Skechers and Ryka are two of the in-demand shoe brands that have been in the spotlight for many years.
There are many good reasons why athletes, runners, and women in general favor these brands. However, if you’re seeking to choose between these two you’ll need to go a little further to figure out which is better for you and this article will give you useful information about this.
So, let’s dive into the good and bad, similarities and differences, and what you can expect from both brands.
Comparison Table Between Ryka And Skechers:
| Ryka | Skechers |
|---|---|
| Founded in 1987 | Founded in 1992 |
| Made for Women Only | Made for kids, men, women, old aged, and infants |
| Cushioned | More Cushioned |
| Comparatively fewer shoe variety | A wide range of styles |
| Durable | Last a longer time |
| No Repairable Option | Repairable Models |
| Water Sports styles | Waterproof Options |
Overview of Skechers:
Skechers is a reputable company started by Robert Greenberg and has been around since 1992. It is headquartered in Manhattan Beach California.
Skechers focuses primarily on manufacturing performance and lifestyle footwear. Their first “huge hit,” the Chrome Dome, came out in 1993. Designed to look worn and scuffed, this unisex urban street boot was a hit with young customers.
Skechers got famous after the Chrome Dome, creating new, innovative models to appeal to the casual athletics market for daily use.
In 1997, the brand grew in popularity and became one of the first retailers in the United Kingdom.
The brand is aimed to provide shoes for all age groups, especially younger consumers. They are durable, elegant, comfy, and colorful, effortlessly combining fashionable features for everyone.
The Skechers D’Lites one of their best sellers definitely impressed so many people with their ultra-comfortable in-shoe feel and modernized classic appearance.
Skechers is now the best choice worldwide. It has created, designed, manufactured, marketed, and sold approximately 3,000 different styles. Everything is manufactured in either China, Mexico, Brazil, or Romania.
Overview of Ryka:
Since its beginning, the mission of the brand Ryka has been to constantly believe in and celebrate each day as every woman deserves strength and happiness in the world.
Sheri Poe founded Ryka in the United States in 1987 intending to develop a better-fitting sporting shoe for women. It was the first company to design sports shoes specifically for the “foot shape, muscle movements, and build” of women. Moreover, the company manufactures athletic apparel, bags, activewear, and other accessories.
In addition, Ryka merged with Global Sports in 1997, and later this sports industry sold its branded division to American Sporting Goods Corporation in 1999.
Presently, Brown Shoe owns this brand after buying American Sporting Goods in 2011.
In their huge collection of shoes, Devotion Plus 2 Fitness Walking shoes are the latest version of their iconic style and one of their bestselling models with more than 800 positive customer reviews on the website to date.
It is a classic sneaker silhouette with leather overlays that reinforce the lacing holes, heel, and toe for increased durability.
Furthermore, the Ryka FIT Program and the company’s partnership with fitness organizations like Curves are aimed to develop and boost women’s confidence.
Major Differences between the Brands:
In this Skechers vs Ryka comparison, I will be evaluating these brands in their important segments and tell you which is a better value-for-money option for you.
1) Comfort:
Ryka and Skechers offer comfy shoes, but when you compare the two, Skechers comes out on top.
Many podiatrists and experts are involved in the design process of Skechers to ensure that every pair of shoes is as comfortable as possible. The brand offers you footwear available in a variety of fits, including classic, wide, stretch, and relaxed, allowing you to discover the perfect comfy fit.
Also, the soles of their shoes are designed to bend and flex with the wearer’s foot as they walk, while still providing a good amount of support.
Moreover, the Hyper Burst cushioning keeps you comfortable even when moving at a higher speed and their Arch Fit insole provides sufficient cushioning to reduce the risk of midfoot injuries.
Ultimately, many Skechers designs feature memory foam inserts, which is the major selling point of these shoes. The foam is responsive to temperature, and it also does a good job of absorbing shock and providing plenty of comfort for foot problems.
Conversely, unlike other footwear, the majority of Ryka shoes maintain a combination of being lightweight and springy while also delivering a soft, plush feel. Their walking shoes scored the highest for comfort since they are best to wear both outside or inside, and because they absorb impact exceptionally well.
However, the anatomical footbed with molded EVA contributes significantly to the additional comfort by giving targeted cushioning to the spots of your foot that require the highest support.
Furthermore, the Skeletal Guidance System encourages you to walk in a way that is good for your body and best for long outdoor activities.
2) Popularity:
Skechers is one of the leading manufacturers of footwear in the United States, competing with major brands like Nike and Adidas. The brand is internationally famous for its dependable quality and comfort and has received hundreds of awards for its unique technology and designs. The footwear Plus honored the brand “Company of the Year” due to its excellent designs.
Likewise, Ryka is a favorite among fitness enthusiasts, athletes, runners, and other active and healthy women. The “Ryka Dynamic Pro” was named the best sneaker for dance cardio by Women’s Health in 2021, while the “Ryka Devotion XT” was selected as the top lace-free cross trainer by the same publication in 2020.
3) Target Market:
Ryka offers its footwear for walking, aerobics, and cross-training categories and its shoes come in many different styles for women aged 21–35 who want high-performance athletic shoes.
Women from the US and Canada make up the major portion of the brand’s client base.
Skechers, on the other hand, is aimed at men, women, and kids from 12 to over 60 years old, who have an active lifestyle, casual wearers, and love to follow trends.
Women are mostly the ones who buy from this brand and makeup about 58% of their customers.
4) Price:
When trying to choose between two brands, the price range is a crucial factor to consider. Skechers has a large selection of affordable to expensive shoes that shoes cost anywhere from $30 for kids and infants to almost $150 for men and women. Whereas, Ryka will charge you from $49 to $169 or more, depending on the shoe style.
5) Design:
The Ryka product line was created with a focus on the unique needs of a woman’s feet and body. The shoe’s design takes into account the distinctive morphology, foot form, and muscular movements of women.
Women’s feet are more susceptible to injury because as they run the extra weight is often put on the outside of their feet which is commonly termed as “instability at foot strike.” To make a shoe that ‘fits the contour of a woman’s foot precisely,’ the company’s footwear incorporates a spacious forefoot, stable footbed, thinner heel, and expanded instep volume.
However, Ryka is the ideal choice for women who are looking for a high-performance, lightweight shoe that is stylish, comfortable, and best for exercise and fitness activities to avoid common injuries.
In addition, if you are an athlete who enjoys running or works out regularly, you will be able to get more usage out of your Ryka shoes because they will not wear out quickly.
Alternately, Skechers footwear is designed to appeal to different kinds of sneakerheads and each type of shoe comes in various colors, styles, and sizes. Skechers offer two main categories of shoes including “Lifestyle” and “Performance”.
The idea behind lifestyle shoes is to use high-quality materials that will mold your foot for the most comfortable fit.
The brand divided the “performance design” into two subcategories. GOrun is a style that incorporates new technology to help runners strike the ground with their midfoot, and they are great for protection against impact.
The second category is “GOwalk” which features the innovative GOga Mat, it has a high-rebound cushioning effect for enhanced performance.
All in all, Skechers shoes are intended to withstand casual as well as intense activities.
Conclusion: Which Is Better For You?
You will have a better idea now of which shoe brand is appropriate for you after comparing the features offered by Skechers & Ryka and looking more closely into their similarities and differences.
In a nutshell, we would conclude that both brands are reliable and you should give them a try but the better option is, of course, the one you find best according to your taste.
However, if you need a pair of sneakers that you can wear all day, look no further than Skechers also they offer more colors and a wider range of athletic shoes than Ryka.
In contrast, if you are a woman and need a more stylish, versatile, and best-fit option, just go with Ryka.