Global footwear and apparel company Skechers USA is facing a lawsuit for allegedly infringing on footwear brand Kizik Design’s patents.
The legal action was initiated on 24 July in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas by HandsFree Labs (HFL), the intellectual property and innovation engine behind Kizik.
The lawsuit focuses on Skechers' Hands Free Slip-ins collection, which the company has marketed as a key innovation in the market.
According to the filing, Skechers has been accused of infringing upon four utility patents owned by HFL that cover hands-free shoe entry technology, as well as two HFL design patents concerning aesthetic features.
In response, Skechers has announced its intent to defend against the patent suit and called the lawsuit “baseless”.
Skechers highlights its own innovation in the space with more than 140 utility and design patents globally, including in the US.
Skechers president Michael Greenberg said: “The timing of this lawsuit is curious, coming on the heels of Skechers announcing a $9.42bn merger with 3G Capital. Kizik asserts that, ‘at the heart of Skechers’ hands-free shoes’ are Kizik’s patented technologies, yet Skechers has been advertising and selling its Slip-ins since December 2021 without so much as a letter from Kizik.
“Then, after the merger is announced, Kizik hires a law firm also used by Nike and attacks our whole Slip-ins product line. We believe that, after all these years of silence, the true motivation for this lawsuit might be found right on the face of Kizik’s complaint, where they state that they are looking for a share of the $9.42bn being paid for Skechers, money Kizik did not earn and does not deserve.”
Skechers said it has a record of defending its intellectual property rights, as evidenced by multiple judgements, injunctions, and settlements worldwide.
Last month, a shareholder of Skechers USA launched legal proceedings seeking additional transparency regarding the company's forthcoming acquisition by private equity company 3G Capital.
The brand's offerings are globally accessible, with availability in 180 countries and territories in over 5,300 Skechers retail stores.
Greenberg added: “Hands-free footwear has been around for at least a century. It was not created in the 21st century in Utah. We have become the market leader in the hands-free footwear space by innovating – not imitating – this idea into a true hands-free fit with our own technology.
“Skechers invests tremendous resources into research and development to introduce its own fresh, unique and exciting footwear to customers year in and year out and will continue to do so, undeterred by transparent litigation efforts to thwart competition. We will aggressively challenge both the validity of the patents and the infringement claims.”
