By Tess Stynes and Sara Germano
Skechers USA Inc. said it filed a lawsuit alleging that a
footwear style sold by rival Steven Madden Ltd. infringes patents
for the company's walking-shoe line and other products.
Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based Skechers is seeking an injunction
against the Setta line of footwear sold under the Steven by Steve
Madden line. Skechers also is seeking compensatory and punitive
damages in the suit, though further details weren't provided.
A Steven Madden spokesman couldn't be reached for comment.
Skechers, which sells casual and fitness shoes, has continued to
report strong sales in recent quarters. The company recently
surpassed Adidas AG as the second-largest sports footwear brand by
U.S. market share, behind only Nike Inc, according to retail
tracker NPD Group.
Much of the company's growth has been driven by Skechers's
GOwalk line of competitively priced casual athletic shoes. In 2014,
Skechers-sponsored marathoner Meb Keflezighi became the first
runner to win the Boston Marathon in the company's shoes, as well
as the first American to win the race in 29 years.
Also giving Skechers a lift has been the rise of the so-called
athleisure trend--whereby sportswear has become appropriate for
everyday fashion, even at the office. The demand for lower-priced
sport-styled footwear has upended the running shoe industry, as
more affordable brands crowd into the athletic category and demand
for higher-priced premium sneakers slows.
Skechers' sales jumped more than 40% to $768 million for the
first three months of the year, after hitting a record $2.4 billion
in 2014.
Steven Madden in March reported earnings and sales that the
company's chief executive said met expectations, following a
difficult 2014 hurt by weak fashion trends, production delays on
goods from Mexico and the West Coast port slowdown.
Write to Tess Stynes at tess.stynes@wsj.com and Sara Germano at
sara.germano@wsj.com
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