When Meb Keflezighi won the men’s division of the Boston Marathon Monday at age 38, it wasn’t just a victory for an older underdog.
It was also a special moment for Skechers USA Inc.
Keflezighi is a Skechers brand ambassador, and he was sporting a just-unveiled pair of Skechers GOmeb Speed 3 shoes when he triumphantly tramped over the finish line.
For much of its 22-year history, California-based Skechers has been known for lifestyle footwear. Think casual and comfortable shoes like those worn by the football legend Joe Montana.
A few years ago, Skechers decided to branch out and expand into the category of performance running. So a victory by Keflezighi, who once pitched products for Nike Inc., could conceivably help Skechers gain credibility among runners who buy performance shoes.
Waltham-based Marathon Sports, a retailer that’s about to open its 13th store, doesn’t carry the brand, but since the end of the race, owner Colin Peddie said he has received texts from several staffers saying, “I guess we’ve got to get Skechers.”
It’s not easy to crack the performance running marketplace, said Matt Powell, who tracks the athletic footwear industry at Princeton Retail Analysis. Mom-and-pop stores “control tremendous mind share” in the performance-shoe niche, he said, and they tend to be conservative.
“If they stock a brand, they tend to stick with it,” he said. “It takes a long time for a brand to establish itself.”
Still, Skechers may be off and running. Its performance shoes have drawn generally good reviews in runners’ magazines. And Keflezighi’s victory will add more luster.
“Consumers are going to say, ‘If this guy can win a marathon at 38, maybe I want to try these shoes,’ ” Powell said.
At Susquehanna Financial Group, footwear-and-apparel industry analyst Christopher Svezia said that Keflezighi’s victory will lend some performance “credibility” to Skechers — and have many people saying, “Wow, I didn’t know they made running shoes.”
Last year, Skechers reported net sales of $1.85 billion, up from $1.56 billion in 2012.
That year, the Federal Trade Commission announced that Skechers had agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges it had deceived consumers by making unfounded claims about the muscle-toning qualities of its Shape-up shoes.
Today, the company is looking to put that episode behind it.
Keflezighi’s biography seems ideal for a brand ambassador.
An Eritrean native, Keflezighi emigrated to the United States in 1987 after having lived briefly in Italy. On Monday, he became the first American man to win the Boston Marathon since 1983 and the oldest to win since 1931.
Back at Marathon Sports, Peddie was still marveling at Keflezighi’s victory, adding that he might be receptive to a Skechers sales pitch.
“They achieved their first goal — they put Skechers on the map,” Peddie said. “Now they’ll have to live up to expectations.”
Chris Reidy can be reached at reidy@globe.com.