Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Bobs from Skechers
Since 2015, the Skechers Foundation has supported animals in need—contributing more than $13 million to assist in saving and caring for over two million shelter dogs and cats. Now entering its third year, the Paws for a Cause scholarship has generated national attention (including features on CBS and in Cosmopolitan), strong social media interest, and even led to winning designs being sold at Skechers retail locations across the U.S.
We are seeking two college students to join that roster of winners. If you have an imaginative print idea and a meaningful story about a shelter animal in your life, we want to see your work.
What the BOBS from Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship provides:
- $10,000 college scholarship from the Skechers Foundation for the 2026–2027 academic year
- Production of your print on BOBS from Skechers footwear in 2026
- Three virtual mentoring sessions with Skechers corporate leadership and/or the Skechers design team
- A $200 Skechers gift card redeemable at Skechers stores or at skechers.com
- One pair of BOBS from Skechers shoes
Important dates and entry limits:
- Submission deadline: September 30, 2025
- Winners notified: October 2025
- Two scholarship recipients will be chosen (one for a dog design, one for a cat design)
- Limit: one entry per category — you may submit up to one dog design and up to one cat design. Duplicate entries will be removed and will not be judged.
How to enter — two simple steps:
1) Create your design(s) using the provided shoe and swatch templates. Produce a unique, emotional, and visually strong dog or cat mosaic print (you may submit one design for each category).
2) Upload the required files and supporting information by the deadline. Along with your design files, include a short description or story about your experience with a shelter animal (this personal story helps contextualize your design).
File and artwork specifications:
- Submit a shoe image (Vector .ai) and a swatch (Vector .ai) for each design you enter.
- Images must be 300 DPI or higher.
- Maximum file size: 100 MB per image.
- Mosaic patterns should be prepared as a 10 inch x 10 inch repeat print file.
Design guidance — what tends to work:
- All-over patterns and prints
- Multicolor prints set against a neutral background
- “Stadium” style prints where animal images are large and clearly visible (see sample references)
- Inclusion of multiple dog or cat breeds in a single print
What to avoid:
- Illustrations of dogs or cats performing human activities (for example, playing sports)
We look forward to seeing creative submissions that celebrate shelter animals and help further Skechers’ ongoing support for pets in need.