Skechers Faces Patent Lawsuit Amid $9.4B Merger Announcement

Skechers USA is facing a patent infringement lawsuit filed by Kizik Design’s parent company, HandsFree Labs, claiming Skechers' Hands Free Slip-ins footwear infringes on multiple Kizik patents related to hands-free shoe entry technology and design. Skechers denies these allegations, calling the lawsuit baseless and highlighting its own portfolio of over 140 utility and design patents globally. Skechers President Michael Greenberg questioned the timing of the suit, which followed closely after Skechers announced a $9.42 billion merger with 3G Capital, suggesting the lawsuit may be financially motivated. Skechers also emphasized that hands-free footwear is a longstanding concept, not a recent invention by Kizik, and stated it will vigorously defend its intellectual property rights. The company has a history of successfully enforcing patents and views the legal action as an attempt to interfere with the market success its Slip-ins have achieved since 2021. Greenberg noted that Kizik had not previously raised concerns until after the merger announcement, when they engaged a law firm also used by Nike to pursue legal action.