Sold Out Padding and Lip Balm... Now It's Sneakers' Turn?
Continuous Love for 'Skechers' During Trial Period
Skechers, the shoe brand that gained much attention as the footwear worn by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, has achieved cumulative sales of 120 billion KRW on GS Shop.
On the 9th, GS Shop announced that cumulative sales of Skechers sneakers have surpassed 120 billion KRW from 2017 to the end of October this year. This marks the highest record following the first time sales exceeded 30 billion KRW last year.
Skechers has seen sales increase for five consecutive years, with an average annual growth rate of 5.7%.
The catalyst for the rise in Skechers sales was Chairman Lee Jae-yong. During his three-year trial period, he consistently wore Skechers sneakers to court.
The shoes Chairman Lee wore that day were confirmed to be the 'Go Walk Arch Fit' model.
The 'Skechers Go Walk Arch Fit' is designed as a slip-on shoe without laces, featuring an ergonomically shaped midsole that supports the arch of the foot. It is lightweight and provides moderate cushioning, making it one of the most trusted and loyal products among middle-aged and older Skechers consumers in Korea.
Looking at the age distribution of customers purchasing Skechers products, the proportion of middle-aged and older customers has steadily increased: ▲49% in 2021 ▲51% in 2022 ▲53% as of October 2023.
A GS Shop representative explained, "Middle-aged and older customers who actively use TV home shopping are highly interested in health and prioritize comfortable wear. Skechers sneakers feature excellent technologies such as memory foam insoles and U-shaped outsoles."
From Puffer Vests and Lip Balm to Sneakers: All Sold Out
The 'Softlips' lip balm applied during the first hearing of the Choi Soon-sil state affairs investigation. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Chairman Lee's 'favorite items' have attracted attention multiple times in the past.
When Lee Jae-yong boarded the SRT wearing Arc'teryx's 'Firebee AR Parka,' inquiries about the product surged immediately after photos were released. The 'Lee Jae-yong red puffer jacket' even ranked on real-time search lists on various portal sites. At that time, the brand was not very well known in Korea, and despite its high price of around 1.3 million KRW, it quickly sold out due to the huge interest.
At the first hearing of the 2016 Choi Soon-sil political scandal investigation, the 'Softlips' lip balm that Lee applied gained great popularity, nicknamed the 'Lee Jae-yong lip balm.' Priced individually at around 2,300 KRW, the lip balm was not released domestically and had to be purchased through overseas direct imports. After gaining popularity as the 'Lee Jae-yong lip balm,' it was officially launched in Korea in 2022.
Fashion expert A stated, "The fashion of chaebols inevitably attracts public attention like celebrity fashion. It not only increases trust in the product but also creates a psychological desire to emulate because wearing the same clothes allows people to 'identify' with that person and enables storytelling to those around them."
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