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Skechers reportedly escorted Kanye West out of their California-based headquarters after the rapper showed up there "unannounced" on Wednesday, October 26. The visit comes after Ye was dropped by Adidas following his recent anti-Semitic controversy.
Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to TMZ that the rapper did not schedule a meeting with the footwear company and arrived at its headquarters without any prior notice:
“[Kanye] arrived unannounced and without invitation at one of Skechers’ corporate offices in Los Angeles. Considering Ye was engaged in unauthorized filming, two executives escorted him and his party from the building after a brief conversation.”
Following the incident, a spokesperson for the company clarified that the brand condemns Ye’s recent anti-Semitic remarks and has no plans to work with the musician in the future:
“Skechers is not considering and has no intention of working with West. We condemn his recent divisive remarks and do not tolerate antisemitism or any other form of hate speech. Again, West showed up unannounced and uninvited to [the brand's] corporate offices.”
The multinational footwear company is owned and operated by the Greenbergs, a Jewish family. It was established in 1992 by Robert Greenberg, who currently serves as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the brand. Meanwhile, his son Michael Greenberg serves as the President.
"Just priceless": Netizens reacts to Kanye West being escorted out of Skechers headquarters
Kanye West has been making headlines ever since photos of him wearing a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt at Yeezy’s show in Paris Fashion Week started surfacing online.
The rapper found himself in the middle of further controversy after making anti-Semitic comments on social media, leading to his suspension from Instagram and Twitter. As he continued to make similar comments during recent interviews, companies like Balenciaga and Adidas also severed ties with the rapper.
In the wake of Adidas dropping Yeezy, West reportedly visited the Skechers headquarters without an announcement. A little later, he was escorted out of the brand’s office.
Shortly after, the footwear company confirmed that it had “no intention” of collaborating with the Donda creator. As the news of Ye’s visit went viral online, several social media users took to Twitter to respond to the situation with hilarious memes and funny comments:
As reactions continue to pour in online, it remains to be seen if Kanye West will open up about his visit to the Skechers office in the days to come.
Everything to know about the owners of the Skechers footwear
Skechers is an American multinational footwear company owned and operated by the Greenberg family. It was founded by Robert Greenberg in 1992, who has been serving as the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the company since its inception.
According to Forbes, Robert started multiple ways of making money before opening a women’s apparel store called L.A. Gear in 1983. The brand also started importing sneakers and became the third-largest U.S. sneaker company by 1990.
Unfortunately, Robert was forced to walk out of the company following the addition of new investors. Following his exit, Robert and his son Michael decided to start selling shoes, eventually establishing their own company in 1992:
“We both loved the shoe business and were ready to keep going. It didn't take long before all of us (the family) came together and decided to start Skechers.”
Robert Greenberg has been associated with the footwear industry for over four decades and received Footwear News’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 for his contributions, influence and impact on the industry.
Michael Greenberg, Robert's son and co-founder of the company, has also played an instrumental role in the growth and success of the brand. He has 30 years of experience in the footwear industry and currently serves as the President of his company.
Michael also established the Skechers Foundation and the annual Pier to Pier Friendship Walk, which raised more than $17 million for children with special needs and education. He has also helped establish a non-profit mentoring organization, The Friendship Foundation.
The entrepreneur also contributed to the establishment of The Harrison Greenberg Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring and protecting Manhattan Beach’s Roundhouse Aquarium, in honor of his son Harrison Greenberg.
Alongside the Greenbergs, David Weinberg serves as the Chief Operating Office of the multinational footwear company while John Vandemore serves as the Chief Financial Officer.
