Lawsuit disputes non-infringement of patent claims by Skechers regarding slip-on shoe design

Skechers, the popular footwear brand, finds itself in a legal battle over its hands-free shoe designs. The company is facing a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Kizik Design, which claims Skechers has incorporated Kizik's patented technologies into its own hands-free shoes without a license.

The lawsuit, filed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, accuses Skechers of not investing in the research, engineering, and design of hands-free footwear, unlike Handsfree Labs, the intellectual property and innovation engine behind Kizik.

Kizik Design, founded in 2017, introduced hands-free shoes, which it called an entirely new category at the time. The company has previously sued Drew Shoe over the hands-free footwear patent issue and later settled the claim.

Skechers has become a market leader in the hands-free space by investing resources and research into the category. However, Skechers disputes the claim, with CEO Robert Greenberg stating in a statement that the technology had been around for a century.

Attorneys for Kizik claim Skechers' business model involves knocking off brands and that Skechers built its entire business model out of copying designs. In response, Skechers said Kizik's allegations are baseless and added that Skechers holds more than 140 patents worldwide for its designs.

The patents allegedly infringed by Skechers in their Hands Free Slip-ins® line are held by Kizik Design. There is no indication that the patents were transferred to another company; Skechers itself claims to hold over 140 utility and design patents for its own technology.

Skechers has been advertising and selling slip-ins since December 2021, "without so much as a letter from Kizik," according to the lawsuit.

In a statement, Skechers said it plans to "vigorously defend" itself in the lawsuit. The company did not provide further details on its defense strategy.

Attorneys for Kizik are seeking a jury trial in the lawsuit as well as money from Skechers, including attorney's fees. This is not the first time Kizik has taken legal action against a brand over the hands-free footwear patent issue.

For further context, Laurel Deppen's article "Skechers go-private deal granted antitrust clearance, but faces another hurdle" provides valuable insights into the current state of Skechers as a company.

The Skechers go-private deal has been granted antitrust clearance, but the company is facing another hurdle in the form of this patent infringement lawsuit. It remains to be seen how Skechers will respond and what the outcome of the lawsuit will be.