Skechers: plans to open in Dublin and Cork this year after agreeing a retail licensing deal with Sunil Shah and Paul Gallagher

Sunil Shah, the retailer behind the Irish operations of Pepe and Tommy Hilfiger, has linked up with shoe company Skechers to roll out the brand across Ireland.

The company will open shops in Dublin and Cork this year and has hired DTZ Sherry FitzGerald to identify more shops across the country, with the plans calling for additional shops to open over the next five years.

Shah has set up a company called Shuz 4 U with Paul Gallagher, who has worked with Ecco footwear and set up Gasoline in 1989, to operate the Skechers retail licensing agreement.

"This licensing partnership with Shuz 4 U allows us to leverage strong European Skechers brand recognition into an expansion of our retail foothold and build on the strong wholesale business we currently have in Ireland and the UK," said Skechers president Michael Greenberg.

Skechers has more than 380 Skechers shops in 41 countries that are company-owned, franchised or licensed.