Since its birth in 1992 in Manhattan Beach, California Skechers have hit peaks and valleys of public interest.
At the highest points of their relevance, they were the hottest shoes on the market. At the lowest points it was embarrassing to be caught with the signature Skechers “S” on the side of your shoes. But what is the cause of the negative stigma? If you’d like to find out, keep reading!
Why Are Skechers Hated In 2024?
Skechers have been in and out of style many times since the dawning of the brand in 1992. Critiques on quality, unoriginality in design, materials, and general cool-factor are among the biggest touch points from sneaker lovers and casual wearers. The core of Skechers hate comes from their perceived lackluster style. They are arguably too straightforward for their own longevity.
Currently, Skechers (especially Skecher D’lites) have made a resurgence in popularity, but why exactly are Skechers beloved by some and hated by many? Keep reading for a deeper look into the controversial query!
Are Skechers Good Shoes?
Skechers are said to be made of high quality materials, including their signature memory foam. However, the origins for the other parts of the shoes are a bit tougher to find.
A conversation shared amongst haters of Skechers is that the materials are cheap and their lifespan is short.
Contrastingly, others sing praises of the shoe’s performance during 8 hour shifts, and support throughout years of use.
Are Skechers Bad for Your Feet?
With memory foam in particular, long time users have advised against purchasing Skechers, because the frequent replacing of insoles required potential long term damage.
Skecher Shape Ups have been linked to a number of injuries, on top of the grandiose “science backed” benefits used by Skechers to sell the shoe, what researchers call “worthless”.
However, this criticism does not apply to all models of the shoe. Some podiatrists and nurses agree on a select few of Skechers collections.
Generally speaking however, there is no universal agreement on Skechers as a go-to walking shoe.
Therefore, it’s advised to research a review on the specific style you are curious about if you are on the fence about purchasing.
Is It Cool to Wear Skechers?
As nostalgia becomes a greater and greater selling force in every industry from art to entertainment, Skechers has heavily benefited riding the waves of trends.
Recently, Skechers has been making a huge comeback in visibility on social media influencers and celebrity endorsements.
In fact, celebrity endorsements were the initial marketing tactic which accelerated Skechers into becoming a household name.
Reactionary to the streetwear and “normcore” fashion movements, it’s been publicly pondered if the amount of young people wearing Skechers has increased the company’s popularity again.
Who Wears Skechers?
Skechers are worn by virtually everyone. Your child and their old-school math teacher wear Skechers. Your mom trying to stay active and healthy may own a pair of Shape Ups.
Not even your Tik Tok obsessed Gen Z relative is exempt from feeding into 90s nostalgia with a pair of Skecher D’lites.
Skechers are worn far and wide by a diverse demographic of people. However, while appealing to a large pool of consumers may be good for profits, it doesn’t add any cool points to the brand.
Many people look to Skechers as a company defined by the commonality and accessibility of the shoe.
Associatively, there is no cutting edge style difference between the ones worn by senior citizens and those on the feets of models.
Are Skechers for Old People?
After the company’s fall from grace with the younger generation, Skechers began to take on a wider audience marketing their comfort and wearability–which spoke to an older audience.
Regularly, Skechers appear on lists for elderly shoe shoppers looking for balance and ease.
Additionally, Skechers are not exclusively worn by old people, but certain models heavily lend themselves to their physical needs in a shoe.
Are Skechers Unoriginal?
Skechers is not known for having innovative designs, and the company has got into hot water for mimicking the styles of its competitors in the name of reinvention.
Some buyers have noted that Skechers stylistically lack originality and flare.
Arguably, the brand has done nothing to update its models since the time it began putting shoes on celebrities like Britney Spears and Christina Agulera.
Other fashion spectators have noticed how Skechers too closely resemble the styles of sneakers from its peers.
This observation is not baseless, as Nike has summoned Skechers to court on more than a few occasions in regards to copying some of its shoe silhouettes.
Additionally, Skechers’ 2010 BOBS collection mirrored TOMS, the buy-one-give-one shoe company so blatantly, it was hard for many to still look at Skechers with respect and integrity.
Conclusion
Love them or hate them, Skechers will still be around. As we have learned from the past, outrage drives sales, even when applied to an early 90s athletic shoe.
For those of you who are still on the fence on where you stand, information is always best in understanding the positives and drawbacks of a product or company.