Our Future Success Depends On Our Ability To Maintain Our Brand Name And Image With Consumers.

Our success to date has in large part been due to the strength of the Skechers brand. Maintaining, promoting and growing our brand name and image depends on sustained effort and commitment to, and significant investment in, both the successful development of high-quality, innovative, fashion forward products, and fresh and relevant marketing and advertising campaigns. Even if we are able to timely and appropriately respond to changing consumer preferences and trends with new high-quality products, our marketing and advertising campaigns may not resonate with consumers, or consumers may consider our brand to be outdated or associated with footwear styles that are no longer popular or relevant. Our brand name and image with consumers could also be negatively impacted if we or any of our products were to receive negative publicity, whether related to our products or otherwise. If we are unable to maintain, promote and grow our brand image, then our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Future Success Also Depends On Our Ability To Respond To Changing Consumer Preferences, Identify And Interpret Consumer Trends, And Successfully Market New Products.

The footwear industry is subject to rapidly changing consumer preferences. The continued popularity of our footwear and the development of new lines and styles of footwear with widespread consumer appeal, including consumer acceptance of our performance footwear, requires us to accurately identify and interpret changing consumer trends and preferences, and to effectively respond in a timely manner. Continuing demand and market acceptance for both existing and new products are uncertain and depend on the following factors:

In assessing our response to anticipated changing consumer preferences and trends, we frequently must make decisions about product designs and marketing expenditures several months in advance of the time when actual consumer acceptance can be determined. As a result, we may not be successful in responding to shifting consumer preferences and trends with new products that achieve market acceptance. Because of the ever-changing nature of consumer preferences and market trends, a number of companies in the footwear industry, including ours, experience periods of both rapid growth, followed by declines, in revenue and earnings. If we fail to identify and interpret changing consumer preferences and trends, or are not successful in responding to these changes with the timely development of products that achieve market acceptance, we could experience excess inventories, higher than normal markdowns, returns, order cancellations or an inability to profitably sell our products, and our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

We Face Intense Competition, Including Competition From Companies In The Performance Footwear Market and Those With Significantly Greater Resources Than Ours, And If We Are Unable To Compete Effectively With These Companies, Our Market Share May Decline And Our Business Could Be Harmed.

We face intense competition from other established companies in the footwear industry. Our competitors’ product offerings, pricing, costs of production, and advertising and marketing expenditures are highly competitive areas in our business. If we do not adequately and timely anticipate and respond to our competitors, consumer demand for our products may decline significantly. A number of our competitors have significantly greater financial, technological, engineering, manufacturing, marketing and distribution resources than we do. Their greater capabilities in these areas may enable them to better withstand periodic downturns in the footwear industry, compete more effectively on the basis of price and production, keep up with rapid changes in footwear technology, and more quickly develop new products. New companies may also enter the markets in which we compete, further increasing competition in the footwear industry. In addition, negative consumer perceptions of our performance features due to our historical reputation as a fashion and lifestyle footwear company may place us at a competitive disadvantage in the performance footwear market. We may not be able to compete successfully in the future, and increased competition may result in price reductions, cost increases, reduced profit margins, loss of market share and an inability to generate cash flows that are sufficient to maintain or expand our development and marketing of new products, which would materially adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

We Depend Upon A Relatively Small Group Of Customers For A Large Portion Of Our Sales.

During the year ended December 31, 2020, our net sales to our five largest customers accounted for approximately 8.8% of total net sales, respectively. No one customer accounted for more than 10.0% of outstanding accounts receivable balance at December 31, 2020. Although we have long-term relationships with many of our customers, our customers do not have a contractual obligation to purchase our products and we cannot be certain that we will be able to retain our existing major customers. Store closures or re-closures, decreased foot traffic and economic recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has, and will likely continue to, adversely affect our performance and could continue to adversely affect the financial condition of many of our customers. If any major existing customer ceases or decreases its purchases from us, cancels its orders, delays or defaults on its payment obligations to us, reduces the floor space, assortments, fixtures or advertising for our products or changes its manner of doing business with us for any reason, such as due to store closures, decreased foot traffic or recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, such actions may adversely affect our business and financial condition. Furthermore, the retail industry regularly experiences consolidation, contractions and closings, which may result in our loss of customers or our inability to collect accounts receivable of major customers, and we have recently experienced delays in payments from some of our customers and others have gone bankrupt. If we lose a major customer, experience a significant decrease in sales to a major customer or are unable to collect the accounts receivable of a major customer due to any of the foregoing reasons, our business and financial condition could be harmed.

Our Strategies Involve A Number Of Risks That Could Prevent Or Delay The Successful Opening Of New Stores As Well As Negatively Impact The Performance Of Our Existing Stores.

Our ability to successfully open and operate new stores depends on many factors, including, among others, our ability to identify suitable store locations, the availability of which is outside of our control; negotiate acceptable lease terms, including desired tenant improvement allowances; source sufficient levels of inventory to meet the needs of new stores; hire, train and retain store personnel; successfully integrate new stores into our existing operations; and satisfy the fashion preferences in new geographic areas.

In addition, some or a substantial number of new stores could be opened in regions of the U.S. in which we currently have few or no stores. Any expansion into new markets may present competitive, merchandising and distribution challenges that are different from those currently encountered in our existing markets. Any of these challenges could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, to the extent that any new store openings are in existing markets, we may experience reduced sales volumes in existing stores in those markets. If sales decline at our retail stores, whether through competition from online sites or other companies, we may decide to close stores, which could result in additional costs, expenses, asset impairments or asset write-downs.

Our Global Retail Business Has Required, And Will Continue To Require, A Substantial Investment And Commitment Of Resources And Is Subject To Numerous Risks And Uncertainties.

Our global retail business has required substantial investments in leasehold improvements, inventory and personnel. We have also made substantial operating lease commitments for retail space worldwide. Due to the high fixed-cost structure associated with our global retail business, a decline in sales or the closure or poor performance of individual or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs or impairments of leasehold improvements, and employee-related termination costs. The success of our global retail operations also depends on our ability to identify and adapt to changes in consumer spending patterns and retail shopping preferences globally, including the shift from brick and mortar to direct-to-consumer and mobile channels, and our ability to effectively develop our direct-to-consumer and mobile channels. Our failure to successfully respond to these factors could adversely affect our retail business, as well as damage our brand and reputation, and could materially affect our results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

Many Of Our Retail Stores Depend Heavily On The Customer Traffic Generated By Shopping And Factory Outlet Malls Or By Tourism.

Many of our concept stores are located in shopping malls, and some of our factory outlet stores are located in manufacturers’ outlet malls where we depend on obtaining prominent locations and the overall success of the malls to generate customer traffic. We cannot control the success of individual malls, and an increase in store closures by other retailers may lead to mall vacancies and reduced foot traffic. Some of our concept stores occupy street locations that are heavily dependent on customer traffic generated by tourism. Any substantial decrease in tourism resulting from an economic slowdown, political, social or military events or otherwise, has and is likely to continue to adversely affect sales in our existing stores, particularly those with street locations. The effects of these factors could continue to reduce sales of particular existing stores or hinder our ability to open retail stores in new markets, which could negatively affect our operating results.

We place orders with our manufacturers for some of our products prior to the time we receive all of our customers’ orders. We do this to minimize purchasing costs, the time necessary to fill customer orders and the risk of non-delivery. We also maintain an inventory of certain products that we anticipate will be in greater demand. Any unanticipated decline in the popularity of Skechers footwear or other unforeseen circumstances may make it difficult for us and our customers to accurately forecast product demand trends, and we may be unable to sell the products we have ordered in advance from manufacturers or that we have in our inventory. Inventory levels in excess of customer demand may result in inventory write-downs and the sale of excess inventory at discounted prices, which could significantly impair our brand image and have a material adverse effect on our operating results, financial condition and cash flows. Conversely, if we underestimate consumer demand for our products or if our manufacturers fail to supply the quality products that we require at the time we need them, we may experience inventory shortages. Inventory shortages might delay shipments to customers, negatively impact retailer and distributor relationships, and diminish brand loyalty.

Our International Sales And Manufacturing Operations Are Subject To The Risks Of Doing Business Abroad, Particularly In China and Vietnam, Which Could Affect Our Ability To Sell Or Manufacture Our Products In International Markets, Obtain Products From Foreign Suppliers Or Control The Costs Of Our Products.

Substantially all of our sales during the year ended December 31, 2020, were derived from sales of footwear manufactured in foreign countries, with most manufactured in China and Vietnam. We also sell our footwear in several foreign countries and plan to increase our international sales efforts as part of our growth strategy. Foreign manufacturing and sales are subject to a number of risks, including the following: political and social unrest, including terrorism; changing economic conditions, including higher labor costs; increased costs of raw materials; currency exchange rate fluctuations; labor shortages and work stoppages, including those due to the outbreak of a disease leading to an epidemic or pandemic spread; electrical shortages; transportation delays; loss or damage to products in transit; expropriation; nationalization; the adjustment, elimination or imposition of domestic and international duties, tariffs, quotas, import and export controls and other non-tariff barriers; exposure to different legal standards (particularly with respect to intellectual property); compliance with foreign laws; changes in domestic and foreign governmental policies; and there may be circumstances in the future where we may have to incur premium freight charges to expedite the delivery of product to our customers. If we incur a significant amount of premium charges to airfreight product for our customers, our gross profit will be negatively affected if we are unable to collect those charges. Apart from the aforementioned impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have not, to date, been materially affected by any such risks, but we cannot predict the likelihood of such developments occurring or the resulting long-term adverse impact on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

In particular, because most of our products are manufactured in China and Vietnam, the possibility of adverse changes in trade or political relations with China or Vietnam, political instability in China or Vietnam, increases in labor costs, the occurrence of prolonged adverse weather conditions or a natural disaster such as an earthquake or typhoon in China or Vietnam, or the outbreak of a pandemic disease in China or Vietnam could severely interfere with the manufacturing and/or shipment of our products and would have a material adverse effect on our operations. Our business operations may be adversely affected by the current and future political environment in the Communist Party of China (“PRC”). The government of the PRC has exercised and continues to exercise substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through regulation and state ownership. Our ability to operate under the PRC may be adversely affected by changes in Chinese laws and regulations, including those relating to taxation, import and export tariffs, raw materials, environmental regulations, land use rights, property and other matters. Under its current leadership, the government of the PRC has been pursuing economic reform policies that encourage private economic activity and greater economic decentralization. There is no assurance, however, that the government of the PRC will continue to pursue these policies, or that it will not significantly alter these policies from time to time without notice. A change in policies by the PRC government could adversely affect our interests by, among other factors: changes in laws, regulations or the interpretation thereof, confiscatory taxation, restrictions on currency conversion, imports or sources of supplies, or the expropriation or nationalization of private enterprises.

We Rely On Independent Contract Manufacturers And, As A Result, Are Exposed To Potential Disruptions In Product Supply.

Our footwear products are currently manufactured by independent contract manufacturers. During the year ended December 31, 2020, the top five manufacturers of our products produced approximately 42.1% of our total purchases. One manufacturer accounted for 21.0% of total purchases for the year ended December 31, 2020.

We compete with other footwear companies for production facilities, and we do not have long-term contracts with any of our contract manufacturers. Under our current arrangements with them, these manufacturers generally may unilaterally terminate their relationship with us at any time. If our current manufacturers cease doing business with us, we could experience an interruption in the manufacture of our products. Although we believe that we could find alternative manufacturers, we may be unable to establish relationships with alternative manufacturers that will be as favorable as the relationships we have now. For example, new manufacturers may have higher prices, less favorable payment terms, lower manufacturing capacity, lower quality standards or higher lead times for delivery. If we are unable to provide products consistent with our standards or the manufacture of our footwear is delayed or becomes more expensive, our business and financial condition would be harmed.

While not a material issue as of the filing date of this report, the COVID-19 pandemic previously led to the Chinese and Vietnamese governments imposing temporary closures of some of our factories in China and restrictions on others in Vietnam that caused delays in shipment of our products. We may encounter similar challenges yet again with these manufacturers, or new difficulties could arise with our manufacturers or any raw material suppliers on which our manufacturers rely, including prolonged manufacturing or transportation disruptions due to public health conditions, such as the recent COVID-19 pandemic, reductions in the availability of production capacity due to government imposed restrictions, failure to meet our quality control standards, failure to meet production deadlines or increased manufacturing costs. This could result in our customers canceling orders, refusing to accept deliveries or demanding reductions in purchase prices, any of which could have a negative impact on our cash flow and harm our business and results of operations.

Our Ability To Deliver Our Products To The Market Could Be Disrupted If We Encounter Problems Affecting Our Logistics And Distribution Systems.

We rely on owned or independently operated distribution facilities to transport, warehouse and ship products to our customers. Our logistics and distribution systems include computer-controlled and automated equipment, which may be subject to a number of risks related to security or computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, power interruptions or other system failures. Substantially all of our products are distributed from a few key locations. Therefore, our operations could be interrupted by travel restrictions, earthquakes, floods, fires or other natural disasters near our distribution centers. Our business interruption insurance may not adequately protect us from the adverse effects that could be caused by significant disruptions affecting our distribution facilities, such as the long-term loss of customers or an erosion of brand image. In addition, our distribution capacity is dependent on the timely performance of services by third parties, including the transportation of product to and from our distribution facilities. If we encounter problems affecting our distribution system, our ability to meet customer expectations, manage inventory, complete sales and achieve operating efficiencies could be materially adversely affected.

The Uncertainty Of Global Market Conditions May Continue To Have A Negative Impact On Our Business, Results Of Operations Or Financial Condition.

While global economic conditions have recently improved slightly, their uncertain state, including the challenging consumer retail market in the U.S., may negatively impact our business, which depends on the general economic environment and levels of consumers’ discretionary spending that affect not only the ultimate consumer, but also retailers, who are our primary direct customers. If the current economic situation does not improve or if it weakens, we may not be able to maintain or increase our sales to existing customers, make sales to new customers, open and operate new retail stores, maintain sales levels at our existing stores, maintain or increase our international operations on a profitable basis, or maintain or improve our earnings from operations as a percentage of sales. Additionally, if there is an unexpected decline in sales, our results of operations will depend on our ability to implement a corresponding and timely reduction in our costs and manage other aspects of our operations. These challenges include (i) managing our infrastructure, (ii) hiring and maintaining, as required, the appropriate number of qualified employees, (iii) managing inventory levels and (iv) controlling other expenses. If the uncertain global market conditions continue for a significant period of time or worsen, our results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected.

Our Business Could Be Adversely Affected By Changes In The Business Or Financial Condition Of Significant Customers Due To Global Economic Conditions.

The global financial crisis affected the banking system and financial markets and resulted in a tightening in the credit markets, more stringent lending standards and terms, and higher volatility in fixed income, credit, currency and equity markets. In addition, our business could be adversely affected by other economic conditions, such as the insolvency of certain of our key distributors, which could impair our distribution channels, or the diminished liquidity or an inability to obtain credit to finance purchases of our product by our significant customers. Our customers may also experience weak demand for our products or other difficulties in their businesses. If economic, financial or political conditions in global markets deteriorate in the future, demand may be lower than forecasted and insufficient to achieve our anticipated financial results. Any of these events would likely harm our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.

Natural Disasters Or A Decline In Economic Conditions In California Could Increase Our Operating Expenses Or Adversely Affect Our Sales Revenue.

As of December 31, 2020, a substantial portion of our operations are located in California, including 110 of our retail stores, our headquarters in Manhattan Beach, and our U.S. distribution center in Rancho Belago. Because a significant portion of our sales is derived from sales in California, a decline in the economic conditions in California, whether or not such decline spreads beyond California, could materially adversely affect our business. Furthermore, a natural disaster or other catastrophic event, such as an earthquake or wildfire affecting California, could significantly disrupt our business including the operation of our only domestic distribution center. We may be more susceptible to these issues than our competitors whose operations are not as concentrated in California.

Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Fluctuations Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business And Results Of Operations.

Foreign currency fluctuations affect our revenue and profitability. Changes in currency exchange rates may impact our financial results positively or negatively in one period and not another, which may make it difficult to compare our operating results from different periods. Currency exchange rate fluctuations may also adversely impact third parties that manufacture our products by making their costs of raw materials or other production costs more expensive and more difficult to finance, thereby raising prices for us, our distributors and/or our licensees. We do not currently engage in hedging activities with respect to these currency exchange rate risks. For a more detailed discussion of the risks related to foreign currency fluctuation, see Item 7A: “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”

In addition, our foreign subsidiaries purchase products in U.S. dollars in which the cost of those products will vary depending on the foreign currency exchange rates and will impact the price charged to customers. Our foreign distributors also purchase products in U.S. dollars and sell in local currencies, which impacts the price to foreign consumers. As the U.S. dollar strengthens relative to foreign currencies, our revenues and profits are reduced when translated into U.S. dollars and our margins may be negatively impacted by the increase in product costs due to foreign currency exchange rates. Although we typically work to mitigate the impact of exchange rate fluctuations through price increases and further actions to reduce costs, we may not be able to fully offset the impact, if at all. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to manage or mitigate these foreign currency impacts, as changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to other currencies could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial position and cash flows.

We Have Debt And Interest Payment Requirements At Levels That May Restrict Our Future Operations.

As of December 31, 2020, we had $735.0 million of debt and $250.0 million of additional borrowings available under our unsecured revolving credit facility. In March 2020, as a precautionary measure to maximize liquidity and to increase available cash on hand, we drew down on our unsecured revolving credit facility. Our debt requires us to dedicate cash flow from operations to the payment of interest and principal due under our debt. This dedicated use of cash could impact our ability to successfully compete by, for example:

• increasing our vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;

• limiting our flexibility in planning for or reacting to changes in our business and the general retail environment; and

• limiting our ability to obtain additional financing required to fund working capital and capital expenditures and for other general corporate purposes.

Changes In Tax Laws Or The Potential Imposition Of Additional Duties, Quotas, Tariffs And Other Trade Restrictions Could Have An Adverse Impact On Our Sales And Profitability.

All of our products manufactured overseas and imported into the U.S., the European Union and other countries are subject to customs duties collected by customs authorities. Customs information submitted by us is routinely subject to review by customs authorities. We are unable to predict whether there may be unfavorable changes in tax laws in the U.S. or overseas, additional customs duties, quotas, tariffs, anti-dumping duties, safeguard measures, cargo restrictions to prevent terrorism or other trade restrictions imposed on the importation of our products in the future. Such actions could adversely affect our ability to produce and market footwear at competitive prices and might have an adverse impact on the sales and profitability of Skechers.

Changes to Trade Policy, including New Tariffs Imposed By The U.S. Government, Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Results Of Operations.

Changes in social, political, regulatory and economic conditions or in laws and policies governing trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the countries from which we import our products, or conduct our business, as well as any negative sentiment toward the U.S. as a result of such changes, could adversely affect our business. The U.S. government has placed or proposed additional tariffs on certain goods imported from China and may enact new tariffs on additional goods imported from China, including footwear and other products that we import. China had imposed tariffs on a wide range of American products in retaliation and responded to the new proposed tariff by, among other things, adjusting the value of its currency. China and the U.S. have made progress and are in discussions to finalize a trade agreement, however there is no guarantee that any agreement between the countries will be reached. China could impose additional tariffs or take other actions if the countries are unable to come to an agreement. The majority of our products that we sell in the U.S. are manufactured in China. The U.S. government has also negotiated a replacement trade deal for NAFTA with Mexico and Canada, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (the “USMCA”), which still needs to be ratified. There is also a concern that the imposition of additional tariffs by the U.S. could result in the adoption of additional tariffs by other countries as well. If the U.S. government does not reach a trade agreement with China or replaces NAFTA with USMCA, or if additional tariffs or trade restrictions are implemented by the U.S. or other countries in connection with a global trade war, the resulting escalation of trade tensions could have a significant, adverse effect on world trade and the world economy. While it is too early to predict whether or how the recent policy changes will impact our business, the imposition of tariffs on footwear, apparel or other items imported by us from China could require us to increase prices to our customers or, if unable to do so, result in lowering our gross margin on products sold. Tariffs on footwear imported from China could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our Business Could Be Harmed If Our Contract Manufacturers, Suppliers Or Licensees Violate Labor, Trade Or Other Laws.

We require our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers and licensees to operate in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Manufacturers are required to certify that neither convicted, forced or indentured labor (as defined under U.S. law) nor child labor (as defined by law in the manufacturer’s country) is used in the production process, that compensation is paid in accordance with local law and that their factories are in compliance with local safety regulations. Although we promote ethical business practices and our sourcing personnel periodically visit and monitor the operations of our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers and licensees, we do not control them or their labor practices. If one of our independent contract manufacturers, suppliers or licensees violates labor or other laws or diverges from those labor practices generally accepted as ethical in the U.S., it could result in adverse publicity for us, damage our reputation in the U.S., or render our conduct of business in a particular foreign country undesirable or impractical, any of which could harm our business.

In addition, if we, or our foreign manufacturers, violate U.S. or foreign trade laws or regulations, we may be subject to extra duties, significant monetary penalties, the seizure and the forfeiture of the products we are attempting to import, or the loss of our import privileges. Possible violations of U.S. or foreign laws or regulations could include inadequate record-keeping of our imported products, misstatements or errors as to the origin, quota category, classification, marketing or valuation of our imported products, fraudulent visas, or labor violations. The effects of these factors could render our conduct of business in a particular country undesirable or impractical, and have a negative impact on our operating results.

The Disruption, Expense And Potential Liability Associated With Existing And Unanticipated Future Litigation Against Us Could Have A Material Adverse Effect On Our Business, Results Of Operations, Financial Condition And Cash Flows.

In addition to the legal matters included in our reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation arising from the normal course of business, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such unanticipated future litigation. We have no reason to believe that there is a reasonable possibility or a probability that we may incur a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to any other such loss contingencies. However, the

outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and assessments and decisions on defense and settlement can change significantly in a short period of time. Therefore, although we consider the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote with respect to those matters for which we have not reserved an amount for loss contingencies, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against us in the same reporting period for amounts in excess of our expectations, our consolidated financial statements of a particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, any unanticipated litigation in the future, regardless of its merits, could also significantly divert management’s attention from our operations and result in substantial legal fees being incurred. Such disruptions, legal fees and any losses resulting from these unanticipated future claims could have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.

We Depend On Key Personnel To Manage Our Business Effectively In A Rapidly Changing Market, And If We Are Unable To Retain Existing Personnel, Our Business Could Be Harmed.

Our future success depends upon the continued services of Robert Greenberg, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer; Michael Greenberg, President and a member of our Board of Directors; and David Weinberg, Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and a member of our Board of Directors. The loss of the services of any of these individuals or any other key employee could harm us. Our future success also depends on our ability to identify, attract and retain additional qualified personnel. Competition for employees in our industry is intense, and we may not be successful in attracting and retaining such personnel.

We Have A Significant Work Force And Are Subject To Risks Related To Human Capital Management.

As of December 31, 2020, we employee over 11,500 employees worldwide. A significant portion of our operating expenses relate to compensation and benefits, and we spend significant time and effort managing these employees. We cannot ensure that we will be able to maintain a happy and productive workforce. Some of our employees may take actions that harm our business or we may face other issues with our employees, such as retention. Although we spend a significant amount of time and expense on human capital management, we cannot ensure that these efforts will be successful.

Our Ability To Compete Could Be Jeopardized If We Are Unable To Protect Our Intellectual Property Rights Or If We Are Sued For Intellectual Property Infringement.

We believe that our trademarks, design patents and other proprietary rights are important to our success and our competitive position. We use trademarks on nearly all of our products and believe that having distinctive marks that are readily identifiable is an important factor in creating a market for our goods, in identifying us and in distinguishing our goods from the goods of others. We consider our Skechers^®, Skechers Performance^™, Skechers GOrun^®, Skechers GOwalk^®,Skechers GOgolf^®, Skechers GOtrain^®, Skechers on-the-GO^®,

^®,

, Skechers Cali^®, Skecher Street^®, Skechers USA^®, Skechers Active^™, Skechers Sport Active^™, Skechers Work™, Skechers Max Cushioning™, Mark Nason^®, D’Lites^®, DLT-A^®, BOBS^®, Energy Lights^®, Glide Step™, Skech-Air^®, Twinkle Toes^®, Z-Strap^®, Mega-Flex^®, Luminators^®, Heart Lights^™, Relaxed Fit^®, Arch Fit^™, Ultra GO^®, Hyper Burst^®, Skechers Memory Foam^™, and Air-cooled Memory Foam^® trademarks to be among our most valuable assets, and we have registered these trademarks in many countries. In addition, we own many other trademarks that we utilize in marketing our products. We also have a number of design patents and a limited number of utility patents covering components and features used in various shoes. We believe that our patents and trademarks are generally sufficient to permit us to carry on our business as presently conducted. While we vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to secure patents or trademark protection for our intellectual property in the future or that protection will be adequate for future products. Further, we have been sued in the past for patent and trademark infringement and cannot be sure that our activities do not and will not infringe on the intellectual property rights of others. If we are compelled to prosecute infringing parties, defend our intellectual property or defend ourselves from intellectual property claims made by others, we may face significant expenses and liability as well as the diversion of management’s attention from our business, each of which could negatively impact our business or financial condition.

In addition, the laws of foreign countries where we source and distribute our products may not protect intellectual property rights to the same extent as do the laws of the U.S. We cannot be assured that the actions we have taken to establish and protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights outside the U.S. will be adequate to prevent imitation of our products by others or, if necessary, successfully challenge another party’s counterfeit products or products that otherwise infringe on our intellectual property rights on the basis of trademark or patent infringement. Continued sales of counterfeit products could adversely affect our sales and our brand and result in the shift of consumer preference away from our products. We may face significant expenses and liability in connection with the protection of our intellectual property rights outside the U.S., and if we are unable to successfully protect our rights or resolve intellectual property conflicts with others, our business or financial condition could be adversely affected.

Breaches Or Compromises Of Our Information Security Systems, Information Technology Systems And Our Infrastructure To Support Our Business Could Result In Exposure Of Private Information, Disruption Of Our Business And Damage To Our Reputation, Which Could Harm Our Business, Results Of Operation And Financial Condition.

As a routine part of our business, we utilize information security and information technology systems and websites that allow for the secure storage and transmission of proprietary or private information regarding our customers, employees, vendors and others. A security breach of our network, hosted service providers, or vendor systems, may expose us to a risk of loss or misuse of this information, litigation and potential liability. Hackers and data thieves are increasingly sophisticated and operate large-scale and complex automated attacks, and the retail industry, in particular, has been the target of many recent cyber-attacks. Although we take measures to safeguard this sensitive information, we may not have the resources or technical sophistication to anticipate or prevent rapidly evolving types of cyber-attacks targeted at us, our customers, or others who have entrusted us with information. Actual or anticipated attacks may cause us to incur costs, including costs to deploy additional personnel and protection technologies, train employees, and engage third-party experts and consultants.

We invest in industry standard security technology to protect personal information. Advances in computer capabilities, new technological discoveries, or other developments may result in the technology used by us to protect against transaction or other data being breached or compromised. In addition, data and security breaches can also occur as a result of non-technical issues, including breach by us or by persons with whom we have commercial relationships that result in the unauthorized release of personal or confidential information. Although we maintain insurance designed to provide coverage for cyber risks related to what we believe to be adequate and collectible insurance in the event of theft, loss, fraudulent or unlawful use of customer, employee or company data, any compromise or breach of our cyber security systems could result in private information exposure and a violation of applicable privacy and other laws, significant potential liability including legal and financial costs, and loss of confidence in our security measures by customers, which could result in damage to our brand and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and reputation. In addition, we must comply with increasingly complex and rigorous regulatory standards enacted to protect business and personal data. Compliance with existing and proposed laws and regulations can be costly, and any failure to comply with these regulatory standards could subject us to legal and reputational risks. Misuse of or failure to secure personal information could also result in violation of data privacy laws and regulations, proceedings against us by governmental entities or others, damage to our reputation and credibility and could have a negative impact on revenues and profits.

Our Quarterly Revenues And Operating Results Fluctuate As A Result Of A Variety Of Factors, Including Seasonal Fluctuations In Demand For Footwear, Delivery Date Delays And Potential Fluctuations In Our Estimated Annualized Tax Rate, Which May Result In Volatility Of Our Stock Price.

Our quarterly revenues and operating results have varied significantly in the past and can be expected to fluctuate in the future due to a number of factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our major customers have no obligation to purchase forecasted amounts, may and have canceled orders in the past, and may change delivery schedules or change the mix of products ordered with minimal notice and without penalty. As a result, we may not be able to accurately predict our quarterly sales. In addition, sales of footwear products have historically been somewhat seasonal in nature, with the strongest domestic sales generally occurring in our second and third quarters for the back-to-school selling season. Domestic back-to-school sales typically ship in June, July and August, and delays in the timing, cancellation, or rescheduling of these customer orders and shipments by our wholesale customers could negatively impact our sales and results of operations for our second or third quarters. More specifically, the timing of when product ships is determined by the delivery schedules set by our wholesale customers, which could cause sales to shift between our second and third quarters. Because our expense levels are partially based on our expectations of future sales, our expenses may be disproportionately large relative to our revenues, and we may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected revenue shifts, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.

Our annualized tax rate is based on projections of our domestic and international operating results for the year, which we review and revise as necessary at the end of each quarter, and it is highly sensitive to fluctuations in projected international earnings. Any quarterly fluctuations in our annualized tax rate that may occur could have a material impact on our quarterly operating results. As a result of these specific and other general factors, our operating results will likely vary from quarter to quarter, and the results for any particular quarter may not be necessarily indicative of results for the full year. Any shortfall in revenues or net earnings from levels expected by securities analysts and investors could cause a decrease in the trading price of our Class A Common Stock.

One Principal Stockholder Is Able To Substantially Control All Matters Requiring Approval By Our Stockholders And Another Stockholder Is Able To Exert Significant Influence Over All Matters Requiring A Vote Of Our Stockholders, And Their Interests May Differ From The Interests Of Our Other Stockholders.

As of December 31, 2020, our Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Greenberg, beneficially owned 86.5% of our outstanding Class B Common Stock, members of Mr. Greenberg’s immediate family beneficially owned an additional

7.9% of our outstanding Class B Common Stock, and Gil Schwartzberg, trustee of several trusts formed by Mr. Greenberg and his wife for estate planning purposes, beneficially owned 29.8% of our outstanding Class B Common Stock. The holders of Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock have identical rights except that holders of Class A Common Stock are entitled to one vote per share while holders of Class B Common Stock are entitled to ten votes per share on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders. As a result, as of December 31, 2020, Mr. Greenberg beneficially owned 37.6% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, and together with shares beneficially owned by other members of his immediate family, Mr. Greenberg and his immediate family beneficially owned 43.4% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, and Mr. Schwartzberg beneficially owned 18.0% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders. Therefore, Messrs. Greenberg and Schwartzberg are each able to exert significant influence over all matters requiring approval by our stockholders. Matters that require the approval of our stockholders include the election of directors and the approval of mergers or other business combination transactions. Mr. Greenberg also has significant influence over our management and operations. As a result of such influence, certain transactions are not likely without the approval of Messrs. Greenberg and Schwartzberg, including proxy contests, tender offers, open market purchase programs or other transactions that can give our stockholders the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market prices for their shares of our Class A Common Stock. Because Messrs. Greenberg’s and Schwartzberg’s interests may differ from the interests of the other stockholders, their ability to substantially control or significantly influence, respectively, actions requiring stockholder approval, may result in the Company taking action that is not in the interests of all stockholders. The differential in the voting rights may also adversely affect the value of our Class A Common Stock to the extent that investors or any potential future purchaser view the superior voting rights of our Class B Common Stock to have value.

Our Charter Documents And Delaware Law May Inhibit A Takeover, Which May Adversely Affect The Value Of Our Stock.

Provisions of Delaware law, our certificate of incorporation or our bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if closing such a transaction would be beneficial to our stockholders. Mr. Greenberg’s substantial beneficial ownership position, together with the authorization of Preferred Stock, the disparate voting rights between our Class A Common Stock and Class B Common Stock, the classification of our Board of Directors and the lack of cumulative voting in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, may have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a change in control, may discourage bids for our Class A Common Stock at a premium over the market price of the Class A Common Stock and may adversely affect the market price of our Class A Common Stock.

Our corporate headquarters are located at several properties in or near Manhattan Beach, California, which consist of an aggregate of approximately 204,000 square feet. We own and lease portions of our corporate headquarters.

Our North American distribution center occupies approximately 2.8 million square feet in southern California. The majority of this distribution center is leased from a joint venture, HF Logistics-SKX (the “JV”), that we formed with HF Logistics I, LLC (“HF”) in January 2010 for the purpose of building and operating the facility. The leases provide for terms expiring in November 2031 with a small portion set to expire in early 2026. The JV is consolidated in our financial statements.

Our European distribution center occupies approximately 1.8 million square feet in Liege, Belgium under operating leases. These leases provide for original terms of 10 to 15 years, commencing between January 2016 and June 2016, subject to automatic extensions for recurring periods of five years unless we or the landlord terminates the lease in writing 12 months prior to the expiration of the original lease term or 12 months prior to the end of the then applicable five-year extension.

All of our domestic retail stores and showrooms are leased with terms expiring through January 2033. The leases provide for rent escalations tied to either increases in the lessor’s operating expenses, fluctuations in the consumer price index in the relevant geographical area, or a percentage of the store’s gross sales in excess of the base annual rent.

We lease most of our international administrative offices, retail stores, showrooms and distribution facilities located in Asia, Central America, Europe, North America and South America. The property leases expire at various dates through October 2033.

Converse, Inc. v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. – On October 14, 2014, Converse filed an action against the Company in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, Brooklyn Division, Case 1:14-cv-05977-DLI-MDG, alleging trademark infringement, false designation of origin, unfair competition, trademark dilution and deceptive practices arising out of our alleged use of certain design elements on footwear. The complaint seeks, among other things, injunctive relief, profits, actual damages, enhanced damages, punitive damages, costs and attorneys’ fees. On October 14, 2014, Converse also filed a complaint naming 27 respondents including the Company with the U.S. International Trade Commission (the “ITC” or “Commission”), Federal Register Doc. 2014‑24890, alleging violations of federal law in the importation into and the sale within the United States of certain footwear. Converse has requested that the Commission issue a general exclusion order, or in the alternative a limited exclusion order, and cease and desist orders. On December 8, 2014, the District Court stayed the proceedings before it. On December 19, 2014, Skechers responded to the ITC complaint, denying the material allegations and asserting affirmative defenses. A trial before an administrative law judge of the ITC was held in August 2015. On November 15, 2015, the ITC judge issued his Initial Determination finding that certain discontinued products (Daddy’$ Money and HyDee HyTops) infringed on Converse’s intellectual property, but that other, still active product lines (Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia) did not. On February 3, 2016, the ITC decided that it would review in part certain matters that were decided by the ITC judge. On June 28, 2016, the full ITC issued its Final Determination affirming that Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia shoes do not infringe Converse’s Chuck Taylor Midsole Trademark and affirming that Converse’s common law trademark was invalid. The full ITC also invalidated Converse’s registered trademark. Converse appealed this decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On January 27, 2017, Converse filed its appellate brief but did not contest the portion of the decision that held that Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia shoes do not infringe. On June 26, 2017 we filed our responsive brief, on February 8, 2018 the court heard oral argument, and on June 7, 2018 the court requested supplemental briefing on certain issues. On October 30, 2018, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit vacated portions of the ITC’s ruling and remanded the matter back to the ITC for further proceedings. Although Converse did not appeal the Commission’s non-infringement findings for Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia shoes to the Federal Circuit, Converse asked the Commission to reconsider its previous non-infringement findings on remand. On October 9, 2019, the ITC judge issued his Remand Initial Determination (the “RID”) finding that Converse did not have any rights in the subject intellectual property as to Skechers, and that Skechers Twinkle Toes, Bobs Utopia, and Hydee Hytop did not infringe Converse’s intellectual property but the discontinued Daddy’$ Money would infringe, but only if Converse had rights in the subject intellectual property as to Skechers (which the ITC judge found that Converse did not). On October 22, 2019, the parties filed petitions seeking review of the RID. Converse did not, however, seek review of the finding in the RID that Skechers Twinkle Toes and Bobs Utopia do not infringe. On February 7, 2020, the full Commission decided to review the RID and outlined the issues it wanted briefed. The parties subsequently filed briefs on those issues and, on September 9, 2020, the full Commission issued its decision. In that decision, the Commission found that, although Converse had demonstrated enforceable rights in its Chuck Taylor Midsole Trademark, it had not proven that the Skechers Twinkle Toes, Bobs Utopia or Hydee Hytops infringe those rights, or otherwise established a violation of the applicable federal statutes by Skechers. The time for Nike to appeal the Commission’s decision to the United States Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit has expired and the ITC matter in now concluded. The federal court action that Nike filed in New York, which was stayed pending the outcome of the ITC proceedings, remains pending. While it is too early to predict the outcome of these legal proceedings or whether an adverse result in either or both of them would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend these legal matters vigorously.

Nike, Inc. v. Skechers USA, Inc. – On January 4, 2016, Nike filed an action against the Company in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Case No. 3:16-cv-0007, alleging that certain Skechers shoe designs (Men’s Burst, Women’s Burst, Women’s Flex Appeal, Men’s Flex Advantage, Girls’ Skech Appeal, and Boys’ Flex Advantage) infringe the claims of eight design patents. Nike seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of Skechers’ profits, damages (including treble damages), pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. In April and May 2016, we filed petitions with the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s Patent Trial and Appeal Board (the “PTAB”) for inter partes review of all eight design patents, seeking to invalidate those patents. In September and November 2016, the PTAB denied each of our petitions. On January 6, 2017, we filed several additional petitions for inter partes review with the PTAB, seeking to invalidate seven of the eight designs patents that Nike is asserting. In July 2017, we were notified that the PTAB granted our petitions and instituted inter partes review proceedings with respect to two of the seven design patents but denied our petitions as to the others. In June 2017, we filed a motion to transfer venue from the District of Oregon to the Central District of California based on a recent United States Supreme Court decision and the motion was granted on November 17, 2017. On June 28, 2018, the PTAB issued final decisions in the two inter partes review proceedings, rejecting the invalidity challenges made by the Company in those proceedings. On June 4, 2018, the court, over Nike’s opposition, granted our request for a claim construction hearing. On March 28, 2019, the court issued an order declining to issue a claim construction at this stage of the proceedings, but it did not foreclose the issue, instead observing that it might be appropriate to address claim construction at a later stage. The parties have now completed discovery and have filed summary judgement motions. Nike has also withdrawn its claim for treble or enhanced damages. The summary judgment motions were heard on February 18, 2020, and on October 27, 2020, the Court issued its ruling. The court granted Skechers’ motion for summary judgment of non-infringement as to three of the eight design patents at issue. The court, however, concluded that whether Skechers had infringed any of the five remaining design patents presented issues for a jury to resolve. The court also denied Nike’s motion for summary judgment of validity as to the five remaining design patents, holding that Skechers’ invalidity challenges had to be resolved by the jury. While it is too early to predict the outcome

of the case or whether an adverse result would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

Nike, Inc. v. Skechers USA, Inc. – On September 30, 2019, Nike filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 2:19-cv-08418, alleging that certain Skechers’ shoe designs (Skech-Air Atlas, Skech-Air 92, Skech-Air Stratus and Skech-Air Blast) infringe the claims of twelve design patents. Nike seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of Skechers’ profits, damages (including treble damages), pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. Skechers has filed its answer and the case is in the early stages. While it is too early to predict the outcome of the case or whether an adverse result would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

Nike, Inc. v. Skechers USA, Inc. – On October 28, 2019, Nike filed an action against the Company in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 2:19-cv-09230, alleging that certain Skechers’ shoe designs (Skech-Air Jumpin’ Dots and Skech-Air Mega) infringe the claims of two utility patents. Nike seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement of Skechers’ profits, damages (including treble damages), pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. Skechers has answered the complaint and the case is in the early stages. While it is too early to predict the outcome of the case or whether an adverse result would have a material adverse impact on our operations or financial position, we believe we have meritorious defenses and intend to defend this legal matter vigorously.

Ealeen Wilk v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc. – On September 10, 2018, Ealeen Wilk filed a putative class action lawsuit against the Company in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 5:18-cv-01921, alleging violations of the California Labor Code, including unpaid overtime, unpaid wages due upon termination and unfair business practices. The complaint seeks actual, compensatory, special and general damages; penalties and liquidated damages; restitutionary and injunctive relief; attorneys’ fees and costs; and interest as permitted by law. On July 5, 2019, the court granted, in part, plaintiff’s motion for conditional certification of a Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) collective action. On July 22, 2019, the parties submitted to the court an agreed upon notice to be sent to members of the collective. The parties are delaying the mailing of the Belaire-West privacy opt out notice until after mediation. The parties have agreed to an informal stay of discovery and have stipulated to continue all relevant discovery and motion deadlines accordingly. The parties reached a settlement in principle as a result of a January 27, 2020 mediation but the details of the settlement still need to be worked out and the settlement has to be documented. In the event the settlement is not concluded successfully, it is too early to predict the outcome of the litigation or a reasonable range of potential losses and whether an adverse result would have a material adverse impact on our results of operations or financial position, we believe that we have meritorious defenses, vehemently deny the allegations, and intend to defend the case vigorously.

In addition to the matters included in our reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation arising from the normal course of business, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such unanticipated future litigation. We have no reason to believe that there is a reasonable possibility or a probability that we may incur a material loss, or a material loss in excess of a recorded accrual, with respect to any other such loss contingencies. However, the outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain and assessments and decisions on defense and settlement can change significantly in a short period of time. Therefore, although we consider the likelihood of such an outcome to be remote with respect to those matters for which we have not reserved an amount for loss contingencies, if one or more of these legal matters were resolved against the Company in the same reporting period for amounts in excess of our expectations, our consolidated financial statements of a particular reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

Our Class A Common Stock trades under the symbol “SKX” on the New York Stock Exchange.

As of February 15, 2021, there were 86 holders of record of our Class A Common Stock (including holders who are nominees for an undetermined number of beneficial owners) and 27 holders of record of our Class B Common Stock. These figures do not include beneficial owners who hold shares in nominee name. The Class B Common Stock is not publicly traded, but each share is convertible upon request of the holder into one share of Class A Common Stock.

No shares of our Class A Common Stock were repurchased during the three months ended December 31, 2020. Our $150.0 million share repurchase program expired on February 6, 2021.

Our equity compensation plan information is provided as set forth in Part III, Item 12 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

The following graph demonstrates the total return to stockholders of our Class A Common Stock from December 31, 2015 to December 31, 2020, relative to the performance of the Russell 2000 Index, which includes our Class A Common Stock, and the peer group index, which is believed to include companies engaged in businesses similar to ours. The peer group index consists of six companies: Nike, Inc., adidas AG, Steven Madden, Ltd., Wolverine World Wide, Inc., Crocs, Inc., and Deckers Outdoor Corporation.

The graph assumes an investment of $100 on December 31, 2015 in each of our Class A Common Stock, the Russell 2000 Index and the customized peer group index. Each of the indices assumes that all dividends were reinvested. The stock performance of our Class A Common Stock shown on the graph is not necessarily indicative of future performance. We will neither make nor endorse any predictions as to our future stock performance.

(in dollars)	2015		2016		2017		2018		2019		2020
Skechers U.S.A., Inc.		100.00		81.36		125.26		75.77		142.97		118.97
Russell 2000		100.00		121.31		139.08		123.76		155.35		186.36
Peer Group		100.00		99.06		125.55		146.21		209.01		273.39

The following tables set forth the Company’s selected consolidated financial data as of and for each of the years in the five-year period ended December 31, 2020 and should be read in conjunction with our audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included under Part II, Item 8 of this annual report.

	For the Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands, except per share data)	2020		2019		2018		2017		2016
Sales ⁽¹⁾	$	4,597,414	$	5,220,051	$	4,642,068	$	4,164,160	$	3,563,311
Gross profit		2,189,781		2,491,157		2,223,605		1,938,889		1,634,596
Earnings from operations		133,684		518,443		437,765		382,880		370,518
Earnings before income taxes		154,729		516,005		431,884		384,260		359,484
Net earnings attributable to Skechers U.S.A., Inc.		98,564		346,560		301,041		179,190		243,493
Net earnings per share:
Basic	$	0.64	$	2.26	$	1.93	$	1.15	$	1.58
Diluted	$	0.64	$	2.25	$	1.92	$	1.14	$	1.57
Weighted-average shares:
Basic		154,184		153,392		155,815		155,651		154,169
Diluted		154,894		154,151		156,450		156,523		155,084

	As of December 31,
(in thousands)	2020		2019		2018		2017		2016
Working capital	$	2,131,645	$	1,581,360	$	1,621,918	$	1,507,676	$	1,206,036
Total assets		5,812,369		4,892,943		3,228,255		2,735,082		2,393,670
Long-term borrowings, excluding current installments		679,415		49,183		88,119		71,103		67,159
Skechers U.S.A., Inc. equity		2,481,435		2,314,665		2,034,958		1,829,064		1,603,633

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this annual report on Form 10-K.

This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2020 and 2019 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019. Discussions of 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Part II—Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Results of Operations” and “—Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact various markets and business channels. After we temporarily closed our stores around the world and temporarily furloughed a meaningful portion of our hourly workforce in March 2020, we saw meaningful improvements during the second half of 2020 including a return to growth in many markets. Although the recovery has progressed at a different pace across countries, we remain confident in our actions and strength of the brand. Consumers have gravitated towards comfort in their lives as people are predominately working from home and increasingly focused on their well-being. We believe the actions we have taken and the strength of our brand positions Skechers well as the global recovery continues.

We continue to invest for growth, with a focus on our direct-to-consumer capabilities and global infrastructure.

We have three reportable segments – Domestic Wholesale, International Wholesale, and Direct-to-Consumer, which includes results from both our retail store and e-commerce channels. We evaluate segment performance based primarily on sales and gross margin.

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, selected information from our results of operations:

	Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)	2020					2019
Sales	$	4,597,414				$	5,220,051
Cost of sales		2,407,633					2,728,894
Gross profit		2,189,781		47.6	%		2,491,157		47.7	%
Royalty income		16,017					22,493
		2,205,798					2,513,650
Operating expenses:
Selling		318,097					369,901
General and administrative		1,754,017					1,625,306
		2,072,114					1,995,207
Earnings from operations		133,684					518,443
Interest income		5,912					11,782
Interest expense		(16,327	)				(7,509	)
Other, net		31,460					(6,711	)
Earnings before income tax expense		154,729					516,005
Income tax expense		8,502					88,753
Net earnings		146,227					427,252
Less: Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests		47,663					80,692
Net earnings attributable to Skechers U.S.A., Inc.	$	98,564				$	346,560

Delaware				95-4376145
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)				(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share		SKX		New York Stock Exchange
(Title of each class)		(Trading symbol)		(Name of each exchange on which registered)

PART I

ITEM 1.	BUSINESS	2
ITEM 1A.	RISK FACTORS	9
ITEM 1B.	UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS	18
ITEM 2.	PROPERTIES	18
ITEM 3.	LEGAL PROCEEDINGS	19
ITEM 4.	MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES	20

PART II

ITEM 5.	MARKET FOR REGISTRANTS COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES	21
ITEM 6.	SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA	22
ITEM 7.	MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS	23
ITEM 7A.	QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK	29
ITEM 8.	FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA	30
ITEM 9.	CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE	55
ITEM 9A.	CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES	55
ITEM 9B.	OTHER INFORMATION	58

PART III

ITEM 10.	DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE	58
ITEM 11.	EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION	58
ITEM 12.	SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS	58
ITEM 13.	CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE	58
ITEM 14.	PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES	58

PART IV

ITEM 15.	EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES	58
ITEM 16.	FORM 10-K SUMMARY	58
	SIGNATURES	63

Large accelerated filer	☒	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller reporting company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐