Once Bankrupt, Popular Clothing Chain Plans 200-Store Comeback In 2025

Athleisure has been a rare bright spot in a struggling retail industry. The apparel category that includes sweatpants, hoodies, leggings, and sneakers has an estimated total market value between $338 billion and $403 billion. That success isn't likely to slow down anytime soon as the market is expected to almost double in value to more than $620 billion by 2030. This is great news for previously struggling athletic and athleisure brands like Skechers, which is now planning a massive 200-store opening strategy in 2025 even as retailers in other spaces are closing stores.

A large part of the growth in athleisure has come in the last few years. During and since the Covid-19 pandemic, people increasingly work at home and spend more time engaging in outside activities. Fewer people reporting to the office gave athleisure wear an in to take over from business casual apparel. Companies in this space have seen their fortunes rise rapidly, and Skechers is a major player in the athleisure industry today. With an over 30-year history, it has managed to bounce back from one-time bankruptcy.

Skechers is headquartered in Southern California. This Fortune 500 company's goal is the development of comfort technologies that help children, men, and women to feel and look good. Skechers works to offer innovative, high quality, and stylish products for an affordable cost.

The company offers a full lifestyle brand in both the United States and internationally. More than half of its annual sales come from overseas. According to The Street, Skechers' products sell in around 180 nations today, giving them major opportunities to fuel their global expansion. The company sells its products directly to individuals via its roughly 5,300 Skechers locations around the world and over its e-commerce websites, according to their company site. 

This corporation also relies on a decades-long, third-party partner distribution network. Skechers trades publicly on the NYSE under the stock ticker SKX. The brand's phenomenal success today makes it hard to believe that Skechers was once bankrupt. The athleisure wear company has been turning heads with its recent results. It announced record-setting revenues of $8.97 billion in 2024, a 12.5% gain versus the previous year.

The company has been busy this past year. It signed major partnership deals with notorious international sports figures, including England football player Harry Kane. Skechers has also been experimenting with new types of stores. The company now plans to open up to 200 new stores for the year 2025, according to The Street. Through February, Skechers has opened 14 of these new company-owned locations. Skechers' growth is happening at a time when other iconic chains are closing dozens of locations.

COO David Weinberg of Skechers explained in the latest earnings call, "With the breadth of our product and global reach, Skechers' branded stores, both concept locations and quality malls, outlets and big box stores in high-traffic areas continue to drive awareness and purchase intent. While we remain focused on our core business, we believe our performance division with basketball, soccer, golf, running, and pickleball footwear will become an increasingly important part of our growth story globally."