The Skechers outlet opened its doors to the public on July 2.
Gabriel F. Boyer, president of Skechers Saipan, said the Skechers Concept Outlet is the first and only outlet in the Marianas, with the nearest other outlet located in Hawaii.
Boyer said he has been distributing Skechers footwear from Sporticca, his footwear store in the Garapan Square at the Paseo de Marianas for the past 10 years.
He also distributed Skechers footwear to some stores on island, but a couple of weeks ago, he closed the Sporticca shop and opened the Skechers Concept Outlet.
“I’ve always wanted to open a concept store here for as long as I can remember. I’ve been in this business for the past 15 years,” Boyer said.
It is not that easy to open a concept store because of the numerous requirements and standards that need to be followed.
Living the Skechers lifestyle
Skechers, Boyer said, is a lifestyle.
“Skechers is an ever changing trend and you live with it, play with it, sleep with it, wear it and enjoy it,” he said.
Skechers is keeping pace with the changing interests of the different categories — male and female, young and old, teens and children, and everybody.
Boyer said Skechers also creates products that cater to all the footwear needs of the population, whether you need sports or athletic shoes, infant or toddler shoes, casual, sneakers, boots, sandals, dress shoes, work and industrial shoes, shape-ups, and more.
He said the Skechers brand is not only concerned with its attractive looks but the designs are made for health reasons, too.
Skechers Shape-Ups, for example, are designed to help people keep in shape without going to the gym, burn more calories, help tone muscles, improve posture and reduce stress on the knees and ankles.
Being a distributor for the Skechers brand for the past decade and a half, Boyer said he is very confident with the product he is selling.
He said a shoe store may not be recession-proof, but it is one place people go to because “everybody needs to wear shoes.”
“You can buy any brand of shoes or sandals at a lesser price at any of the stores everywhere, but Skechers is different. It may be a bit pricey but you are paying for durability and high quality. If you keep buying shoes that are not durable, you will end up paying more in the long run,” Boyer said.
He targets to open the first Skechers Concept store on Guam this or next year.
At the Skechers Concept Outlet, shoppers can choose from the rows and shelves displaying a wide variety of styles and colors to suit anyone’s preferences, moods and tastes.
The Skechers outlet is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. All major credit cards are accepted. For more information, visit the Skechers Concept Outlet in Garapan, or call 233-1001 or 1016.
