IP Law Daily, PATENT NEWS: Patent infringement suit filed against Skechers over hands-free shoes, (Jul 28, 2025)

By Thomas K. Lauletta, J.D.

The suit claims infringement of six registered patents for hands-free slip-in shoes.

HandsFree Labs Licensing, FAST IP, and Kizik Design (“the plaintiffs” or “HFL”) filed suit in Marshall, Texas, alleging Skechers infringed six registered U.S. patents for hands-free slip-in shoes (Handsfree Labs Licensing, LLC v. Skechers U.S.A., Inc., No. 2:25-cv-00744-JRG (E.D. Tex. filed July 24, 2025)).

The plaintiffs (“HFL”). The plaintiffs are as follows: FAST IP is a holding company that owns the HFL patents at issue in this case; HFL Licensing licenses the patents at issue; Kizik Design develops, markets and sells hands-free footwear under the Kizik® brand.

Defendant Skechers U.S.A. is a Delaware corporation doing business in the Eastern District of Texas.

According to the HFL complaint, Kizik, founded in 2017, is the world’s original hands-free shoe brand and pioneered an entirely new category based on the patents of founder Michael Pratt. Years before launching Kizik, Mr. Pratt realized there was a need for sneakers that could be put on without bending over to tie the laces. Such hands-free shoes could be especially helpful for people with disabilities, people with injuries, elderly people with flexibility issues, pregnant women, or kids who simply couldn’t yet tie their shoes.

After years of experimentation and prototyping—and millions of dollars of investment—Mr. Pratt and Kizik released their first hands-free sneaker in 2017: a shoe with a novel titanium arc around the heel that was attached to the sole, such that when a foot stepped into the shoe, the arc compressed and then rebounded back into place, securing the shoe to the foot.

According to the complaint, when Skechers launched its Hands Free Slip-ins in 2022, it did so with a prominently patterned heel design that is substantially similar to HFL’s iconic Cage® technology featured in Kizik’s bestselling Athens shoe. When Skechers to obtain patent rights on what it termed its own hands-free technology, it was repeatedly rejected by the U.S. Patent Office in view of HFL’s prior patent rights.

The complaint alleges that various features of the accused Skechers hands-free slip-in shoes infringe HFL’s patents, including U.S. Patent Nos. 11,633,006; 12,274,325; 11,871,811; 12,121,096; D1038607; and D1037641. HFL alleges that it has been and will continue to be irreparably harmed by Skechers’ infringement of its patents, requiring the entry of a permanent injunction to prevent Skechers’ further infringement because HFL does not have another adequate remedy at law.

Prayer for relief. The plaintiffs’ requests include:

1. Judgment that Skechers infringed one or more claims of the plaintiffs’ patents, literally and/or under the doctrine of equivalents;

2. An injunction enjoining Skechers from further infringement of the plaintiffs’ patents;

3. An award of damages under 35 U.S.C. § 284;

4. A finding that Skechers has willfully infringe one or more of the asserted patents;

5. That HFL be awarded its reasonable attorneys’ fees;

6. That HFL receive costs and expenses in this action; and

7. An award of prejudgment and post-judgment interest.

Additionally, the plaintiffs demand a trial by jury on all issues triable by a jury.

The Case is No. 2:25-cv-00744-JRG.

Judge: Gilstrap, R.

Attorneys: Ryan D. Dykal (Boies Schiller Flexner, LLP) for Handsfree Labs Licensing LLC, FAST IP, LLC, and Kizik Design, LLC

Companies: Handsfree Labs Licensing LLC; FAST IP, LLC; Kizik Design, LLC; Skechers, U.S.A., Inc.

News: Patent TexasNews