Skechers Sues Marc Fisher, Authentic Brands Group Over Rockport Slip-In Shoe Design

Skechers is coming after more footwear companies for allegedly infringing on its design patents.

In a lawsuit filed Sept. 4 in the Southern District of New York, Skechers accused Rockport, as well as its parent company Authentic Brands Group and its licensee Marc Fisher, of allegedly making and selling shoes that infringe on Skechers’ patented slip-in technology.

“Defendants [Rockport, Marc Fisher and Authentic] did so without even contacting Skechers to request a license to Skechers’ intellectual property protecting the innovations used in those shoes,” Skechers wrote in the complaint. “Rockport shoes infringe Skechers’ utility patent claims protecting innovations associated with its slip-in footwear technology. By this action, Skechers seeks to stop defendants’ patent infringement and obtain appropriate compensation for that infringement.”

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In the lawsuit, Skechers called out Rockport’s Tristen Step Activated Slip On shoes as well as the Tristen Step Activated Lace-Up shoes as the main footwear models that allegedly infringed on its patents. Skechers specifically pointed to the heel cups and upper construction as what was being infringed.

As for why Marc Fisher was named in the suit, the company holds the license to Rockport’s products since it was acquired by Authentic in 2023. In the suit, Skechers said that Marc Fisher “is responsible for the design, production, marketing, e-commerce, and wholesale of the products accused of infringement in this litigation.”

FN has reached out to Authentic Brands Group for comment. Marc Fisher and Skechers declined to comment.

Skechers previously accused several shoe companies, including Laforst Shoes Inc. and Dockers by Gerli of copying its popular slip-in shoe designs.

In April, the company filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court in California that alleged that American Exchange Apparel Group (AEG) infringed on Skechers’ patents related to its “Scalloped Opening” shoe designs, a popular design element on Skechers’ flats. And in June, Skechers sued Steve Madden for allegedly copying one of its identifying design marks.

In July, Skechers sued L.L. Bean for allegedly selling a shoe (the Freeport Shoe) with two of Skechers’ protected heel cup designs.