How Skechers Teamed Up With Celebrities & Athletes to Grow in India

Skechers has grown fast in India by mixing Bollywood style, sports performance, and real community sports. From actors like Kartik Aaryan and Ananya Panday to cricketers like Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, this page explains how smart partnerships helped Skechers become a strong lifestyle and sports brand.

Skechers entered India as a comfort-first footwear brand, but it did not stay in that lane for long. Over time, it reshaped how people see the brand. Today, Skechers stands for daily comfort, street style, and serious sports performance. This shift did not happen quietly. It happened through smart celebrity tie-ups, strong athlete partnerships, and constant on-ground presence.

Instead of choosing one path, Skechers worked on three fronts at the same time. It built lifestyle appeal through Bollywood, performance trust through athletes, and brand belief through community sports. This mix helped Skechers grow fast and stay relevant across age groups and sports.

Bollywood and Lifestyle Appeal

Skechers knew that in India, lifestyle shoes sell when people see them on faces they trust and relate to. Bollywood played a big role in making Skechers feel modern, easy, and everyday.

• Kartik Aaryan and Hands Free Slip Ins

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Kartik Aaryan was signed as a brand ambassador to promote the Hands Free Slip-Ins range, and the fit felt natural. Kartik is seen as a youth icon who balances style with simplicity. His public image is relaxed, approachable, and current, which matched the product perfectly.

The Hands Free Slip-Ins range focused on one clear promise. You do not need to bend down or use your hands. You just step in and walk. Kartik’s campaigns highlighted this ease in a very everyday way. The messaging stayed simple and practical, which made it easy for people to understand why the product mattered.

For young professionals, students, and people who are always on the move, this campaign made Skechers feel useful, not just fashionable. It helped the brand strongly own the comfort-first space in daily footwear.

• Ananya Panday and Street Style

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Ananya Panday has been one of the longest associated faces of Skechers lifestyle collections. She promoted lines like D Lites, which are known for chunky design, comfort, and street style appeal. Her association helped Skechers enter the fashion conversation, not just the comfort one.

Her campaigns often showed her traveling, walking around the city, or styling Skechers with casual outfits. This made the brand feel young, trendy, and easy to wear with everyday clothes. For urban youth, Skechers started to look less like a sports shoe and more like a fashion essential.

Through Ananya, Skechers became a part of daily outfits rather than just workout gear. This shift helped the brand expand its audience, especially among young women and college going consumers.

• Siddhant Chaturvedi and the Go Like Never Before Campaign

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Siddhant Chaturvedi became the face of Skechers’ Go Like Never Before campaign, which focused on movement, self belief, and choosing your own pace in life. His public image fits this idea well. He is seen as confident, self made, and different from the usual crowd, which helped the message feel real and not forced.

The campaign spoke to people who do not want to follow set rules or compare their journey with others. It showed movement as a personal choice, not a race. Through Siddhant, Skechers positioned itself as a brand that supports individuality and everyday progress, whether big or small.

This campaign helped Skechers connect with young adults who see comfort as freedom. The shoes were not shown as performance gear or fashion pieces alone, but as partners in daily movement and personal growth.

• Kriti Sanon and Skechers Street For the Free-Spirited

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Skechers strengthened its lifestyle presence by signing Kriti Sanon as the face of its Skechers Street line. Kriti was appointed as the brand ambassador for Skechers’ fashion and lifestyle categories in late 2022. Her image as a modern style icon fit well with a streetwear range made for people who want fashion that feels easy and natural.

The For the Free Spirited campaign focused on stress-free fashion and self-expression. Kriti described the association as organic, sharing that her personal style is closely linked to who she is. This helped the campaign feel honest and relatable to young consumers who value both style and comfort.

Kriti also brought strong visibility to the collection through high profile appearances. One standout moment was at Lakmē Fashion Week, where she debuted a collaboration with designer Kanika Goyal while wearing Skechers sneakers on the ramp. Her comment about enjoying the comfort of walking in sneakers instead of heels clearly reinforced Skechers’ core message of comfort without compromise.

Performance and Athlete Dominance

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Lifestyle alone could not help Skechers challenge global sports brands. To be taken seriously, the brand needed athlete proof. That is where cricket and football came in.

• Cricket as the Core Sport

Cricket is the heart of Indian sports culture. Skechers signed top names like Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Ishan Kishan, and Yastika Bhatia. These were not just poster faces. Bumrah and Siraj actively promoted Skechers AERO Series and high performance cricket shoes.

Seeing elite fast bowlers wear Skechers changed how people judged the brand. It showed that the shoes were built for pressure, speed, and long matches.

• Football with Sunil Chhetri

Skechers signed Sunil Chhetri to promote its football boots. As the Indian team captain, Chhetri brings discipline and trust. His association helped Skechers gain space in Indian football and showed that the brand could support different sports at a professional level.

• Team and Kit Partnerships

Skechers became the official kit partner for Mumbai Indians teams and Mohun Bagan Super Giant. These partnerships put the brand logo on jerseys seen by millions. Match visibility helped Skechers move from store shelves to stadiums and screens across the country.

Community and Strategic Sponsorships

Skechers did not stop at stars and teams. It also focused on being present where sports actually happen.

• Indian Olympic Association Support

Skechers was named the official sports footwear partner for the Indian Olympic Association during the Asian Games. This partnership placed the brand in a national sports context, where performance, reliability, and trust matter the most. Supplying footwear to Indian athletes competing on an international stage helped Skechers move beyond marketing claims.

When athletes representing the country wear a brand, it sends a strong signal of quality and performance. For Skechers, this association added serious credibility and showed that its footwear could handle elite level competition. It also helped the brand connect with sports fans who value national pride and athlete performance.

• Supporting Emerging Sports

Skechers became the kit sponsor for the All India Pickleball Association, choosing to invest in a sport that is still growing in popularity. Pickleball has been gaining attention among young adults, fitness communities, and recreational players across Indian cities. By entering early, Skechers positioned itself as a supporter of new sports rather than just established ones.

This move helped the brand reach a fresh audience that may not be deeply connected to traditional sports like cricket or football. Supporting pickleball allowed Skechers to align with active lifestyles, community play, and inclusive sports culture, all while standing out as a forward-thinking brand.

• Mass Participation Events

Events like the Skechers Mumbai Walkathon brought the brand directly to everyday users. These events focused on walking and fitness rather than competition, making them open and welcoming to people of all ages. Thousands of participants joined, turning the event into a large community experience rather than a sports meet.

Celebrities like Kriti Sanon often joined these walkathons, which added excitement without taking away from the main purpose. The events showed that Skechers is not only made for professional athletes but also for people who simply want to stay active in their daily lives. This helped the brand build an emotional connection with regular consumers and strengthen its image as a comfort and movement focused brand.

Conclusion

Skechers' growth in India shows that celebrity and athlete partnerships work best when they follow a clear plan. By mixing Bollywood appeal, sports performance, and community presence, Skechers built a strong and flexible brand image. It did not chase trends. It built trust step by step. That is what helped it stand out in a crowded market.

Find the Right Celebrity for Your Brand

Choosing the right face can change how people see your brand, just like Skechers. From movie stars who shape lifestyle choices to athletes who build performance trust, the right partnership matters.

We help brands connect with actors, cricketers, sports stars, and digital creators for endorsements, event appearances, and campaigns. Whether it is a product launch, festive push, or regular content, we help you find personalities that match your brand voice and speak to the right audience.