Tony Romo Spent His NFL Career Avoiding Sacks. Now It’s His Shoes That Help Him Stay Upright.

4 min read

TONY ROMO IS a lot of things: Former Dallas Cowboy Pro Bowler, NFL broadcaster, father, husband. Turns out, he’s also a pretty cool guy. Or at least, he says, his shoes are.

We had a chance to catch up with Romo ahead of the 2025 NFL playoffs, and the former signal-caller is seemingly busier than ever, and that includes his days slinging touchdowns with the Cowboys. Romo, who underwent several back surgeries and a broken collarbone during his playing days, credits his Skechers slip-ins as a key reason he’s able to keep up his increasingly hectic lifestyle, despite the litany of gridiron-related injuries.

“You can’t pay enough for shoes that actually help your back, and that’s what Skechers does,” Romo explained. “I don’t have to bend over with the slip-ins. It’s hard to describe to people once you have multiple back surgeries, everything you have on your feet correlates all the way up to your body, so it’s almost like everything is attached to each other.”

He also made sure to mention these aren’t your grandpa’s slip-ons, either.

“When I first started at Skechers, I remember feeling, like, alright, these were older people’s shoes,” Romo explained. The truth is, it’s gotten so much younger, and they’re so comfortable. They’re cool now, on top of everything else.”

The retired quarterback represents one of, if not the greatest, underdog stories in the NFL’s rich history. After going undrafted following out of Division 1-AA Eastern Illinois, Romo played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2016, amassing four Pro Bowl berths and a 2014 All-Pro team selection. Romo underwent two back surgeries in 2013, sustained two transverse process fractures the following year, and suffered a compression fracture of the L1 vertebra ahead of the 2016 season, his last before trading in his cleats for a CBS headset. The slip-ins, he says, are an integral part of his increasingly busy schedule, which, of course, includes raising his three sons.

“I’m a dad, I’m a taxi driver,” he quipped. “And with the slip-ins, I don’t have to work as hard to keep things aligned—I call it elongate and activate. Everything that you have on your feet correlates all the way up your body, so it’s almost like everything is attached. I actually feel healthier the next day, like inflammation doesn’t come on.”

It’s fitting, pun intended, that the slip-ins are reinventing themselves. Romo, who joined Skechers back in 2017, represents the first high-profile NFL quarterback to represent the Skechers brand since Joe Cool himself, Joe Montana, became a brand ambassador back in 2008. Skechers has since expanded its presence, with a growing roster that includes Minnesota Timberwolves Power Forward (and Cowboys fan) Julius Randle, Philadelphia 76ers MVP Joel Embiid, and Knicks forward OG Anunoby.

“When I first started, I was like, oh well, I’d like them to be a little cooler. There were some things here and there. Now, you’ve got basketball players, football players wearing the shoe,” he told us. “And they stuck with their core mark—being the most comfortable shoe.”

Many of Skechers’ shoes now boast the integrated technology, highlighted by true hands-free step-in entry and a proprietary comfort-first Heel Pillow cushion. We’ve even tested it on the golf course, with impressive results (even for those with a separate chronic issue on the course—lateness).

And anyone who’s ever swung a golf club knows just how much stress it can put on the back. Romo, though, can still swing the club just fine. In fact, he had just played a full round of golf before our conversation. Romo is an accomplished amateur golfer, having participated in PGA Tour qualifiers, the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball, and numerous celebrity charity outings over the years. While Romo, as per usual, downplayed his own golfing exploits, he again credited the slip-ins for their pressure-relief capabilities, which allow him to play up to his abilities.

“Everywhere I go, I’m like, where are my Skechers? I’m taking them,” he joked. “I’ve had two back surgeries, so for me, it was like ‘How can I get shoes on without bending over?’ You don’t have to work that hard to put them on, and that’s kind of every metric I base everything on,” he explained. “You can’t pay enough to get shoes that help your back.”

Above all else, though, Romo points to his ability to be a father and a husband as the sneaker’s true saving grace. And if you couldn’t already tell through his broadcasts, he’s just as passionate about the game as he was during his rough-and-tumble playing days.

“I’m a dad Monday through Thursday, then I announce football games and study them throughout the week when the kids are at school,” he said. “But I have so much gratitude for the fact that I get to stay in the game. And I love football so much because there’s so much nuance to it, and so many schematic aspects that give teams advantages.”

Despite the injuries, Romo is still apparently, well, good at pretty much everything. While the eternally humble ex-quarterback would never say it himself, he was first given the moniker “The Natural” by his high school coach. The dubbing has, decades later, translated to his second career. So, “naturally,” we had to ask—is there anything Tony Romo isn’t actually good at?

“Bowling,” he quickly answered. “I still haven’t figured that one out yet, but I’m trying.”

The former Dallas Cowboy is still as competitive as ever, though, and that’s something that doesn’t change with age. While he’s grateful for his life outside of football, he still has one regret.

“The only regret I have is that I didn’t bring a Super Bowl to Dallas. Other than that, I’ve been so fortunate.”

Some of Our Favorite Skechers Slip-ins

Shop All the Men’s Health Training Guides