Skechers is not the brand I would initially gravitate to In fact, I tried several other shoes before trying a Skechers sandal. But it was the best one for me, and on sale (yay!) at a much lower price than the Teva and Keens, etc.
I really like the fit of these sandals very much, they are exactly what I wanted (good fit and arch support).
So last night I got on Zappos and Skechers.com and looked around a little more. I think they are smart and working into the lower end of the comfort market, which should be a great area, and they are also doing this “relaxed fit” (this used to be called “wide width”? shoe and that is just smart marketing phraseology that people will like.
I know you’re not supposed to buy because you like or dislike the product. I know.
P.S. I should use the same discipline of shoe shopping for stocks. I looked at about six pairs and bought only one, the one with the highest quality / best fit – and it was on sale.
P.S. I should use the same discipline of shoe shopping for stocks. I looked at about six pairs and bought only one, the one with the highest quality / best fit – and it was on sale.
Karen
Absolutely! There is a wonderful book titled Parkinson’s Laws. One of the laws says that the more complex an issue is the less time boards take to approve it. For example, to approve a new nuclear facility a board will get on with it quickly because none of the members have any expertise and they must rely on the technical experts. No one present is willing to admit their ignorance so after a few comments the multimillion project is approved. But if the proposal is for a bicycle parking facility, the discussion could go on for days as everyone is an expert on the subject.
Same goes for stocks, the more convoluted the company the quicker people buy it.
I am not a shoe shopper at all. Maybe once in 3 years. I am a surgeon so needed shoes for OR. I bought 2 pairs of Sketchers one for each hospital. I bought another for home. I also ordered about 6 brands from Amazon, Sketchers were less pricey and more comfortable than them all. I think there is a huge market for knock around shoes. Not athletic shoes, not flip flops, just something for weekends knocking around. They make some great stuff and they are very comfortable. I love this position. It remains very well priced for growth.
Thanks to Saul and board for pointing it out. I think as a small company they have a long way to grow and could double or triple easily
Thanks Gator, what a great testimonial. People don’t realize how much time surgeons spend on their feet and how important comfortable shoes are for them. (Tell your friends about Skechers too).
Me and my wife went shoe shopping today . . . Well, not exactly. We were on our way to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival (If you find yourself in the Seattle area in April, you should make a day for this), anyway, on the way, northbound on I-5 there’s an outlet mall. My wife has been ga-ga over a Coach handbag ever since she moved here, and there was a Coach store, so I detoured to the outlet mall. She got a Coach handbag - three in fact, two as gifts, they were on sale at about 70% off.
And it so happened there was a Skechers store at this mall, so, being a recent owner I decided to take a look see. The variety was astonishing. But even more important (to me anyway) was the fact that the shoes were the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn while still in the store. Zero break-in period.
My wife and I usually walk for about an hour every day. The shoes I’ve been wearing (K-Swiss) were comfortable, but sort of at the margin. They’ll get relegated to yard work shoes when the New Balance pair finally wear out. Skechers had a sale going, buy on pair. get 50% off a 2nd pair. So, my wife got new walking shoes as well.
My wife and I usually walk for about an hour every day.
I find them pretty comfortable as well, I do about 1.5 to 2 hours of walking with short jogs or runs inter-twined in the walking period and do find I wear them out quicker my other shoes I have been buying. Usually I get Asics but I can buy two pairs for every 1 pair of Asics. I recently tried a pair of Nike Running shoes from an Outlet store (trying to increase running time) so will see how they last. They were around the same price of Sketchers
…shoe and that is just smart marketing phraseology that people will like.
I’ve been buying Sketchers for about a decade when I get back to the States. They’re pretty comfortable, look good and inexpensive.
The primary issue that I have with Sketchers as an investment is what I perceive to be a brand that could be easily forgotten. The impression I have when I go into a store is that I’m in a huge warehouse that is full of cheap stuff. It doesn’t seem if brand is a major priority. I keep thinking that Sketchers is a fad that will fade quicker than I can decide selling the stock.
On the other hand, as I mentioned, I’ve been buying them now for quite a while, have the funds to buy any brand I want but continue to be delighted about getting the 2nd pair at ½ price.
At least I can contribute to this board by giving you Sketchers investors a little bit of my money. Having just arrived back in the U.S. yesterday, I’ll be stopping by the local store for a pair of sneakers this week.
