Kizik Sues Skechers Over Hands-Free Footwear Patents in Texas

HandsFree Labs (HFL), the parent company of the hands-free footwear brand Kizik, has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers USA, alleging that Skechers copied and infringed on multiple patents related to hands-free sneaker technology. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, claims Skechers knowingly used HFL's patented technologies without licensing, particularly in its Hands Free Slip-ins line introduced in 2023, which now constitutes about one-third of Skechers' sneaker sales. HFL holds over 200 issued and pending patents and has previously licensed its technology to brands like Nike, but Skechers is not among them. The complaint accuses Skechers of adopting a business model based on copying innovations from other brands, citing previous lawsuits over similar issues. HFL CEO Gareth Hosford emphasized that this is not just a case of copying a product but infringing on an entire category that HFL created to make shoe-wearing easier and more convenient. Skechers promoted its Slip-ins line with high-profile advertising, including a Super Bowl campaign, which has contributed to the brand's growth and recent acquisition deal by 3G Capital.