Kizik sues Skechers for patent infringement of hands-free footwear technologies
Footwear giant Skechers is being sued in Federal court for allegedly ripping-off the technology related to one of its most prominent product categories.
HandsFree Labs (HFL), the parent company of “hands-free” footwear brand and retailer Kizik, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers USA that targets Skechers' fast-growing Hands Free Slip-ins shoe line. The suit alleges that the line incorporates patented technologies that HFL invented, developed and protected years before Skechers entered the category.
"This isn't just a product Skechers copied, it's a category we created," said Gareth Hosford, who took the reins as CEO of HFL in June. "From the start, our mission was clear — to revolutionize how people put on their shoes. We believed this everyday task could be easier, faster and more convenient. We poured our energy into developing the technology to solve a real-world problem and make hands-free shoes a reality. We're now forced to defend that work against a company that chose to imitate rather than innovate."
The 22-page complaint alleges that Skechers “knowingly and willfully” infringed four HFL utility patents, which protect core mechanical innovations that enable true hands-free shoe entry, as well as two HFL design patents, which protect ornamental innovations.
HFL holds a global IP portfolio of more than 200 issued and pending patents dating back more than 15 years and covering multiple proprietary hands-free footwear systems. The company noted that, since 2019, it has licensed its technologies to “respected partners,” including Nike, “to help bring hands-free solutions to consumers responsibly and ethically."
In contrast, Skechers launched its own hands-free line without communicating or licensing, instead promoting its "Heel Pillow" system as proprietary and "exclusive,” according to HFL.
Skechers' Slip-ins account for more than one-third of all SKUs currently offered on the company’s website featuring hands-free functionality. In earnings calls and public statements, Skechers executives have repeatedly touted the success of Slip-ins as a key growth driver, crediting the technology with boosting sales, consumer engagement, and stock performance.
HandsFree Labs Licensing, LLC Fast IP, LLC, and Kizik Design, LLC v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc.; Case number 2:25-cv-00744 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Marshall Division.
