Following its commitment to pickleball by sponsoring every major tour in North America, Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company™, has expanded its reach in the fast-growing sport by signing two of the top-ranked players in the UK—Thaddea Lock and Louis Laville. The elite athletes will be making their official debut in Skechers Pickleball footwear and Skechers branded apparel today, August 3^rd, as they compete at the English OPEN in Telford, where Skechers is also the Official Footwear Sponsor.

“I’m extremely honoured to be joining the Skechers family as one of their first UK pickleball ambassadors,” said Thaddea Lock. “It’s exciting to work with a brand whose values align so closely with mine as I’m passionate about bringing pickleball to all walks of life. The Skechers pickleball shoes are the most comfortable and best fitting court shoes I have ever worn, and they allow me to maximise my performance. I can’t wait to help grow the sport and brand in the UK as part of the Skechers team.”

“After meeting the Skechers team at the US Open this year, I tried the Skechers Viper Court Pro shoes and never went back,” said Louis Laville. “They are hands down the most comfortable and supportive pickleball shoes I have ever played in, and I am looking forward to representing the brand and contributing to the growth of Skechers Pickleball and the sport overall across the UK and Europe.”

“What a way to launch Skechers Pickleball in the UK, first as official sponsors of upcoming national tournaments, and now also by having top-ranked players on our roster as ambassadors competing in Skechers Pickleball footwear,” said Richard Parker, managing director for Skechers in the UK and Ireland. “Both Thaddea and Louis bring an elite level of passion, commitment and talent to their game and will no doubt leverage their success to this category, presenting Skechers pickleball as the go-to brand for comfort and reliability on the court to fans everywhere.”

Lock and Laville join Skechers pickleball ambassadors Tyson McGuffin, ranked number 5 globally, and Catherine Parenteau, also ranked fifth in the world, who have been officially competing in Skechers pickleball footwear since 2022.

Thaddea Lock is the number one British female player and four-time gold medalist at the 2021 and 2022 English Nationals—winning the women’s singles, women’s doubles, MLP team event in 2022 and the split age team event in 2021. Further titles include triple crowns at the Spanish Open in 2021, Scottish Open in 2019 and English Open in 2019. She was recently awarded the Finnish Touring Paddle for players who work hard to grow the sport across Europe and is an IPTPA level 2 pickleball coach.

Louis Laville has been playing pickleball professionally for more than five years and is ranked men’s number one in Europe. He’s also the reigning National and European Champion—winning 34 professional gold medals across men’s singles, men’s doubles and mixed doubles. Having completed his coaching qualification in 2019, Laville is committed to training other athletes and enthusiasts to further grow the sport.

Last month Skechers signed on as the Official Footwear sponsor of Pickleball England’s English OPEN which begins this Thursday, August 3 at the Telford International Centre in Shropshire, as well as the English Nationals set for October 26 through 29 at the Bolton Arena in greater Manchester. Since introducing Skechers Viper Court footwear at the US Open Pickleball Championships in Florida in 2022, Skechers has dominated the sport by sponsoring every major tour and organization in North America including USA Pickleball, Major League Pickleball, the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) Tour, the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, and the Pickleball Canada National Championship.

Skechers pickleball footwear brings Skechers’ signature comfort innovations to the court. The Skechers Viper Court provides responsive performance in a breathable, lightweight design. The enhanced grip and stability of the Goodyear^® rubber outsole paired with a shock-absorbing Arch Fit^® insole deliver comfort and support, match after match. The Skechers Viper Court Pro™ is a lighter and faster high-performance pickleball shoe designed and suitable for everyday players looking for stability and a secure platform in their game. Styles in the Skechers pickleball footwear collection are available at Skechers retail stores and skechers.co.uk, as well as key retail partners and specialty shops.

 

Source: businesswire.com

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