Skechers Is Getting Sued by HandsFree Labs Over Slip-On S…

Skechers is once again facing legal action over its sneaker designs. This time around, HandFree Labs is claiming that Skechers is infringing on four of its patents.

HandsFree Labs and Kizik Design filed a lawsuit yesterday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas directed at Skechers’ Hands Free Slip-ins line, alleging that the defendant is infringing on multiple hands-free footwear patents.

Kizik is a Utah-based footwear company that launched in 2017 and is the subsidiary brand of HandsFree Labs, which holds the patents for its hands-free sneaker tech. Kizik offers sneakers for men, women, and kids that feature its slip-in heel design.

“This isn’t just a product Skechers copied, it’s a category we created,” said Gareth Hosford, CEO of HandsFree Labs, said. “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.”

HandsFree Labs began licensing its tech to various brands like Nike in 2019 and currently has over 200 issued and pending patents, including Cage, Unified, Flex Arc, and Squeeze It designs. In the suit, HandsFree Labs claims that Skechers “launched and promoted its ‘Heel Pillow’ system as proprietary and ‘exclusive.'” According to Skechers’ website, the Hands Free Slip-ins were introduced in 2023 and around one-third of all sneakers being sold on the brand’s website feature hands-free functionality.

“This case is a clear-cut example of Skechers’ copycat business model,” says Ryan Dykal, lead counsel for HandsFree Labs. “Skechers had knowledge of HFL’s patents, knew HFL pioneered this space, and chose to flood the market without even attempting to get a license. This lawsuit is about accountability and ensuring that innovation and IP rights cannot be ignored without consequence.”