• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 2, 2023

Skechers wants people to know that its new Uno collection has a shoe for every side of you. To prove it, Doja Cat is facing off against herself in spots that show off her fighting moves as much as the new collection.

The Los Angeles-based company says the inspiration came not just from anime but cyberpunk and Y2K as well. The campaign highlights the latest colorways and silhouettes of the company's Uno line, which has been showing up in fashion shoots since the early 2000s.

The singer, known for hits like “Say So,” “Kiss Me More,” and “Boss Bitch,” is Skechers' first artist-in-residence, an announcement the company made as the singer modeled a dress made entirely of deconstructed Uno shoes.

The singer is shaking up the fashion world on her own, too. Many celebs showed up at the recent Met Gala to honor the late Karl Lagerfeld in costumes celebrating Choupette, his cat. Doja Cat’s homage to the still-living Burmese went next-level. Her outfit included a hood with ears and facial prosthetics.

The campaign comes at a moment when both the category and the company are kicking it. Circana, the market research company, says that while the overall footwear market slipped 3% in the first quarter of the year, casual sneakers gained ground, with sales up 3%, and they account for an impressive one-third of all sales in the quarter, as the category continues to gain market share.

And it follows Skechers' announcement about its strongest quarter ever, with sales jumping 10% in the first quarter to a record $2 billion. And its direct-to-consumer revenues gained 25%.

Net earnings rose to $160.4 million, up from $121.2 million in the comparable period last year.

In a call webcast for investors, Skechers credited its marketing campaigns with its strong performance, including celebrity activations with stars like Snoop Dogg and Martha Stewart, as well as such athletes as Tony Romo and Howie Long.

The Doja Cat effort is part of its stepped-up star power for the Uno line. Earlier this year, it launched a campaign starring Ashley (“Emily in Paris”) Park, as well as a new collaboration with designer Diane Von Furstenberg.