Dive Brief:
- Skechers filed a patent infringement complaint against Marc Fisher Holdings and Authentic Brands Group over a Rockport shoe design, according to court documents filed last week.
- The complaint takes issue with Rockport’s Tristen Step Activated Slip On shoes, with Skechers claiming the style infringes on its slip-in design patent. Authentic bought the Rockport brand last year, and Marc Fisher oversees the design, wholesale and e-commerce for the brand through a licensing agreement.
- Skechers’ slip-in design has previously been the subject of other patent infringement complaints. Last year, it sued nonslip shoemaker Laforst for patent infringement, and the case was later settled.
Dive Insight:
Attorneys for Skechers are seeking a jury trial for the patent infringement case, along with undisclosed monetary damage and attorneys’ fees.
The complaint was filed on Sept. 4 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. In the filing, Skechers attorneys said that the Rockport shoes in question share the patented qualities of Skechers’ slip-ins, with a heel design which allows “for easier entry to the wearer’s foot into the shoe.”
The design has also been the subject of several high-profile advertising campaigns from Skechers, including Super Bowl ads starring Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg.
Spokespeople for Skechers and Authentic Brands Group didn’t immediately respond to Fashion Dive’s request for comment.
Skechers has settled lawsuits with several other brands, including luxury fashion house Hermès, running shoe makers Brooks and Fila, Authentic-owned Reebok and lifestyle brand Steve Madden.
Meanwhile, Authentic acquired Rockport after it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in June 2023, and financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The bankruptcy was Rockport’s second in five years, and at the time, Rockport said in the filings it had “an inadequate liquidity cushion to survive further economic challenges.”
Authentic, a company known to buy struggling brands, owns a portfolio of more than 50 lifestyle brands, including Vince, Hunter and Boardriders. Authentic and Marc Fisher have a long standing partnership. In addition to Rockport, Marc Fisher has a licensing deal with Authentic to handle the global business of Tretorn and handles the footwear design, wholesale and e-commerce operations for Hunter.
