Skechers responds to 'baseless' Kizik lawsuit
Skechers has responded to the Federal patent lawsuit leveled against it last week.
The footwear giant says it will “vigorously defend” the patent suit filed by footwear brand Kizik’s parent company HandsFree Labs (HFL) alleging that the entire line of Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins (“Slip-ins”) infringe Kizik’s patents.
Skechers said in a press release that it believes Kizik’s allegations are “baseless," adding that that contrary to Kizik’s “false assertion” that Skechers patents have been rejected, the company has developed its own unique Slip-ins technology and has obtained more than 140 utility and design patents worldwide, including in the United States, and has enforced its patent rights, resulting in “numerous judgements, injunctions and settlements around the world.”
The 22-page complaint from HFL 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.
"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."
Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, issued the following statement in response to the Kizik lawsuit:
“The timing of this lawsuit is curious, coming on the heels of Skechers announcing a $9.42 billion 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 $9.42 billion being paid for Skechers, money Kizik did not earn and does not deserve.
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.”
[READ MORE: Skechers to be acquired by 3G Capital for $9.4B]
Headquartered in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Skechers’ products are available in 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through Skechers.com and more than 5,300 Skechers retail stores.
Based in Lindon, Utah, Kizik holds more than 200 pending and granted patents for its footwear for men, women and kids.
