SKECHERS USA INC [SKX] Filings

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

or

For the transition period from to

Commission File Number 001-14429

SKECHERS U.S.A., INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

228 Manhattan Beach Blvd.,

Manhattan Beach, California 90266

(310) 318-3100

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

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. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

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, 2023, 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 $7.3 billion based upon the closing price of $52.66 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 21, 2024: 133,094,103.

The number of shares of Class B Common Stock outstanding as of February 21, 2024: 20,181,683.

Skechers U.S.A., INC. and subsidiaries

Form 10-K

Table of Contents

Special Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This annual report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, 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,” “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.

PART I

Item 1. Business

DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Skechers U.S.A., Inc., designs, develops and markets a diverse range of footwear, apparel, and accessories. Our company was incorporated in California in 1992 and reincorporated in Delaware in 1999. For over 30 years, we have expanded our product offering and grown our sales while substantially increasing the breadth of our consumer and customer base. Our objective is to profitably grow our operations worldwide by delivering stylish, comfortable, innovative and high-quality products at a reasonable price.

Skechers is the third largest athletic footwear company in the world due to our innovative comfort technology products, supported by impactful marketing, a diverse distribution strategy, and a dedicated global employee base and loyal network of partners.

In this annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, Skechers U.S.A., Inc., its consolidated subsidiaries and certain variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of which it is the primary beneficiary, are referred to as “Skechers,” “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our.” Reference in this annual report to “sales” refers to Skechers net sales reported under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

SEGMENTS

We have two reportable segments: Wholesale and Direct-to-Consumer.

Wholesale. Our Wholesale segment is comprised of sales to a network of partners including:

Growth in the Wholesale segment is expected to derive from adding new partners, more Skechers-branded stores, as well as expanding our existing shelf-space with current partners from the introduction of new products.

Direct-to-Consumer. Our Direct-to-Consumer segment comprises sales by us directly to consumers through a combination of channels including:

Growth in the Direct-to-Consumer segment is expected to derive from expanding our footprint, leveraging third-party digital marketplaces and platforms and introducing new products.

PRODUCTS

Skechers is a product-driven company and innovation is at the core of our design process. We offer footwear, apparel, and accessories for men, women, and kids. We market our products at multiple price points and provide consumers with products that we believe offer superior in comfort technology.

Product design and development is essential to our success and is driven by our ability to recognize trends and to design products that anticipate and accommodate consumers’ 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. We also consult with our customers on current retail selling trends and collaborate with partners and ambassadors to ensure that our products are designed to address the intended market opportunity and convey the distinctive perspective and lifestyle associated with our brand. A key component of our design philosophy is to continually reinterpret and improve our most successful styles.

Footwear. We offer a comprehensive line of Skechers-branded performance and lifestyle footwear for men, women, and kids – with the Company’s signature comfort features and innovations. We develop footwear for all walks of life: athletes at all levels, everyday comfort needs, as well as occupational requirements. Our footwear categories include the following:

Apparel. We offer the latest trends in athletic lifestyle apparel. Our collections are designed to complement our footwear products, by offering apparel that is stylish, high-quality and comfortable all at a reasonable price.

Accessories. Skechers licenses a variety of Skechers-branded products including socks, eyewear; medical scrubs; undergarments, fitness and yoga accessories, and cold weather products.

TRADEMARKS, PATENTS AND LICENSING

We own and utilize a variety of trademarks, including the Skechers trademark. We consider our Skechers trademark a significant factor in building our brand image and in distinguishing our products from those of others. We vigorously protect our trademarks against infringement, including through the use of cease-and-desist letters, administrative proceedings and lawsuits. 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 164 foreign countries. Further, we have design patents and pending design and utility patent applications in both the U.S. and a myriad of foreign countries. We continuously look to increase the number of our patents and trademarks both domestically and internationally.

We believe that selective licensing of the Skechers brand name to manufacturers broadens and enhances the brand without requiring incremental capital investments or operating expenses. As of December 31, 2023, we had 28 active licensing agreements in which we are the licensor. We license a variety of Skechers-branded products including apparel and accessories.

MARKETING

Brand recognition is an important element for success in the footwear business. Senior management is directly involved in shaping our image and the conception, development and implementation of our advertising and marketing activities. We aggressively market our brands through comprehensive marketing campaigns. The Skechers brand is supported by television, digital, print, radio, outdoor, and press campaigns. To further drive recognition, we enlist numerous celebrities, athletes, and influencers to appear in our campaigns. We strategically select our ambassadors who we believe work well with the Company to promote the brand and support the product.

In 2023, our brand ambassadors included television personalities and entertainers Martha Stewart, Snoop Dogg, Amanda Kloots, Brooke Burke, and Chesca, and former athletes Sugar Ray Leonard, Tony Romo, Howie Long, Cris Carter, Meb Keflezighi, and Rusty Wallace. Additionally, athletes supporting our performance footwear included runner Edward Cheserek, elite golfers Matt Fitzpatrick and Brooke Henderson, pro pickleball players Tyson McGuffin and Catherine Parenteau, and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw. During the year, we partnered with NBA pros Julius Randle and Terance Mann, and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, as well as a team of premier league players to support our new basketball and football divisions. We identify athletes who benefit from the comfort and technologies that our brand has to offer, and whose performance on the field, court, or course is augmented through the product.

SOURCING AND MANUFACTURING

Our suppliers are integral partners in delivering stylish, high-quality footwear and apparel to our consumers worldwide. 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. To minimize disruption of our product supply due to potential 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.

To safeguard product quality and consistency, we monitor the key aspects of production from initial prototype manufacturing, through initial production runs, to final manufacturing. Monitoring of production is performed in the U.S. by our in-house production department and in Asia by 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.

We believe quality control is an important and effective means of maintaining the quality and reputation of our products and brand. Our quality control program is designed to ensure finished goods meet our established design specifications and 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 and ensure that leading manufacturers comply with our Supplier Code of Conduct.

OUR MARKET

Our collections are available in approximately 180 countries and territories and can be accessed in digital or physical stores. We are continually expanding and enhancing our distribution and logistics facilities and systems to support our omni-channel capabilities and provide greater access to merchandise selection and faster delivery. Our company-owned e-commerce business enables consumers to shop, browse, find store locations, socially interact, post reviews, and immerse themselves in our brands. Additionally, the e-commerce business provides an efficient and effective retail distribution channel, which continues to improve our customer service and brand experience. We manage our international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. Our joint venture interests include China, Malaysia and Singapore (50%), Thailand (51%), Mexico (60%), and South Korea (65%), and Israel (75%). Where we do not sell directly through our international subsidiaries and joint ventures, our footwear is distributed through a network of distributors and licensees who sell our products to department, athletic and specialty stores, as well as in Skechers-branded retail stores.

COMPETITION

The global footwear industry is a competitive business. Although we believe that we do not compete directly with any single company with respect to our 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. 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. We believe, however, that we have competitive advantages because of our brand recognition, our quality comfort technology products, and our application of pricing and distribution strategies, among other factors.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Skechers employees are central to our success. We are a family brand at the core, and our commitment to family extends to our diverse team of global employees. We believe our unique backgrounds and experiences have made us stronger, inspired new ideas, and driven our innovative spirit. From our corporate offices to our retail stores and our distribution centers, we aim to build a workplace that supports each employee’s well-being and encourages everyone to grow in their careers and give back to their community. We are focused on creating a positive, supportive work environment where our team can work and feel their best every day.

Employees. As of December 31, 2023, we employed approximately 17,900 persons worldwide, of whom approximately 9,200 were employed on a full-time basis and approximately 8,700 were employed on a part-time basis, primarily in our retail stores.

Compensation and Benefits. We seek to provide market-competitive compensation and benefits that not only attract the best talent, but also retain our current employees. We offer a broad range of benefits including medical, prescription, dental and vision plans, flexible spending accounts, company-provided disability insurance, pet insurance, paid sick and vacation time, employee assistance program, childcare subsidies, parental leave and tuition reimbursement. Additional benefits for certain employees include a 401K plan, 529 college savings plan, pensions and pet insurance.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Skechers was founded on inclusivity, diversity, respect, and entrepreneurial spirit with the philosophy of putting people first. In conjunction with our corporate policy against discrimination, Skechers emphasizes that every employee, applicant, contractor, and customer is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect. Human rights are a core value at the heart of how we conduct our business, at every level of the Company – including our factories and suppliers. Our Code of Ethics, Corporate Code of Conduct and Supplier Code of Conduct codify our commitment to these values. These codes are in the Corporate Governance section of the Investor Relations page of our corporate information website located at investors.skechers.com/corporate-governance/governance-documents. We intend to post any amendment to, or waivers of, these codes on our website.

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY

Despite the dynamic growth we have seen over the years, we remain firmly rooted in the same community where we began while dedicated to serving the people of the world. In so doing, we take seriously our position as a steward of the many communities and stakeholders we impact in our daily business activities. This increasingly involves considering the multiple ways we can evolve our business practices and processes to improve the health of our planet, the lives of our people and our communities. Corporate responsibility is a top priority for our leadership, who are investing in plans to further our environmental, social and governance ("ESG") efforts.

Sustainability. We believe it is our responsibility as a family-focused footwear and apparel brand to create and implement sustainable strategies across our operations to minimize our impact on the environment and support our customers, employees, and partners. Environmental advancements are a top priority in the development of our corporate offices as well as logistic centers. Many of our facilities are designed and operated with sustainability in mind, including one of America’s largest LEED Gold certified facilities at our North America distribution center in Southern California. Our European Distribution Center in Liege, Belgium, has both a BREEAM Very Good rating and a Lean and Green certification. Additionally, our China Distribution Center in Taicang incorporates sustainable features such as natural lighting, LED motion detectors and temperature controllers; and our newly opened India Distribution Center outside Mumbai is designed as a LEED building with certification pending.

In 2021, we introduced Our Planet Matters, a collection for men, women and kids that utilizes recycled materials. We partnered with a global conservation organization to help fund its organization’s global efforts which align with our interests and commitment to reduce tree harvesting and emissions through packaging. These efforts represent our growing focus on more environmentally sustainable manufacturing, packaging, distribution, product development, corporate processes, and activities.

Human Rights. 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 civility and respect. This code outlines our policies and expectations on topics including discrimination, harassment and abuse, forced labor, freedom of association, compensation and benefits, and health and safety, among others.

Community. Skechers encourages active participation in the greater community, with annual charity walks for children in the U.S. and around the world. We promote charitable giving and volunteering by sponsoring community service days along with blood drives, food drives, and shoe drives. Additionally, we regularly donate product to not-for-profit organizations. In 2023, we donated more than $1.1 million to Petco Love Foundation to help save the lives of animals in need in the U.S. and Canada.

For additional information on how Skechers value creation and global impact, refer to our Impact Report which can be found on our website at about.skechers.com/social-responsibility.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly, and current reports, proxy statements and other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The SEC maintains an internet site at sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically. 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, proxy statements and other information are also made available, free of charge, on our investor relations website at investors.skechers.com as soon as reasonably practicable after we file or furnish with the SEC. The information found on, or otherwise accessible through our website, is not incorporated into, and does not form a part of this annual report on Form 10-K or our other filings with the SEC.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

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

RISKS RELATED TO OUR BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

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

Our success to date has largely been due to the strength of the Skechers brand. Maintaining, promoting, and growing our brand depends on our ability to develop high-quality, innovative, and fashion forward products, as well as our ability to create fresh and relevant marketing and advertising campaigns. The inability to execute or adverse developments in these areas could negatively impact our brand. Our brand could also be negatively impacted if we or any of our products were to receive negative publicity. If we are unable to maintain, promote and grow our brand, then our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

Our Future Success 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 requires us to accurately identify changing consumer preferences and effectively respond in a timely manner. Demand for and market acceptance of existing and new products are uncertain and depend on the following factors:

We are often required to make decisions about product designs and marketing expenditures several months in advance of when consumer acceptance can be determined. As a result, we may not be successful in responding to shifting consumer preferences with new products that achieve market acceptance. If we fail to identify and effectively respond to changing consumer preferences, 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 Footwear Industry and With Significantly Greater Resources Than Ours.

We face intense competition from other established companies in the footwear industry in the areas of product offerings, pricing, costs of production, and advertising and marketing expenditures. Consumer demand for our products may decline significantly if we do not adequately and timely anticipate and respond to our competitors. Some 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 price and production, more effectively 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. 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 and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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 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, new stores could be opened in regions 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 we encounter in our existing markets. Any of these challenges could adversely affect our business and results of operations. In addition, any new store openings in existing markets could result in reduced sales in existing stores in those markets. We may decide to close stores that experience sales declines, 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 significant operating lease commitments for retail space worldwide. Due to the high fixed-cost structure associated with our global retail business, the poor performance or closure of 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 digital 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 and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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

We have concept stores in shopping malls and factory outlet stores in outlet malls. We depend on obtaining prominent locations and the overall success of the malls to generate customer traffic. The overall success of the malls can be negatively impacted by factors outside of our control, such as store closures by other retailers. Some of our concept stores occupy street locations that are heavily dependent on customer traffic generated by tourism. Tourism can be adversely affected by external factors such as an economic slowdown or social or political events. Any substantial decrease in customer traffic generated by malls or tourism has, and may continue to have, an adverse effect on sales in our existing stores or hinder our ability to open retail stores in new markets, which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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

We depend upon the continued services of key personnel, including 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. We also depend 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. The loss of the services of senior management and other key personnel or the failure to attract additional personnel and execute a succession plan could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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

We employ approximately 17,900 employees worldwide and a significant portion of our operating expenses relate to compensation and benefits. Although we spend a significant amount of time and expense on human capital management, we cannot ensure that we will be able to maintain a happy and productive workforce. If we are unable to offer competitive compensation and benefits, appropriate training and development, and a compelling work environment or sustain employee satisfaction, our culture may be adversely affected, our reputation may be damaged, and we may incur costs related to turnover.

RISKS RELATED TO SUPPLY CHAIN

Our Business Could Be Harmed If We Fail To Maintain Appropriate Inventory Levels.

We place orders with our manufacturers for some of our products prior to the time we receive customer 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. Unanticipated declines in the popularity of Skechers footwear or other unforeseen circumstances may make it difficult for us and our customers to accurately forecast demand, 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 exceeding 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 products when 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 Manufacture Or Sell Our Products, Obtain Products From Foreign Suppliers Or Control The Costs Of Our Products.

Substantially all our sales during the year ended December 31, 2023 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 the potential for circumstances where we may have to incur premium freight charges to expedite the delivery of product to our customers. Apart from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including supply chain constraints, 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, financial condition, results of operations, 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 China. The government of the China 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 China 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 China has been pursuing economic reform policies that encourage private economic activity and greater economic decentralization. There is no assurance, however, that the government of China 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 government of China 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 Disruptions In Product Supply.

Our footwear products are currently manufactured by independent contract manufacturers. During the year ended December 31, 2023, the top five manufacturers of our products produced approximately 45.7% of our total purchases. One manufacturer accounted for 21.4% of total purchases for the year ended December 31, 2023.

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, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

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 risks related to security or computer viruses, the proper operation of software and hardware, power interruptions or other system failures. Substantially all our products are distributed from a few 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 potential adverse effects of significant disruptions to our distribution system, 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.

RISKS RELATED TO ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONDITIONS, AND OTHER EXTERNAL FACTORS

The Uncertainty Of Global Market Conditions.

The uncertain state of global economic and political conditions, including the impact of inflation and challenging consumer retail market, may negatively impact our business, which depends on the general economic environment and levels of consumers’ discretionary spending. If the economic situation 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.

The impact of wars, acts of war and other conflicts around the world may result in subsequent economic sanctions imposed by the U.S., NATO and other countries. Conflicts may impact global economic conditions or our ability to sell products to customers in the affected regions. Conflicts could also have broader implications on economics outside the directly impacted regions, such as the global inflationary impact of a potential boycott of Russian oil and gas by other countries. Furthermore, any unfavorable developments in global political, social and regulatory conditions, including geopolitical conflicts, political unrest, civil strife, terrorist activity, acts of war, public corruption, expropriation, nationalism and other economic or political uncertainties in the U.S. or internationally, could also impact our business. Any negative sentiment toward the U.S. as a result of any such developments could also adversely affect our business and reputation. If the uncertain global market conditions continue for a significant period or worsen, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

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

A global financial crisis could affect the banking system and financial markets and result in a tightening in the credit markets, more stringent lending standards and terms, higher inflation, 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 materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Our Sales Are Influenced By Economic Conditions And Uncertainty That Impact Consumer Spending And Consumer Confidence.

Consumer confidence and spending on discretionary items generally declines during periods of economic uncertainty or recession. Our wholesale customers anticipate and respond to adverse changes in economic conditions and uncertainty by reducing inventories and/or increasing promotional activity. Our retail stores are also affected by these conditions and may experience declines in consumer traffic and spending. As a result, factors that diminish consumer confidence and spending, 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 taxes or interest rates, housing market downturns, fear about and impact of pandemic illness, and other factors such as acts of war, natural disasters or terrorist or political events that impact consumer confidence, have had, 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.

Natural Disasters, The Effects Of Climate Change, Pandemics, And Other Events Beyond Our Control.

Natural disasters or other catastrophic events may cause damage or disruption to our operations, international commerce, and the global economy, and thus could have a negative effect on us. Our business operations are subject to interruption from earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, extreme weather events, power shortages, pandemics, telecommunications failure, vandalism, cyber-attacks, the effects of climate change, and other events beyond our control. Although we maintain disaster recovery plans, such events could disrupt our operations or those of our customers and suppliers, including through the inability of employees and contract professionals to work, destruction of facilities, loss of life, and adverse effects on supply chains, power, infrastructure and the integrity of information technology ("IT") systems, all of which could materially increase our costs and expenses, delay or decrease revenue from our customers and disrupt our ability to maintain business continuity. We could incur significant costs to improve the climate-related resiliency of our infrastructure and otherwise prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the effects of climate changes. Our insurance may not be sufficient or cover losses or additional expenses that we may sustain. A significant natural disaster or other event that disrupts our operations or those of our customers or suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition.

Adverse Conditions Or Changes In California Could Increase Our Operating Expenses Or Adversely Affect Our Sales.

A substantial portion of our operations are in California, including 100 of our retail stores, our headquarters in Manhattan Beach, and our North America distribution center in Rancho Belago. A decline in the economic conditions, or increase in regulations or the cost of doing business in California could have a material adverse impact on our business. Furthermore, a natural disaster or other catastrophic event in California, such as an earthquake or wildfire, 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.

Foreign currency fluctuations affect our sales 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, which causes the cost of those products to vary depending on the foreign currency exchange rates and impacts 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 sales 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 materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

RISKS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENT, SOCIAL, AND GOVERNANCE

Our Environmental, Social And Governance Commitments and Disclosures May Expose Us To Reputational Risks And Legal Liability.

Our brand and reputation are associated with our public commitments to various corporate ESG initiatives, including our goals relating to sustainability and diversity and inclusion. Our disclosures on these matters and any failure or perceived failure to achieve or accurately report on our commitments, could harm our reputation and adversely affect our client relationships or our recruitment and retention efforts, as well as expose us to potential legal liability. Increasing focus on ESG matters has resulted in, and is expected to continue to result in, the adoption of legal and regulatory requirements designed to mitigate the effects of climate change on the environmental, as well as legal and regulatory requirements requiring climate-related disclosures. If new laws or regulations are more stringent than current legal or regulatory requirements, we may experience increased compliance burdens and costs to meet such obligations. Our selection of voluntary disclosure frameworks and standards, and the interpretation or application of those frameworks and standards, may change from time to time or may not meet the expectations of investors or other stakeholders. Our processes and controls for reporting ESG matters across our operations and supply chain are evolving along with multiple disparate standards for identifying, measuring, and reporting ESG metrics, including ESG-related disclosures that may be required by the SEC, European and other regulators, and such standards may change over time, which could result in significant revisions to our current goals, reported progress in achieving such goals, or ability to achieve such goals in the future.

RISKS RELATED TO LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS

Changes In Tax Laws Or The Potential Imposition Of Additional Duties, Quotas, Tariffs And Other Trade Restrictions.

Our products manufactured overseas and imported into the U.S., the European Union and other countries are subject to customs duties. 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 our sales and results of operations.

In addition, changes in the tax laws of foreign jurisdictions could arise as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting project that was undertaken by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (“OECD”). The OECD, which represents a coalition of member countries, recommended changes to long-standing tax principles related to transfer pricing and has developed model rules including establishing a global minimum corporate income tax tested on a jurisdictional basis (the “Pillar Two”). Many jurisdictions have adopted or announced an intention to adopt Pillar Two for tax years beginning in 2024. There can be no assurance that our effective tax rate, tax payments or conditional reduced tax rates will not be adversely affected as countries independently amend their tax laws to adopt Pillar Two. Changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, including new or modified guidance with respect to existing tax laws, could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

Changes To U.S. Or Other Countries’ Trade Policies And Import/Export Regulations Or Our Failure To Comply With Such Regulations.

Changes in laws and policies governing foreign trade, manufacturing, development and investment in the territories or countries where we currently sell our products or conduct our business could adversely affect our business. U.S. presidential administrations have instituted or proposed changes in trade policies that include the negotiation or termination of trade agreements, the imposition of higher tariffs on imports into the U.S., economic sanctions on individuals, corporations or countries, and other government regulations affecting trade between the U.S. and other countries where we conduct our business. It may be time-consuming and expensive for us to alter our business operations in order to adapt to or comply with any such changes.

In addition, changes or proposed changes in U.S. or other countries' trade policies may result in restrictions and economic disincentives on international trade. Tariffs and other changes in U.S. trade policy have in the past and could in the future trigger retaliatory actions by affected countries, and certain foreign governments have instituted or are considering imposing retaliatory measures on certain U.S. goods. Further, any emerging protectionist or nationalist trends either in the U.S. or in other countries could affect the trade environment. The Company, similar to many other multinational corporations, does a significant amount of business that would be impacted by changes to the trade policies of the U.S. and foreign countries (including governmental action related to tariffs, international trade agreements, or economic sanctions). Such changes have the potential to adversely impact the U.S. economy or certain sectors thereof or the economy of another country in which we conduct operations, our industry and the global demand for our products, and as a result, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

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 our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

The Disruption, Expense And Potential Liability Associated With Existing And Unanticipated Future Litigation Against Us.

In addition to the legal matters included in our reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation and investigations, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such matters. 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 and investigation 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 or investigation 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 matters could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

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 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 Slip-ins®, Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins®, Skechers Performance™, Skechers GOrun®, Skechers GOwalk®, Skechers GOgolf®, Skechers Viper Court Pro™, Ultra GO®, Skechers on-the-GO®, Skechers Cali®, Skechers Street™, Skechers USA®, Skechers Active™, Skechers Sport Active™, Skechers Work™, Skechers Outdoor™, Max Cushioning®, Massage Fit®, Mark Nason®, Skechers Modern Comfort®, D’Lites®, BOBS®, BOBS Sport™, Our Planet Matters®, Glide Step®, Skech-Air®, Skechers Kids™, Twinkle Toes®, S Lights®, Relaxed Fit®, Arch Fit®, Hyper Burst®, 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 utility patents covering components and features used in various shoes. We believe that our patents and trademarks are 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 involved with litigation 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, 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, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected.

RISKS RELATED TO INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND DATA SECUITY

Breaches Or Compromises Of Our Information Security Systems, Information Technology Systems And Our Infrastructure To Support Our Business Could Result In Disruption Of Our Business And Damage To Our Reputation

As a routine part of our business, we utilize information security and IT 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, 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. 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 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.

Privacy Breaches And Other Cyber Security Risks Related To Our Business Could Negatively Affect Our Reputation, Credibility And Business.

We are dependent on IT systems and networks for a significant portion of our direct-to-consumer sales, including our e-commerce sites and retail business credit card transaction authorization and processing. We are responsible for storing data relating to our customers and employees and also rely on third-party vendors for the storage, processing and transmission of personal and Company information. Consumers, lawmakers and consumer advocates alike are increasingly concerned over the security of personal information transmitted over the Internet, consumer identity theft and privacy and the retail industry, in particular, has been the target of many recent cyber-attacks. We generally require that third-party service providers implement reasonable security measures to protect our employees’ and customers’ identity and privacy, but we do not control these third-party service providers and cannot guarantee the elimination of electronic or physical computer break-ins or security breaches in the future. Cybersecurity breaches, including physical or electronic break-ins, security breaches due to employee error or misconduct, attacks by “hackers,” phishing scams, malicious software programs such as viruses and malware, and other breaches outside of our control, could result in unauthorized access or damage to our IT systems and the IT systems of our third-party service providers. Despite our efforts and the efforts of our third-party service providers to secure our and their IT systems, attacks on these systems do occur from time to time. As the techniques used to obtain unauthorized access to IT systems become more varied and sophisticated (as cyber criminals are finding new ways to launch their attacks) and if the occurrence of such security breaches becomes more frequent, we and our third-party service providers may be unable to adequately anticipate these techniques and implement appropriate preventative measures. There can be no assurance that our cybersecurity risk management program and processes, including our policies, controls or procedures, will be fully implemented, complied with or effective in protecting our systems and information. While we maintain cyber risk insurance to provide some coverage for certain risks associated with cybersecurity incidents, there is no assurance that such insurance would cover all or a significant portion of the costs or consequences associated with a cybersecurity incident. A significant breach of customer, employee or Company data could damage our reputation, our relationship with customers and our brands, and could result in lost sales, sizable fines, significant breach-notifications and other costs and lawsuits, as well as adversely affect our results of operations.

Additionally, we may incur increased costs and experience a significant strain on our resources to account for implementation of additional required security measures and technologies to protect personal data and confidential information or to comply with current and new state, federal and international laws governing the unauthorized disclosure of confidential information which are continuously being enacted and proposed, such as the General Data Protection Regulation in the EU, various consumer privacy and data privacy and protection acts in the United States, including, but not limited to, the American Data Privacy and Protection Act, the California Consumer Privacy Act and the California Privacy Rights Act, the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, the Colorado Privacy Act, the Utah Consumer Privacy Act, the Connecticut Data Privacy Act and the Iowa Consumer Data Protection Act, and the Personal Information Protection Law in China.

Increased scrutiny by federal regulators, such as the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorney generals focused on the retail industry may lead to increased privacy and cybersecurity costs such as organizational changes, deploying additional personnel, acquiring and implementing enhanced privacy and security technologies on e-commerce sites, mandatory employee training for those handling customer and employee personal data, and engaging third-party experts and consultants, and the unauthorized use of proprietary information may materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.

A Material Delay Or Disruption In Our Information Technology Systems Or E-Commerce Websites Or Our Failure Or Inability To Upgrade Our Information Technology Systems Precisely And Efficiently Could Negatively Affect Our Business.

We rely extensively on our IT systems to track inventory, manage our supply chain, record and process transactions, manage customer communications, summarize results and manage our business. The failure of our IT systems to operate properly or effectively, problems with transitioning to upgraded or replacement systems, or difficulty in or failure to implement new systems, could adversely affect our business. We also operate a number of e-commerce websites throughout the world. Our IT systems and e-commerce websites may be subject to damage and/or interruption from power outages, computer, network and telecommunications failures, malicious software, such as viruses and malware, attacks by “hackers”, security breaches, usage errors or misconduct by our employees and bad acts by our customers and website visitors which could materially adversely affect our business.

We are undergoing a multi-year Enterprise Resource Planning (“ERP”) implementation. The implementation of the ERP will require a significant investment in human and financial resources. Implementing new systems also carries substantial risk, including failure to operate as designed, failure to properly integrate with other systems, potential loss of data or information, cost overruns, implementation delays and disruption of operations. Third-party vendors are also relied upon to design, program, maintain and service our ERP implementation program. Any failures of these vendors to properly deliver their services could similarly have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, any disruptions or malfunctions affecting our ERP implementation plan could cause critical information upon which we rely to be delayed, defective, corrupted, inadequate, inaccessible or lost or otherwise cause delays or disruptions to our operations, and we may have to make significant investments to fix or replace impacted systems.

RISKS RELATED TO OUR STOCK AND STOCK PRICE

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

Our quarterly sales 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 and from time to time cancel orders, 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. Furthermore, our expenses are partially based on our expectations of future sales, and we may be unable to adjust spending in a timely manner to compensate for any unexpected sales shifts. As a result, our expenses may be disproportionately large relative to our sales, 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. Any quarterly fluctuations in our annualized tax rate could have a material impact on our quarterly operating results and the results for any one quarter may not be indicative of results for the full year. Any shortfall in sales 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 Control Substantially All Matters Requiring Approval By Our Stockholders And His Interests May Differ From The Interests Of Our Other Stockholders.

As of December 31, 2023, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Robert Greenberg, beneficially owned 89.0% of our outstanding Class B Common Stock, and members of Mr. Greenberg’s immediate family beneficially owned an additional 10.2% 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 of December 31, 2023, Mr. Greenberg beneficially owned 53.3% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders, and together with shares beneficially owned by members of his immediate family, Mr. Greenberg and his immediate family beneficially owned 59.9% of the aggregate number of votes eligible to be cast by our stockholders. Therefore, Mr. Greenberg is able to exert significant control 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 Mr. Greenberg, 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 Mr. Greenberg’s interests may differ from the interests of the other stockholders, his ability to substantially control, actions requiring stockholder approval, may result in our 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 voting rights of our Class B Common Stock to have superior 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.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 1C. Cybersecurity

CYBERSECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGY

We recognize the critical importance of maintaining the safety and security of our systems and data and have a holistic process for overseeing and managing cybersecurity and related risks. This process is supported by both management and our Board of Directors.

We have developed and implemented a Cybersecurity Risk Management Program intended to protect the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of our critical systems and information. Our cybersecurity risk management program includes a cybersecurity incident response plan.

We leverage industry standard frameworks such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework (“NIST CSF”) and Center for Internet Security (“CIS”) to inform how we identify, assess, and manage cybersecurity risks relevant to our business.

Our Cybersecurity Risk Management Program includes:

We have not identified risks from known cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any prior cybersecurity incidents, that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect us, including our operations, business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

Cybersecurity Governance

Our Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing our enterprise risk management activities in general, and each of our Board committees assists the Board in the role of risk oversight. Our Senior Vice President (“SVP”) of Information Technology and the Senior Director of Information Security have overall responsibility for assessing and managing our material risks from cybersecurity threats. To help ensure effective oversight, the Audit Committee receives reports on information security and cybersecurity at least annually, and receives an update quarterly on information security and cybersecurity from materials provided by the Senior Director of Information Security.

The Senior Director of Information Security oversees the Information Security Steering Committee (“Steering Committee”), which provides education on the Company’s cybersecurity programs and controls to key members of the Company. The Steering Committee meets quarterly and is comprised of members from the Executive Leadership Team, including the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Affairs, as well as the SVP of Information Technology, Senior Director of Information Security, VP of Corporate Communications, SVP of Digital Innovation, and Head of Global Human Resources.

Cybersecurity risk management is led by our SVP of Information Technology, who reports to our Chief Operating Officer, and generally is responsible for management of cybersecurity risk and the protection and defense of our networks and systems. The SVP of Information Technology manages a team of cybersecurity professionals with broad experience, including in cybersecurity threat assessments and detection, mitigation technologies, cybersecurity training, incident response, cyber forensics, insider threats and regulatory compliance.

We continue to invest in cybersecurity and resiliency of our networks and adapt our internal controls and processes, which are designed to help protect our systems and infrastructure, and the information they contain. For more information regarding the risks we face from cybersecurity threats, please see Item 1A Risk Factors.

Item 2. Properties

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS

Skechers Corporate Headquarters are located at several properties in or near Los Angeles, California, which consist of an aggregate of approximately 0.2 million square feet. We own and lease portions of our corporate headquarters.

We lease most of our international administrative offices and showrooms located in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. The property leases expire on various dates through February 2033. Corporate offices, administrative offices, and showrooms are included within our Wholesale segment.

DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES

We believe that strong distribution is critical to our operations. Our distribution facilities include highly automated solutions to support our future growth in our Company. We regularly evaluate our distribution infrastructure and consolidate or expand our capacity as we believe appropriate for our operations. Our distribution facilities are included within our Wholesale segment. Our principal distribution facilities are as follows:

Americas. Our North America Distribution Center occupies approximately 2.6 million square feet on its main campus in Southern California, which is leased from a joint venture, HF Logistics-SKX (the “JV”). An additional 2.4 million square feet of distribution center space is leased from third parties. The main campus leases expire at various dates through August 2036, and the leases for the remaining space expire at various dates through May 2028. Additionally, our newly opened Canada Distribution Center occupies approximately 0.4 million square feet in British Colombia and the lease is set to expire in December 2032.

Europe, Middle East and Africa. Our European Distribution Center occupies approximately 2.2 million square feet in Liege, Belgium. The leases comprising this Distribution Center provide for original terms of 8 to 15 years. The property leases expire on various dates through April 2031.

Asia Pacific. Our China Distribution Center occupies approximately 1.6 million square feet in Taicang, China. We plan to further expand in this key market with the constructing of a second distribution center in China, which is expected to be an approximately 2.3 million square foot facility. Our Japan Distribution Center is approximately 0.9 million square feet. The lease is set to expire in October 2031. Additionally, we recently opened the first phase of our India Distribution Center which occupies approximately 0.8 million square feet outside of Mumbai and the lease is set to expire in October 2043.

We have additional Company-operated distribution centers as well as third-party distribution centers serving regional markets in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

COMPANY OWNED AND THIRD-PARTY STORES

In 2023, we surpassed 5,000 Skechers-branded retail store and now have 5,168 stores in 122 countries. The network of stores includes 1,648 Company-owned and 3,520 third-party locations. These third-party stores are distributor, licensed and franchise owned through our Wholesale segment.

Store count, openings and closings for our domestic, international, and third-party stores are as follows:

(1) Includes the conversion of 58 third-party stores to International stores previously included in Distributor stores as a result of the acquisition of our Scandinavian distributor.

We pursue our direct-to-consumer strategy through our integrated retail formats, which enable us to promote the full Skechers product offering in an attractive environment that appeals to a broad group of consumers. Our retail stores are included in our Direct-to-Consumer segment. Our physical retail formats are as follows:

Concept Stores. Our concept stores serve as a showcase for a wide range of our product offering. Retail locations are generally chosen to generate maximum marketing value for the Skechers brand name through signage, store front presentation and interior design. These stores also serve as product testing venues.

Factory Outlet Stores. Our factory outlet stores provide opportunities for us to sell discontinued and excess merchandise as well as feature key inline product.

Big Box Stores. Our free-standing and attached big box stores, enable us to liquidate excess merchandise, discontinued lines and odd-size inventory.

Substantially all of our retail stores are leased with terms expiring through March 2038. 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.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings

Michael Conte v. Robert Greenberg, et al. – On July 21, 2022, Skechers and certain past and present members of the Board of Directors were sued by a stockholder on behalf of our company in a derivative action in the Chancery Court of the State of Delaware, Case No. 2022-0633, alleging breach of fiduciary duty, waste of corporate assets, breach of duty of candor and breach of contract in connection with certain executive officers’ personal use of two company-owned aircraft. The complaint seeks actual damages in favor of Skechers sustained as the alleged result of defendants’ alleged breaches of fiduciary duties, judgment directing our company to take all necessary actions to reform and improve its corporate governance practices, termination of certain executive officers for allegedly violating their employment agreements, judgment directing the sale of one of the company-owned aircraft and attorneys’, accountants’ and experts’ fees, costs and expenses. The defendants filed motions to dismiss the complaint. On February 2, 2024, the court granted the motions and thereafter dismissed the complaint with prejudice as to all named past and present director-defendants. On February 22, 2024, plaintiff filed a notice of appeal. We cannot predict the outcome of the appeal or any further related legal proceedings or whether an adverse result in such proceedings would have a material adverse impact on our results of operations or financial position.

Nike, Inc., v. Skechers USA, Inc. – On November 6, 2023, Nike filed an action against our company in the United States District Court for the Central District of California, Case No. 2:23-CV-09346, alleging that certain Skechers shoe designs infringe the claims of six Nike utility patents that purportedly cover Nike’s Flyknit technologies. Nike seeks injunctive relief, damages (including treble damages), pre-judgment and post-judgment interest, and costs. On January 12, 2024, we answered Nike’s complaint, denying the allegations, and filed counterclaims seeking declarations of invalidity of the asserted patents, and non-infringement. While it is too early to predict the outcome of the District Court proceedings 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 matter vigorously.

In addition to the matters included in our reserve for loss contingencies, we occasionally become involved in litigation and investigations, and we are unable to determine the extent of any liability that may arise from any such matters. 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 and investigations 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.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

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

HOLDERS

As of February 21, 2024, there were 72 holders of record of our Class A Common Stock (including holders who are nominees for an undetermined number of beneficial owners) and 33 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.

DIVIDEND INFORMATION

Since inception, we have not declared or paid cash dividends on our common stock, and we have no present intention of paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.

COMPANY PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

On January 31, 2022, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program (the “Share Repurchase Program”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, for an aggregate repurchase price not to exceed $500 million. The Share Repurchase Program expires on January 31, 2025 and does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares.

The table below summarizes the number of shares of our Class A Common Stock that were repurchased during the three months ended December 31, 2023.

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION

Our equity compensation plan information required by this item is hereby incorporated by reference to the information in Part III, Item 12 of this annual report on Form 10-K.

PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The following graph demonstrates the total return to stockholders of our Class A Common Stock from December 31, 2018 to December 31, 2023, relative to the performance of the Russell 1000 Index and S&P Retail Select Industry Index.

Comparison of 5 Year Cumulative Total Returns

Item 6. [Reserved]

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

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. We intend for this discussion to provide the reader with information that will assist in understanding our consolidated financial statements, the changes in certain key items in those financial statements from period to period, and the primary factors that accounted for those changes, as well as how certain accounting principles affect our consolidated financial statements. The discussion also provides information about the financial results of the various segments of our business to provide a better understanding of how those segments and their results affect the financial condition and results of operations of our company as a whole.

This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2023 and 2022 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2023 and 2022. Discussions of 2021 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, 2022 filed with the SEC on February 28, 2023.

OVERVIEW

When Skechers was founded in 1992, our focus was on creating a lifestyle brand centered on delivering products with comfort, style, innovation and quality at a reasonable price. Thirty years later, now with a diverse product assortment that includes award-winning Performance Division, we can meet most of the footwear needs of men, women and kids, we remain committed to our design principles. Our objective is to profitably grow our operations worldwide by delivering stylish, comfortable, innovative and high-quality products at a reasonable price. Through the efforts of our dedicated teams globally, our strong partner relationships and loyal consumers, we believe we will continue to achieve well-managed growth and ensure the longevity of both the company and the Skechers brand.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, sales increased 7.5% to $8.0 billion, a new annual record, and four consecutive quarterly sales records. Gross margins improved to 51.9% and inventory was reduced by 16.1%. Our financial results reflect the significant market demand for our product offerings and the value that we provide.

Key highlights for 2023 include:

We believe brand recognition is paramount to continued success. We drive awareness and demand through comprehensive marketing campaigns. During the year, we introduced partnerships and a capsule collection with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg. Skechers Performance signed Harry Kane, Europe’s top goal scorer for 2023, as well as other premier players for the launch of Skechers Football, and New York Knicks all-star Julius Randle and Los Angeles Clippers Terance Mann, who both compete in Skechers Basketball.

Our core product philosophy of comfort, style, innovation, and quality at the right price continues to resonate with consumers, and we remain focused on delivering our comfort technology footwear as quickly as possible to meet consumer demand. We are committed to the following investments to execute our long-term global growth strategy:

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Selected information from our results of operations follows:

Sales

Sales increased $0.6 billion, or 7.5%, to $8.0 billion as a result of a 13.3% increase internationally and a 0.8% decrease domestically. Direct-to-Consumer sales increased 24.3% and Wholesale sales decreased 2.8%. Sales increased overall due to higher sales volume in Direct-to-Consumer and higher average selling prices.

Gross margin

Gross margin increased 470 basis points to 51.9% primarily due to higher average selling prices and a higher proportion of Direct-to-Consumer sales.

Operating expenses

Operating expenses increased $398.9 million, or 13.4%, to $3.4 billion, and as a percentage of sales increased 220 basis points to 42.1%. Selling expenses increased $93.3 million, or 16.0%, to $676.9 million, primarily due to higher demand creation expenditures in global marketing and digital advertising. General and administrative expenses increased $305.7 million, or 12.8%, to $2.7 billion, due to an increase in labor costs of $104.6 million, facility related costs of $83.7 million, including rent and depreciation, and warehouse and distribution costs of $16.6 million. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $33.7 million in volume-driven labor and warehouse and distribution expenses from the supply chain and logistical challenges in the prior year.

Other income (expense)

Other income (expense), improved $40.5 million to $16.1 million, compared to other expense of $24.4 million in the prior year, primarily due to favorable foreign currency exchange rates in Europe, Middle East & Africa and Asia Pacific, and increased interest income.

Income taxes

Income tax expense and the effective tax rate were as follows:

Income tax expense was $150.9 million as compared to $93.1 million in 2022. Our effective tax rate was 18.8% as compared to 17.8% in the prior year. The increase in tax rate is due to the impact of tax reserves and the non-recurrence of favorable deferred tax adjustments in the prior year.

Our income tax expense and effective income tax rate are significantly impacted by the mix of our domestic and foreign earnings (losses) before income taxes. In the foreign jurisdictions in which we have operations, the applicable statutory rates range from 0% to 35%, which on average are generally significantly lower than the U.S. federal and state combined statutory rate of approximately 25.1%.

The OECD has issued various proposals that would change long-standing global tax principles, namely, its Pillar Two framework, which imposes a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% for large companies. The European Union (“EU”) member states formally adopted the EU’s Pillar Two Directive, which generally provides for a 15% minimum effective tax rate for multinational enterprises, in every jurisdiction in which they operate. This did not have an impact to the tax provision and effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2023 and we do not anticipate that this will have a material impact on our tax provision or effective tax rate in 2024. We will continue to evaluate the potential impact of the Pillar Two framework on future periods, pending legislative adoption by individual countries.

See Note 10 – Income Taxes of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Noncontrolling interest in net earnings of consolidated subsidiaries

Noncontrolling interest represents the share of net earnings or loss that is attributable to our joint venture partners. Net earnings attributable to noncontrolling interest increased $48.0 million to $104.1 million as compared to $56.1 million in the prior year, primarily due to higher earnings by our joint ventures, predominantly in China.

RESULTS OF SEGMENT OPERATIONS

Wholesale

Wholesale sales decreased $127.7 million, or 2.8%, to $4.5 billion, due to a decrease in the Americas of 10.6%, partially offset by an increase in Asia Pacific of 12.6% and Europe, Middle East & Africa of 0.1%. Volume decreased 8.7% in the number of units sold and average selling price per unit increased 6.3%.

Wholesale gross margin increased 500 basis points to 41.0% due to higher average selling prices and lower costs per unit.

Direct-to-Consumer

Direct-to-Consumer sales increased $683.4 million, or 24.3%, to $3.5 billion, led by increases in the Americas of 21.5%, Asia Pacific of 22.0% and Europe, Middle East & Africa of 49.2%. Volume increased 19.6% in the number of units sold and average selling price per unit increased 4.0%.

Direct-to-Consumer gross margin increased 30 basis points to 66.0%, due to higher average selling prices and channel mix, partially offset by increased costs per unit.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity outlook

We have cash and cash equivalents of $1,189.9 million at December 31, 2023. Amounts held outside the U.S. were $954.7 million, or 80.2%, and approximately $424.8 million was available for repatriation to the U.S. as of December 31, 2023 without incurring additional U.S. federal income taxes and applicable non-U.S. income and withholding taxes.

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 and believe our relationships to be positive.

At December 31, 2023, we have unused credit capacity of $746.9 million on our revolving credit facility, with an additional $250.0 million available through an accordion feature. We believe that anticipated cash flows from operations, existing cash and investments balances, available borrowings under our revolving credit facility, and current financing arrangements will be sufficient to provide us with the liquidity necessary to fund our anticipated working capital and capital requirements for the next twelve months.

Cash Flows

Our working capital at December 31, 2023 was $2.3 billion, an increase of $0.3 billion from working capital of $2.0 billion at December 31, 2022. Our cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2023 were $1,189.9 million, compared to $615.7 million at December 31, 2022. Our primary source of operating cash is collections from customers. Our primary uses of cash are inventory purchases, selling, general and administrative expenses and capital expenditures.

Operating Activities

Net cash provided by operating activities was $1,231.2 million for 2023 and $238.3 million for 2022. The $992.8 million increase in cash flows from operating activities in 2023 resulted from favorable changes in working capital, primarily inventory, and increased earnings.

Investing Activities

Net cash used in investing activities was $418.0 million for 2023 as compared to $287.5 million for 2022. The $130.5 million increase was due to increased net investment activity of $95.4 million and the acquisition of our Scandinavian distributor of $70.4 million, offset by decreased capital expenditures of $35.3 million.

Our capital investments remain focused on supporting our strategic growth priorities, growing our Direct-to-Consumer business, as well as expanding the presence of our brand internationally. Capital expenditures for the year ended December 31, 2023 were $323.7 million, which included $104.3 million for the expansion of our global distribution infrastructure, $99.0 million for investments in our retail stores and direct-to-consumer technologies, and $64.3 million of investments in our new corporate offices and transportation. We expect our capital expenditures for 2024 to be approximately $350.0 to $400.0 million, as we continue to invest in our strategic priorities, including new stores, added omnichannel capabilities and incremental distribution capacity in key markets. We expect to fund ongoing capital expenditures through a combination of available cash and borrowings.

Financing Activities

Net cash used in financing activities was $234.7 million during 2023 compared to $118.1 million in 2022. The increase is primarily the result of higher repurchases of common stock of $85.8 million and decreased net proceeds from short-term borrowing of $26.2 million.

Capital Resources and Prospective Capital Requirements

Share Repurchase Program

On January 31, 2022, the Company's Board of Directors authorized a share repurchase program (the “Share Repurchase Program”), pursuant to which the Company may, from time to time, purchase shares of its Class A Common Stock, par value $0.001 per share, for an aggregate repurchase price not to exceed $500 million. The Share Repurchase Program expires on January 31, 2025 and does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular amount of shares. As of December 31, 2023, $265.7 million remains available under the Share Repurchase Program.

Financing Arrangements

As of December 31, 2023, outstanding short-term and long-term borrowings were $301.4 million, of which, $242.9 million relates to loans for our domestic and China distribution centers, $46.2 million relates to our operations in China and the remainder relates to our international operations. Our long-term debt obligations contain both financial and non-financial covenants, including cross-default provisions. We were in compliance with all debt covenants related to our short-term and long-term borrowings as of the date of this annual report. See Note 6 – Financial Commitments of the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Commitments

Our material cash requirements as of December 31, 2023 which are not reflected as liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets include open purchase commitments with our foreign manufacturers of approximately $1.4 billion.

We are required to provide standby letters of credit to support certain obligations that arise in the ordinary course of business and may choose to provide letters of credit in place of posting cash collateral. Although the letters of credit are off-balance sheet, the majority of the obligations to which they relate are reflected as liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND USE OF ESTIMATES

The preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, sales and expenses, and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. We base our estimates and judgments on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

We believe the following critical accounting estimates are affected by significant judgments used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements.

Reserves for returns and chargebacks. Revenue is recorded net of estimates for returns from our customers and potential disputed amounts or chargebacks. We accrue a liability for product returns at the time of sale based on our historical experience. Our chargeback reserve is based on a collectability percentage based on factors such as historical trends, current economic conditions, and nature of the chargeback receivables.

Allowance for bad debts. Accounts receivable is recorded net of estimated losses from our customers’ inability to pay. To minimize the likelihood of uncollectibility, customers’ credit-worthiness is reviewed and adjusted periodically in accordance with external credit reporting services, financial statements issued by the customer and our experience with the account. We determine the amount of the reserve by analyzing known uncollectible accounts, aged receivables, historical losses and our customers’ credit-worthiness. Amounts later determined and specifically identified to be uncollectible are charged or written off against this reserve. Allowances for bad debts are recorded to general and administrative expenses. For receivables that are not specifically identified as high risk, we provide a reserve based upon our historical loss rate as a percentage of sales.

Inventory reserves. Inventory is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Inventory reserves are recorded for excess and slow-moving inventory. Our analysis includes a review of inventory quantities on hand at period-end in relation to year-to-date sales, existing orders from customers and projections for sales in the foreseeable future. The net realizable value is determined based on historical sales experience on a style-by-style basis. The valuation of inventory could be impacted by changes in public and consumer preferences, demand for product, changes in the buying patterns of both retailers and consumers and inventory management of customers.

Litigation reserves. Estimated amounts for claims that are probable and can be reasonably estimated are recorded as liabilities in our consolidated financial statements. The likelihood of a material change in these estimated reserves would depend on additional information or new claims as they may arise as well as the favorable or unfavorable outcome of particular litigation. Both the likelihood and amount (or range of loss) on a large portion of our remaining pending litigation is uncertain. As such, we are unable to make a reasonable estimate of the liability that could result from unfavorable outcomes in our remaining pending litigation. As additional information becomes available, we will assess the potential liability related to our pending litigation and revise our estimates. Such revisions in our estimates of potential liability could materially impact our results of operations and financial position.

Tax estimates. The establishment of deferred tax assets from intra-entity transfers of certain intellectual property rights and other transactions requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions to determine the fair value of such intellectual property rights. The valuation of deferred tax assets requires significant estimates and assumptions including, but not limited to, future sales growth, discount rates and the expected life of the assets, which by their nature are inherently uncertain and may ultimately differ materially from our actual results. We record a valuation allowance when necessary to reduce our deferred tax assets to the amount that is more likely than not to be realized. The likelihood of a material change in our expected realization of our deferred tax assets depends on future taxable income and the effectiveness of our tax planning strategies amongst the various domestic and international tax jurisdictions in which we operate. We evaluate our projections of taxable income to determine the recoverability of our deferred tax assets and the need for a valuation allowance.

Business Combinations. We use the acquisition method of accounting for business combinations and recognize assets acquired and liabilities assumed measured at their fair values on the date acquired. Goodwill is measured as of the acquisition date as the excess of consideration transferred over the net acquisition date fair value of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. The valuation of identifiable intangible assets reflects management's estimates based on, among other factors, use of established valuation methods, including, but not limited to, the multi-period excess earnings method income approach. Further estimates within these models include, but are not limited to, future expected cash flows, including revenues and expenses, and applicable discount rates. These estimates are inherently uncertain and subject to refinement. During the measurement period, which may be up to one year from the acquisition date, adjustments to the fair value of these tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed may be recorded, with the corresponding offset to goodwill. Upon the conclusion of the measurement period or final determination of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed, whichever comes first, any subsequent adjustments are recorded to our consolidated statements of operations and comprehensive income (loss).

EXCHANGE RATES

We receive U.S. dollars for substantially all of our domestic and a portion of our international product sales. Inventory purchases from offshore contract manufacturers are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. However, purchase prices for our products may be impacted by fluctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the local currencies of the contract manufacturers, which may impact our cost of goods in the future. During 2023 and 2022, exchange rate fluctuations did not have a material impact on our inventory costs. We do not engage in hedging activities with respect to such exchange rate risk.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

Refer to Note 1 — Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for recently adopted and recently issued accounting standards.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosure About Market Risk

Market risk is the potential loss arising from the adverse changes in market rates and prices, such as interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. Changes in interest rates and changes in foreign currency exchange rates have and will have an impact on our results of operations.

Interest rate fluctuations. As of December 31, 2023, we have $58.5 million and $242.9 million of outstanding current and long-term borrowings, subject to changes in interest rates. A 200-basis point increase in interest rates would have increased interest expense by approximately $6.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. We do not expect changes in interest rates to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations or cash flows during the remainder of 2024. The interest rate charged on our unsecured revolving credit facility is based on SOFR, our North America distribution center construction loan is based on the one-month Bloomberg Short-Term Bank Yield Index (“BSBY”). Our China distribution center and China operational loans are based on a reference rate provided by the People’s Bank of China. Our loan with the Company’s joint venture with HF Logistics I, LLC (“HF”), HF Logistics-SKX, LLC (the “JV”), through a wholly-owned subsidiary of the JV (“HF-T1”), was based on the SOFR Daily Floating Rate plus a margin of 1.75%. During the second quarter of 2023, the Company amended certain terms of our loan agreement with Bank of America and the related interest rate swap to replace the LIBOR with SOFR as part of our planned reference rate reform activities, as discussed in Note 4 - Financial Commitments. Prior to the effective date of the amended swap agreement, our loan was based on the LIBOR Daily Floating Rate plus a margin of 1.75%. Changes in these interest rates will have an effect on the interest charged on outstanding balances.

We may enter into derivative financial instruments such as interest rate swaps in order to limit our interest rate risk on our long-term debt. We had one derivative instrument in place as of December 31, 2023 to hedge the cash flows on our $129.5 million variable rate debt on our North America distribution center, which was entered into by the JV. This instrument was a variable to fixed derivative with a notional amount of $129.5 million at December 31, 2023. Our receive rate was one-month LIBOR and the average pay rate was 0.795% through the effective date of the interest swap amendment. Since the effective date of the amended swap agreement, our receive rate was 30-day SOFR rate and the average pay rate was 0.778%. The rate swap agreement utilized by us effectively modifies our exposure to interest rate risk by converting our floating-rate debt to a fixed rate basis over the life of the loan, thus reducing the impact of interest-rate changes on future interest payments.

Foreign exchange rate fluctuations. We face market risk to the extent that changes in foreign currency exchange rates affect our non-U.S. dollar functional currency foreign subsidiaries’ sales, expenses, assets and liabilities. In addition, changes in foreign exchange rates may affect the value of our inventory commitments. Also, inventory purchases of our products may be impacted by fluctuations in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and the local currencies of the contract manufacturers, which could have an impact on the cost of goods sold in the future. We manage these risks by primarily denominating these purchases and commitments in U.S. dollars.

Assets and liabilities outside the U.S. are located in regions where we have subsidiaries or joint ventures: the Americas, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Our investments in foreign subsidiaries and joint ventures with a functional currency other than the U.S. dollar are generally considered long-term. The fluctuation of foreign currencies resulted in a cumulative foreign currency translation gain of $11.5 million and loss of $36.6 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, that are deferred and recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in stockholders’ equity. A 200-basis point reduction in each of these exchange rates at December 31, 2023 would have reduced the values of our net investments by approximately $102.4 million.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Shareholders and Board of Directors

Skechers U.S.A., Inc.

Manhattan Beach, California

Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Skechers U.S.A., Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of earnings, comprehensive income, equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes and financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”) and our report dated February 28, 2024 expressed an adverse opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud.

Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Accounting for Income Taxes

The Company is a U.S. based multinational entity subject to taxes in the U.S. and multiple foreign jurisdictions which affect the Company’s provision for income taxes. The income tax provision is determined by management based on current enacted tax regulations at each jurisdiction with consideration of intercompany transactions across multiple tax jurisdictions. As indicated in Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements, total income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 was $150.9 million, of which $14.7 million represented U.S. Federal tax expense, $3.4 million represented U.S. State tax expense, and the remaining $132.8 million represented foreign tax expense.

We identified the accounting for the Company’s income tax provision as a critical audit matter due to the complexity involved in: (i) the application of relevant tax laws and regulations in calculating taxable income and deferred tax balances in certain jurisdictions, and (ii) the application of transfer pricing guidelines to various intercompany transactions. Auditing these elements required challenging auditor judgment and an increased extent of audit effort, including the use of professionals with specialized skills and knowledge.

The primary procedures we performed to address this critical audit matter included:

/s/ BDO USA, P.C.

We have served as the Company's auditor since 2013.

Los Angeles, California

February 28, 2024

SKECHERS U.S.A., INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

Consolidated Balance Sheets