Adidas Suing Skechers … Again
Adidas has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Skechers over its "Springblade" technology. The lawsuit claims Skechers violated Adidas patents by selling sneakers in the Mega Flex and Mega Blade lines that allegedly “copied Springblade technology.” Adidas reported that it invested heavily in this technology that features forward-angled elastic bands on the bottom of the shoe. This isn’t the first time these two retailers have gone at it over design. Last year, the German sportswear retailer sued Skechers, claiming the brand was selling a lookalike version of its Stan Smith sneaker.
Compare the Adidas Springblade (left) with the Skechers Mega Blade (right).
Total Retail’s Take: Skechers is often overshadowed in the athleisure market. However, in the last quarter of 2015, Skechers passed Adidas to become the second-largest athletic footwear company in the U.S. The company has effectively marketed its products to kids by using celebrities in campaigns. In the lawsuits, Adidas is seeking compensation for the infringements. Maybe Adidas’ sales are down because some of its customers have moved on to Skechers and its very similar products.
