Skechers U.S.A., Inc. filed a trademark lawsuit in Los Angeles Federal Court against Steve Madden, charging that the brand’s “Kennie” line of sneakers that features an “S” design in the logo is too similar to the Skechers logo.
Skechers’ lawsuit described the design on the Steve Madden Kenie shoe as “essentially a stylized ‘S’ of similar (if not nearly identical) proportions” to the ‘S’ logo on Skechers’ shoes, placed in the exact location. In the lawsuit, Skechers said the logo is likely to mislead consumers into thinking Skechers made or endorsed the shoe.
Steve Madden, Ltd. told Reuters that the shoe was “in no way inspired by Skechers” and that its “swirl” design does not resemble the Skechers logo. The company said that it had used variations of the design since the 1990s and plans to “vigorously defend” against the lawsuit.
The case is Skechers U.S.A. Inc. v. Steven Madden, Ltd., U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:23-cv-04869.
Last year, Skechers sued Brooks Sports, Inc. over trademark infringement claims, alleging that the number “5” used by Brooks’ on its shoes is similar to that of Skechers’ italicized “S” logo.
The filing states that Skechers owns more than 40 registered trademarks regarding the “S” mark in the U.S.
Photo courtesy Steve Madden, Kenny shoe
