FNAA Person of the Year Michael Greenberg on Skechers’ Strongest Year in History and Big Community Initiatives
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On Nov. 29, Michael Greenberg will be honored with the Person of the Year award at the 37th annual FN Achievement Awards. Below is an article from the magazine’s Nov. 27 print issue about the Skechers president’s impactful business and community contributions.
Though he has orchestrated some of the most viral marketing moments in sneakers, Michael Greenberg doesn’t need to be the star of the show.
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“The growth of Skechers over the last 31 years is a story of many faces,” the president and co-founder of Skechers USA Inc. told FN during a conversation last month. “Nothing great is achieved alone on an island.”
Greenberg is in the spotlight, though, each fall, when he holds court at the Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, a fundraiser hosted by the Skechers Foundation and Friendship Foundation that over its 15-year history has raised more than $24 million and is historically California’s largest event for children with special needs and education.
This important project is undertaken by Greenberg while also running one of the largest and most successful footwear companies in the world, alongside his father, founder and CEO Robert Greenberg.
In October — as he does each year — Michael Greenberg took the stage at L.A.’s Manhattan Beach Pier to thank the thousands of participants and sponsors of the charity walk, naturally bringing along some of Skechers’ star power in the form of brand partners Brooke Burke and Amanda Kloots, as well as ’90s TV icon Mr. T.
But when FN spoke with him ahead of the event, what Greenberg was most excited about wasn’t the crowds or the press opportunities — it was the long-term goal of the charity partnership: The walk is helping to build the Friendship Campus, a $55 million, 3.25-acre campus set for completion by year-end 2025. Skechers and the Greenberg family are among its largest benefactors.
“It will be a school that’s dedicated to providing living assistance and guidance to children with special needs,” said Greenberg. “When a child with special needs graduates high school, there’s very little that the state offers to them. This campus will provide vocational training, job placement — giving students with special needs the tools to enter the workforce and find lifelong passions and purpose. It’s going to revolutionize education for the physically diverse students.”
Greenberg is certainly no stranger to opening his wallet for charity. In fact, one of his favorite phrases is: “Don’t give because it feels good. Give until it hurts, and it will come back tenfold.”
Lisa Tucker, president of Shoe Show, described Greenberg as “a very kind and giving person to the community who has always been committed to giving back. The success of the Skechers Friendship Walk is a testament to Michael’s beliefs and values.”
Aside from that work, the executive also helped fund the 2018 restoration of Roundhouse Aquarium in Manhattan Beach, Calif., a deeply personal project undertaken in memory of his late son Harrison.
And this year, when wildfires devastated the island of Maui, Hawaii, where Skechers has stores, the company was quick to step up with a $250,000 monetary gift to the local community, as well donations of shoes, socks and personal essentials.
The company is certainly in a position where it can afford to be generous. In the first three quarters of 2023, Skechers generated $6.04 billion in sales, up 8.5 percent from the same period a year ago.
“We’ve had our strongest year in the history of the company,” said Greenberg. “We’re proud of that. We are very much on target to hit the $10 billion mark by 2026.”
He noted that what’s been driving the business are new partnerships with Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, which are long-term endeavors. “Working alongside Martha and Snoop, and realizing their passion for their brands is inspiring,” said Greenberg. “Both are incredibly talented when it comes to style and product. So having their input and their creativity just makes it that much more fun.”
In a conversation with FN earlier this year, Stewart said of her Skechers relationship: “It’s so much fun working with a company that wants to grow and succeed and be No. 1.”
For Mark Lardie, president and CEO of Rack Room Shoes, the company’s innovative nature is what keeps it ahead of the market. “Skechers’ ability to evolve and dominate the comfort space continues with its advent of the Slip-ins technology,” he said. “Everyone is still trying to catch them on first comfort, yet they’ve taken another huge step forward, continuing to distance themselves.”
This year, Skechers made big waves by entering two significant athletic performance categories: soccer and basketball.
In August, the brand announced its soccer debut via a long-term deal with leading striker Harry Kane, who at the time was inking headlines across the globe by transferring teams to FC Bayern Munich.
Then in October, Skechers revealed its first basketball shoes, which are being worn on the court by new brand ambassadors Julius Randle of the New York Knicks and Terance Mann of the Los Angeles Clippers.
Greenberg reflected on how the company has evolved over the years. “Skechers is the first lifestyle brand that I’m aware of that really started as a casual, utilitarian type of brand and then merged into the world of performance,” he said. “When we launched into running 15 years ago, the footwear community was a little cautious, but today, Skechers holds top spots in golf and pickleball, we have a strong running business and now we’re entering football and basketball.”
As for its ambitions in those categories, Greenberg’s intent is clear: “I want to say it loudly: This is our compass heading. It’s the direction of the company.”
Amid those successes, the footwear executive was quick to express gratitude to his team and longtime mentors. He called out the late Robert Tucker of Shoe Show and Bob Campbell of BBC International as men he admired throughout his career. Another important mentor has been his father, Robert.
“[I’ve learned from my father’s] drive, his passion and just how he expresses the importance of tackling something,” said Greenberg. “He gets people to follow and believe in what he’s talking about. He’s a real inspiration to me — his work ethic and his desire to succeed.”
Those are lessons well learned. Greenberg hinted that he’s cooking up more big initiatives for 2024, including another attention-grabbing commercial for Super Bowl LVII.
“Skechers is a brand for all walks of life, so I really believe that the sky’s the limit with us,” he said. “We, of course, can’t share our future plans, but expect the unexpected at Skechers.”
For 37 years, the annual FN Achievement Awards — often called the “Shoe Oscars” — have celebrated the style stars, best brand stories, ardent philanthropists, emerging talents and industry veterans. The 2023 event is supported by sponsors Authentic Brands Group, Birdies, Caleres, Crocs, FDRA, Nordstrom, Saucony and Vibram.
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