Joel Embiid is on the verge of a new shoe deal.
But while most NBA stars have deals with established basketball brands like Nike, Adidas, Under Armour and Puma, the Philadelphia 76ers star is signing with a company less associated with his sport: Skechers.
According to Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, Embiid is on the verge of a contract with the California-based shoe company. While the deal isn’t yet official, it’s close and the 29-year-old center wore Skechers sneakers at the 76ers’ practice on Wednesday.
Embiid is expected to wear the new Skechers shoe in games once the deal is complete.
Embiid — who had previously been signed to Under Armour since 2018 — would be a massive get for Skechers as it begins its foray into performance basketball shoes. While big men haven’t been known to move the needle in the sneaker world, there are few stars in the NBA bigger (literally and figuratively) than the 7-foot reigning MVP. In addition to Embiid, The Athletic reports that New York Knicks star Julius Randle and Los Angeles Clippers guard Terance Mann are expected to sign with the brand, which is also targeting other NBA players.
Considering that few basketball fans even knew that Skechers was venturing into the sport, many were quick to take to social media to react to the surprising news.
That first sentence almost sent me into a tailspin https://t.co/LcYftopMnA
— Kazeem Famuyide 🇳🇬 🍎 (@Kazeem) October 18, 2023
This is a weird choice to me. Sketchers is most know for being wore by retirees and found in discount stores, but they must have given Embiid the 💰💰💰. https://t.co/AcIqwGuuqT
— Andy Silva (@ByAndySilva) October 18, 2023
Embiid leaving Philly this season in them https://t.co/jG4OZH8OqK pic.twitter.com/SnQ7GXRgM9
— Wells P (@Wells_P) October 18, 2023
This would be a good move for Skechers. Embiid is larger than life and would actually get them legitimate traction in the space providing the sneakers are appealing. https://t.co/gn5jUoQcSs
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 18, 2023
Hahah we all joked about how bad his UA stuff was…
BTW here’s what the Skechers basketball model looks like https://t.co/6vKL90N011 pic.twitter.com/NeII9X5pzz
— Matt x SixersSneakers (@SixersSneakers) October 18, 2023
Maybe Skechers will give Embiid better traction. pic.twitter.com/EPX0hMyVkL https://t.co/gYbhywpYkh
— Mike Dynon ☘️🏀 (@MikeDynon) October 18, 2023
i hope they have those little lights in them https://t.co/An0ZKpmgEQ
— maybe: a heat fan (@McFracky) October 18, 2023
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.