Shoemaker Skechers USA in Manhattan Beach announced Thursday it has signed a deal to open Skechers-branded stores in Ireland.

The licensing agreement with retailer Shuz 4 U Ltd. calls for the first two stores, one in Dublin and another in Cork, to open by the end of this year. Skechers now has 10 stores in England but none on the Emerald Island.

Shuz 4 U is operated by Paul Gallagher and Sunil Shah, two retailing executives with experience in running Pepe Jeans and Tommy Hilfiger stores in Ireland.

“Sunil and Paul have an intuitive understanding of the Skechers consumer and a deep knowledge of the Irish market,” Marvin Bernstein, managing partner for Skechers’ European subsidiary, said in a statement. “We believe this partnership in Ireland will be the first of many retail licensing opportunities around the globe.”

Currently, there are more than 380 Skechers stores in 41 countries.

On the New York Stock Exchange, shares of Skechers gained 8 percent, or $2.95, to $39.70 in late morning trading.